Bringing exceptional vintages of the Tokaj region to Asia, Varadi speaks on taking tradition to the next generation, the region's illustrious history, and plans for the future
Leaving the aviation industry behind, second-generation owner Mark Varadi took over the reins of Juliet Victor Vineyards as managing director in February 2023. His first order of business? To redefine the perception of Hungarian wines across the world by creating the world’s finest Tokaji wines. First founded in 2016 by his father Jozsef Varadi, the award-winning producer boasts over 30 hectares of vineyards in the Tokaj region, both in the villages of Mád and Tállya.
Young Varadi has always had a hand in the family business. “I was part of it from the beginning in the strategic arm but never operationally involved in the day-to-day,” said Varadi when he spoke with Tatler Dining. It was only in 2021 when the winery chose to set up Juliet Victor Asia in Singapore, that he got closer to the family business. The Asian outpost now serves as the exclusive importer and distributor of Juliet Victor wines, dishing out a portfolio consisting of dry furmint wines and traditional sweet Tokaji wines, such as aszú and szamorodni, that are a blend of furmint, hárslevelű and yellow muscat.
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The work of introducing an unfamiliar wine region into a new market has officially begun. “Singapore is an ideal place as sommeliers are open-minded enough to try different wines. When these opinion leaders decide to list our wines on their wine list, it not only speaks of the quality of the wine but also provides a platform to translate our story which inspires confidence for consumers who have never tasted such wines to want to try them,” explains Varadi.
“Beyond brand positioning, most consumers may not have been to the Tokaj region, and would almost never pick a dry furmint wine by themselves,” adds Jaclene Liew, director of Juliet Victor Asia. “By working closely with fine-dining restaurants and reputable wine bars with proper wine programmes, we find that consumers are more likely to explore.” Since then, wine enthusiasts can now find Juliet Victor wines stocked in three Michelin-star fine-dining destinations: Odette, private wine club 67 Pall Mall and even progressive seafood and wine bar Humpback.
