The “Hungarian Wine Queen”: How a small-town girl from Eger turns her dreams into reality in NYC
In 2019, Citadella Imports, spearheaded by Hungarian entrepreneur Alexandra Damanis (formerly Fuscsics), emerged onto the wine scene. This ambitious woman, chasing her dreams of living in NYC, made her wildest dream come true by building a flourishing business, bringing a taste of Hungary to the Big Apple despite the myriad of challenges she faced during her journey. This is her captivating story.
The Big Apple
Ever since Alexandra was a little girl, she always dreamed of living in the bustling NYC. It wasn’t until 2015, during a holiday, that her fate took an unexpected turn – she met Charles, the love of her life. Alexandra and Charles stayed in touch after the vacation, and later, they explored vineyards in the Long Island wine region and Eger together. Their shared passion and appreciation towards wine and winemaking blossomed alongside their growing affection for each other. They married and now live together in New Jersey.
The business idea
Alexandra spent two years in various roles and odd jobs, realising that this wasn’t the American dream she envisioned. While preparing a bogrács dinner, the couple was discussing what type of wine to pair it with. Recalling their recent Hungarian holiday, Charles said:
Perhaps, we could find some Bikavér?
After a quick search on the internet, they found a shop 30 minutes away where they sell Bikavér. However, the couple specifically had one of the exceptional bottles they’d tasted in Hungary in mind. As they left the shop disappointedly, Charles turned to Alexandra jokingly:
You should just import the wine yourself.
Inspired, Alexandra transformed this idea into reality, founding Citadella Imports Inc. She poured her diligence and hard work into the venture, finding pride and celebration in her newfound success.
A piece of Hungary in NYC
Alexandra has become a cultural ambassador for Hungary, sharing its rich history and heritage with her customers. She passionately talks about Hungary’s wine scene, the post-communism resurgence in the country’s wine market and the unique characteristics of the country’s volcanic soils. Of course, she greatly misses her family and friends back in Hungary, thus she regularly visits home, using these trips as opportunities to connect with local winemakers.
Putting Hungary on the map?
While Alexandra doesn’t set lofty goals like “putting Hungary on the map,” she focuses on sharing the story of Hungarian wines with open-minded enthusiasts. Recognising the lack of government investment in wine marketing, especially compared to Czech and Austrian counterparts, she remains authentic and humble in her approach.
Successes like featuring Patricus Furmint in the iconic Buddakan restaurant and her natural wines in NYC’s esteemed St. Jardim highlight her journey. Invitations to exclusive events, such as the Orange Glou Fair in Brooklyn, showcase her impact. Handling everything from sales and marketing to compliance and shipping, along with navigating the US government’s FDA registration system and the label approval process for each of her products, Alexandra’s story sets a great example that with passion and hard work, anything is possible. You can read about more successes in the wine industry HERE and HERE.
