Zoltan Kopacsi is a co-founder of Best of Hungary, the family business he established with his mother, Monika Gyenes. He combines an academic background in economics with specialist wine education and first-hand experience of Hungary's diverse wine regions, shaping Best of Hungary's portfolio of Hungarian wines for customers across the UK.
From Economics to Hungarian Wine
Before joining the family business full-time, Zoltan completed a PhD in Economics at Kingston University. To deepen his understanding of wine and place Hungarian vintages in a broader international context, he completed WSET Level 2 and subsequently the inaugural postgraduate Wine Business Management course at the University of Tokaj.
During his studies, Zoltan met winemakers from across Hungary and took part in wine tours organised by Wines of Hungary, the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency. These visits took him through most of Hungary's 22 wine regions, giving him first-hand experience of the country's contrasting terroirs, indigenous grape varieties and regional styles.
From the volcanic slopes of Somló and the historic vineyards of Tokaj to the red-wine regions of Eger, Szekszárd and Villány, this experience helped him develop a broad understanding of the diversity and potential of modern Hungarian wine.
Curating the Best of Hungary Wine Portfolio
Zoltan builds the Best of Hungary wine portfolio around the qualities that make Hungarian wine distinctive.
The selection focuses on native grape varieties such as Furmint, Juhfark, Hárslevelű, Kékfrankos and Kadarka, alongside two of Hungary's most celebrated wine styles: Bikavér, also known as Bull's Blood, and the renowned sweet wines of Tokaj.
The range also includes familiar international grape varieties interpreted through Hungarian terroir, together with carefully selected mature and age-worthy vintages for customers looking to explore beyond mainstream wine regions.
His aim is to create a balanced portfolio that helps newcomers discover approachable styles while offering regional specialities, mature vintages and wines suited to further ageing for more experienced enthusiasts.
First-Hand Sourcing & Producer Relationships
Zoltan believes that understanding a wine begins with understanding where it comes from. He values direct relationships with winemakers and regularly visits vineyards and cellars to learn about the soils, climate, vineyard practices and winemaking philosophy behind the bottles selected for Best of Hungary.
Walking the vineyards provides context for each region's character, while cellar discussions explore decisions around grape selection, fermentation, ageing and style. These conversations help him explain what makes a wine distinctive and how customers might enjoy it.
Wines are selected for their flavour, provenance and regional identity, as well as the care and individual approach of the people who make them.
Independent Recognition of Wine Buying
In 2023, Zoltan was shortlisted in the Rising Star category at the Wine Buyers Awards. Held as part of the London Wine Fair programme, the awards recognised professional wine buyers across the UK trade.
The wider business has also received recognition for its specialist wine selection, including IWC Specialist Merchant of the Year 2022 – Southern & Eastern Europe, Highly Commended in the IWC 'Unsung' Specialist of the Year category in 2025, and runner-up in the Decanter Central & Eastern Europe Specialist Retailer of the Year category in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Read more about these results on our Press & Awards page.
Using Independent Wine Awards as a Benchmark
Following the approach of his mother, Monika Gyenes, who uses Great Taste judging as an external benchmark for food, Zoltan considers results from the Decanter World Wine Awards alongside his own tastings and knowledge of the producers.
One example is Gróf Degenfeld Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2017, which received 97 points and a Platinum medal. Decanter subsequently included it in its selection of the world's best sweet wines, identifying Best of Hungary as a UK stockist.
These results help introduce customers to exceptional Hungarian wines, including bottles from smaller wineries and regions they may not have encountered before.
Working with Winemakers & Wine Professionals
Zoltan particularly enjoys working with progressive winemakers and winery owners who are open to collaboration, new ideas and changing consumer tastes.
Projects range from developing distinctive labels and limited releases to exploring lighter, more contemporary interpretations of traditionally heavily oak-aged wine styles.
He also works with wine professionals including Rory Eaton and Jake Nutt on tastings and portfolio selection. Their discussions bring perspectives from the UK hospitality trade to the buying process, helping assess how wines perform at the table and which styles will appeal to British customers.
Building Awareness of Hungarian Wine in the UK
Beyond selecting wines for Best of Hungary, Zoltan supplies wines for Association of Wine Educators educational events and works with local wine schools to introduce more British consumers to Hungarian wine.
These tastings give educators and wine enthusiasts opportunities to explore Hungary's indigenous grape varieties, regional specialities and distinctive winemaking traditions.
His aim is to make Hungarian wine easier to understand and more widely appreciated in the UK, while maintaining close relationships with the winemakers and regions that give the wines their identity.