Tokaj is a historical wine region located in north-eastern Hungary.
Tokaj is a historical wine region located in north-eastern Hungary, close to the border with Slovakia. It is also one of the seven Hungarian wine regions and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since December 2002.
The wine region is well-known for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot, or Botrytis cinerea. Sweet white wines are known as Tokaji Aszú, while dry reds are called Tokaji Bikavér or Bull’s Blood. Tokaj has also produced sparkling wines in the past – known as Sekt – but this practice was discontinued in the late 1800s due to the rise of Sekt production in Champagne, France.
It’s most famous for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot.
The region is most famous for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot. This type of fungus causes dehydration of the grapes, which concentrates the sugars, acids and flavors. The resulting Tokaji wines are a pale golden color with a honeyed aroma and taste, containing between 120 and 400 grams per liter of residual sugar. In 2015, it was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Tokaj has been declared a World Heritage Site in 2002 under the name Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape.
Although it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2002, Tokaj has been producing wine for 1,000 years. It is one of the oldest classified wine regions in the world, and is the only wine region in Hungary to be classified as a World Heritage Site.
Grapes are grown on volcanic soil, with many microclimates, and producers often blend grapes from different terroirs.
You might be thinking, “with all these complexities, what does the Tokaj wine taste like?” The region has a variety of styles and grape blends. Commonly used varieties include Furmint, Hárslevelű, Hárslevelü, Kabar and Yellow Muscat. The most famous are the sweet wines of Tokaj-Hegyalja (click here to read more). In the past they were known as the “Wine of Kings and King of Wines” (see my article on Hungarian history). Today oenophiles around the world know that Tokaj is a true treasure trove for collectors.
Six grape varieties are allowed to be cultivated in the region, including Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárgamuskotály.
Six grape varieties are allowed to be cultivated in the region, including Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárgamuskotály. Of those, Furmint is the only variety planted on all of our vineyards, with a total acreage of 1 613 hectares or 60% of all Tokaj vines. Hárslevelű and Sárgamuskotály represent 21% and 15%, respectively.
Tokaj is one of the best known historical wine regions in Europe.
The Tokaj wine region is one of the best known historical wine regions in Europe, noted for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis cinerea). Wine has been produced in this area since the 13th century. The two most common grapes are Furmint and Hárslevelű; the latter is used to make the famous Tokaji Aszú dessert wine. The region has a wide variety of soils, with many microclimates, each of which produces different aromas and flavors in the grapes.
Tokaj is located in north-eastern Hungary and has been a World Heritage Site since 2002.