Tokaj boasts natural conditions and centuries of wine tradition so unique that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. One of the main resources that have helped this treasure of a wine region to sustain a distinct culture and creat value over the ages is the local climate, shaped to a large extent by the region’s two rivers, the Tisza and the Bodrog, along with their wetlands and moors, which make a major contribution to weather conditions enabling the reliable occurrence of botrytis in the fall. Another key factor is the terrain, notably the sheltered slopes on the southeastern fringe of the Zemplén Hills. Last but not least, the fame of the region relies on the extraordinarily colorful palette of bedrocks and soils, although most of them are volcanic in origin. The vineyards occupy altitudes of 100 to 300 m. At present, some 6,000 hectares are planted with vines.
Tokaj has 1 districts with protected designation of origin:
Tokaji - OEM quality
And one protected geographical indication:
Zempléni - OFJ (country wine)
Tokaj Area under vines (2013): 5798 ha
Tokaj boasts natural conditions and centuries of wine tradition so unique that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. One of the main resources that have helped this treasure of a wine region to sustain a distinct culture and creat value over the ages is the local climate, shaped to a large extent by the region’s two rivers, the Tisza and the Bodrog, along with their wetlands and moors, which make a major contribution to weather conditions enabling the reliable occurrence of botrytis in the fall. Another key factor is the terrain, notably the sheltered slopes on the southeastern fringe of the Zemplén Hills. Last but not least, the fame of the region relies on the extraordinarily colorful palette of bedrocks and soils, although most of them are volcanic in origin. The vineyards occupy altitudes of 100 to 300 m.
Tokaj possess a microclimate unique in the world in its ability to encourage the grapes to contract botrytis. As a result, naturally sweet noble wines, as well as superb quality dry wines, have been an unbroken tradition since the 16th century. A relatively dry August and September is conducive for the grapes to achieve full biological ripeness before the onset of the overripe phase, when the berries begin to shrivel. Subsequent wetter conditions, which occur frequently, if not every year, set the stage for the grapes to contract Botrytis cinerea, also known as ’noble rot’. Annual insolation averages 2009 hours at precipitation levels of 525 mm. The noble rot triggers a very special process of overripening whereby the grapes lose much of their moisture and achieve a high sugar concentration of 55-65%, while their acid levels rise at a much slower rate. The botrytis also enriches the wines with aromas and flavors reminiscent of the blossom of certain trees, such as linden and robinia, as well as fresh and sundried fruits, notably apricot and quince – all considered hallmark of sweet Tokaj.
Both the sweet specialties and the dry whites of Tokaj derive another important and distinctive benefit from the properties of the local bedrocks and soils. The diversity of volcanic rocks and the overlying layers of tuff that make up the bulk of the Zemplén Mountains is so extreme that in some places three varieties of tuff occur within a 100-meter radius. The changing thickness of the topsoil makes a further contribution to the richly varied geological conditions. The most celebrated historic crus of Tokaj tend to lie at higher altitudes where the soil is richer in weathered tuff and other rock debris, and thus have a higher concentration of trace elements including potassium and magnesium. In approximately 5 % of the district’s vineyards, particularly in the vicinity of Tarcal and the town of Tokaj, the bedrock is covered by a mantle of loess, which warms up faster and therefore triggers the vegetation period earlier in the year. All of these natural conditions – similarly to other great wine producing areas in the world – render Tokaj eminently suitable for the making of single-vineyard wines, which owe some of their distinctive character and superb quality directly to the specific mineral composition of the soil in their respective sites.
Grape varieties:
Furmint, Hárslevelű, Kabar, Kövérszőlő, Sárga muskotály, Zéta