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Tokaj Wine Region
Tokaj Wine Region
This is the only region that is also a single wine district, which is no coincidence. Tokaj is Hungary’s most important wine region, celebrated in its national anthem, which is not just simple sentimentality, but also a recognition of its high quality. Tokaj is historically one of the world’s greatest wine regions, having established a system of origin protection in 1737, the second such system in the world. Today, it covers an area of 5,000 hectares, producing iconic grape varieties such as Furmint and Hárslevelű, which are used to make iconic wines such as Tokaji Aszú and Tokaji Szamorodni.
The Tokaj wine region consists of the vineyards of 26 settlements in the Zemplén Hills. Its southernmost point is the town that gives it its name, but it stretches northeast for about 40-50 kilometres to Sátoraljaújhely, on the Slovakian border. (In fact, the historical areas of the wine region extend into Slovakia, which has been a subject of debate between the two countries for many years.) The climate is basically continental and cool, but it has one exceptional feature that creates a completely unique quality. This characteristic is thanks to the two rivers, the Tisza and the Bodrog, whose humidity and thermal conditions favour the development of botrytis and botrytised (aszu) berries. This special microclimate is accompanied by an exceptional soil structure. The wine region lies on 400 ancient volcanoes, which accumulated various layers of material at different times, meaning that the soil changes almost every metre, creating an exceptional matrix.
Thanks to these characteristics, the wine region has been synonymous with quality for centuries. This remains true even though mass production became commonplace during the decades of communism, resulting in traditional winemaking methods no longer being widely practiced. However, after the fall of communism, waves of foreign and Hungarian investors felt that this treasure had to be seized, and local small producers also began to take it more seriously. Today, the wine region and its producers present an extremely colourful picture, with average wine quality improving continuously. All that remains is to wait for commercial success and sustainability.
Winery districts of the region
Events
Domestic and international wine programs