SeeUinHungary, Wine Regions, tokaj wine region, home of assu and samorodni

The area is located on the South-Eastern slopes of the Zemplén Mountain which has a volcanic origin. This brown volcanic coverage of soil was mainly exfoliated from the tufas of liparit and andesit. This soil contains adherent and flinty argil thus it is hard to cultivate. The advantage of this soil is that in deeper layers it preserves water in hot periods of summer so the plants can tolerate drought well. The grapes and their wines attain exceptional quality of good body and fiery intensity. They are suitable for long ageing and storing in traditional oak barrels later on in bottles. A smaller part of the region (Tokaj Hill) is covered by loess soil which has the ability to store the heat of the sun, and which kind of soil is much easier to cultivate. These slopes provide rich and elegant wines with remarkable aroma and with lower acid content.

Hungarian wines were well-known all around Europe from 1200 AD especially from the reign of King Matthias. Tokaj got into the limelight when Tokaji Aszú, the noblest sweet wine became known. According to the latest researches in a document of inheritance from the year of 1571 a portion of aszú wine is mentioned but Máté Szepsy Laczkó - the pastor of Princess Zsuzsanna Lórántffys court - was the first who described the method of aszú making and gave a bottle of sweet wine to his mistress in 1630.

At the beginning of the 18th century wine trade was booming due to diplomatic and economic relations of Ferenc Rákóczi, Prince of Transylvania. (He covered the expenses of the war of independence from the incomes of his huge vineyards.) He also used wine in his diplomatic relations in the royal court of Charles XII of Sweden, Frederic II of Prussia and Anne, Queen of England. He was invited several times to the court of Louis XIV of France and gave him numerous bottles of wine as gifts from his Tokaj estate. When Tokaji was then served at the Versailles Court of Louis XIV being delighted with the precious beverage he entitled it the "THE WINE OF KINGS AND THE KING OF WINES" (Vinum regum, rex vinorum).

This is how Tokaj wines started to conquer Europe and became the favourite drink of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Frederick II of Prussia, Voltaire, Goethe and Schubert. Its succes was confirmed by the general opinios of medical experts that moderate wine drinking has medical benefits. So "Vinum Tokajense Passum" became an entry in the Hungarian books of medicine in the 1800s.

Not only drinking Tokaji wine but also holding an estate with a vineyard in Tokaj became a symbol of wealth even in the circles of the Church. The emperor, the Hungarian king and queen at all times, all the palatines, landlords and even the Russian czars owned some vineyards

Aszú:
Good climatic conditions give Furmint and Hárslevelu bunches great amount of aszú berries. At the harvest aszú berries are selected from the bunches by hand then collected in huge containers. After grinding the botrytised berries either must or wine of the same vintage is added to the jelly. Before the pressing it is soaked for 12-48 hours. Following the pressing it is barrelled for fermentation.

Depending on the number of tubs - puttony - (a tub contains 25 kg) of aszú berries are added to a gönci cask (136 litres) containing new wine, we can speak about 3, 4, 5 or 6 tubs (puttonyos) Aszú wine. These traditional measures (gönci cask, tub) are not in use nowadays, the number of tubs (puttonys) on wine labels is defined by the laboratory analysis of the sugar and other ingredients? concentration. Two years ageing in wood then one year in bottles is stipulated by the act of wine.

Furmint: (cca. 55% in the wine region)
Presumably, it is a Hungarian grape variety, dominating the vineyards with strong, intensively growing vinelet, with plain leaves. The clusters are not too big, berries have thick skin. It grows ripe late and easily dries on the vinelet. Its wine has high acid and extract conternt and has an average bouquet and characteristic exquisite aroma. Several varieties of it exist. It is light and fresh, on the table of the customers often in the first year after the harvest. Some of the wineries let it age in oak barrels for some time, then they bottle it. The late and selected harvest raises its residual content of sugar for a special quality sweet wine.

Hárslevelű: (cca. 25% in the wine region)
This is a traditional wine grape of Tokajhegyalja. Its vinelet grows intensively, leaves are emarginated almost round and plain. It has quite big, longish clustes, berries are average and thin skinned. It grows ripe late, easily dries on the vinelet. Its wine has a high acid and extract content with a fine brasswood honey scent and aroma .It has the same varieties as Furmint, but its wine is mellow with a honey bouquet. The late harvest variety is becoming popular.

Sárgamuskotály: (cca. 7% in the wine region)
A traditionally old, muscat type of the region. The vinelet grows not too intensively the clusters and the berries are average, the skin is quite thick. Ripes in the middle of the term, rots easily. It is not resistant enough against diseases, has an average acid and sugar content but has an intensive bouquet and aroma.
The harvest of this variety is started as early as mid September to preserve the aroma, after the fermentation provides dry or semidry fresh wine. It grows old very soon like a rosé, so it is the best before the next vintage appears. It is best served at 8-10 °C on hot summer days. It could be the favourite drink for those, too, who were not wine-drinkers before. Ideal conditions of weather are necessary for the varieties harvested late, thus their wines are also premium quality.

The most precious form of sugar is in the aszú grapes. Tokajhegyalja became world famous for this unique phenomenon. The special geographic location of the wine district, the type of grapes influence the wine making process. The special climatic conditions are indispensable for the development of aszú berries. In the autumn in October during the humid period with its early morning and night dew and morning mists, the fungus, the Botrytis Cinerea multiplies. Whereas the dry period with its sunshine warmth and drying wind helps the water evaporate and limits the multiplication of the noble rot. This special contrast has the result that fungus Botrytis Cinerea also known as noble rot starts a special overriping process, which increases the sugar and aroma content of the grapes and the quality of the resulting wine. Thus the grapes affected by this noble rot lose their watercontent and the sugar content becomes more concentrated than the acidic elements in the grapes. At the same time Botrytis Cinerea creates a fantastic aromatic potential. Although for most of the winegrowing areas of the world fungus Botrytis Cinerea causes a disease, here in Tokajhegyalja has a beneficial effect.

Szamorodni:
During the harvest certain bunches are individually selected. We need bunches with botrytised berries and must with high sugar content thus its wine is rich with an unique quality. "Szamorodni" is a gained from polish language with the meaning "how it is created". This means that we do not select the botrytised berries from the bunches - as we do making Aszú - but press the whole bunch as it is on the wine.
If there are few botrytised berries on the bunches or the sugarcontent in the must is fermented totally we get a dry Szamorodni. It ages 1-2 years in oak barrels. Sometimes it is said this wine is similar to cherry, but it is made of botrytised berries and does not contain additional alcohol. It is a distinguished aperitif!
If the sugarcontent is high the wine will be sweet also after the fermentation. The name of this kind is sweet Szamorodni. (Containing the same values it is like a 1-2 tubs - puttonyos - Aszú. But it would be unnecessary to make wine with this category.) Serve it as a dessert wine.
According to the act of wine one year ageing in wood (barrels) then in bottles is stipulated.

Tokaj Wine Region