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Tokaj-Hegyalja Wine-district
Blessed Tokaj wine, how good you are,
your mere fragrance is enough to send death running;
for many ill people have been cured by drinking you,
though they were about to be taken away.
Drink of the gods, immortal nectar,
the land is blest where you grow!
(Miklós Szemere)
Tokaj-Hegyalja is a famous wine-district of Hungary acknowledged all over the world. Even the first Magyar settlers of Hungary found grape-vines in this region, though the first authentic reference to vine-growing was found in the deed of foundation of the Turóczi provostship of 1251.
What makes the wines of the region surrounded by the Sátor-hill of Abaújszántó, the Kopasz-hill of Tokaj and the Sátor-hill of Sátoraljaújhely excellent? The answer is extremely complex. The volcanic soil, the area protected by the chain of the Carpathian Mountains, the southern exposure, the autumn weather promoting the grape to turn into aszu (raisin), the closeness of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers, the Furmint, Hárslevelű (Linden-Leaf), Yellow Muscatel and Oremus grapes, the late vintage at the end of October, the special treatment of the wines, the Gönc and Szerednye barrels as well as the cellars of Hegyalja covered with noble mould, all play an important role in this.
The special mode of preparing the dry and the sweet Szamorodni, the 3-6-butt Aszu as well as the Aszu essence and the nectar has been applied by the wine-growers of Hegyalja for many generations. According to the legend of the Tokay Aszu, at Easter 1630 Máté Szepsi Laczkó offered the wine prepared from the grape of the Oremus strip to Zsuzsanna Lorántffy. Though we can find references to the Aszu wine even from earlier times, the origin of the Tokay Aszu is traditionally dated in the year 1630.
The history of Tokaj-hegyalja has always been closely interwoven with the wine. Many Hungarian nobles (the Báthory's, the Bethlen's, the Rákóczi's and the Thököly's) had their own cellars in Hegyalja. The most famous among them, the Rákóczi-cellars of Tokaj and Sárospatak still receive visitors. The Tokay wine was well-known and very popular as early as the 12th century. King Louis XIV. (the Sun King), Cromwell, Tsar Alexander the Great and Tsarina Catherine were all lovers of the Tokay wines. (The Russians even stationed a small garrison in the surroundings of Tokay to ensure continuous supply.) The curative power of the wines of Hegyalja was acknowledged also by the doctors of pope Pius I.: they ordered him to drink Tokay wines regularly to protect his health.
After several decades of stagnation following the second world war, the Hegyalja wine-district began to awake at the beginning of the nineties. In the course of privatisation, several domestic and foreign companies tried to get a foothold in the Mecca of sweet wine production. As a result of French, Japanese, German, Spanish, British and American capital inflow, several imposing investments have been realised, all now playing an important role in the region. On the other hand, domestically owned small and medium-sized wine cellars have not been pushed into the background either.
"Tokaj Renaissance", the Association of Great Tokay Wines was founded in 1995 in Hegyalja with the purpose of reviving the old reputation of the Tokay Aszu.
István Szepsy, a wine-grower of Mád farming on its own vine-lands of twenty hectares is regarded as one of the greatest representatives of today's wine production of Tokaj. On the basis of his expertise, determination and the high standard he sets himself, we may say confidently that the Aszu wines of the Szepsy family are able to meet the requirements of even the world's most demanding consumers. Along side the family wine-cellars, István Szepsy is also head of the Királyudvar wine-cellars founded recently in Tarcal.
The other famous wine-cellars of Mád are the Wine-Cellars of Gentlemen's Wines, the centre of which is the Orczy-cellar named after the one-time baron Orczy. In addition to their unforgettable wines, they plan to open a wine treasure store in the near future, which promises to be an interesting scenic spot in the wine district.
Tasting-tips
As we arrive at the edge of the wine district from the direction of Budapest, on the confines of Mezôzombor we see the interesting building of "Disznókô" wine-cellars, which was one of the first and most valuable investments of the region. The wines of Disznókô Ltd. regularly achieve splendid international results.
On the confines of Tokaj, in the one-time crown lands we can find the vineyards of the "Hétszôlô" wine-cellars replanted at the beginning of the nineties. The grape-vine planted into loess gives a special character to the Hétszôlô Aszu, which has been rewarded with numerous important international prizes.
"Tokaj Oremus" has its seat in Tolcsva. Oremus is trying to meet the challenge of the future with continuous vine re-plantation as well as with the establishment of a new processing plant. Apart from the Aszu wines of the past decade, they are also in possession of the majority of the 6-butt "Aszu of the Century", of the 1972 vintage.
After tasting good wines, it is always a pleasure to step into a restaurant where we can assuage the pangs of hunger with the specialities of the region. One of the local delicacies is the "Capon Filled with Aszu Grapes of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary" which is a young capon stuffed with pickled aszu grapes and given a crispy roast in the oven. It is an excellent dish, recommended as especially suitable for expectant mothers.
The next station on our trip is Sárospatak, the most important spiritual centre of the region. The Calvinist College, the castle and the name Rákóczi have all played a significant role in the history of the region and the whole country. Tasting the fine, prize winning Pajzos and Megyer wines in the Rákóczi-cellar, it is easy to imagine that the mouldy walls once saw some of the prominent figures of Hungarian history.
Sátoraljaújhely is located a few kilometres away. The town is the ecological boundary of Aszu production, since north of Sátoraljaújhely the cooling and windy climate doesn"t promote ripening. The successor of the one-time state-owned wine combine, the Tokaj Kereskedôház Rt. (Tokaj Trading House Ltd.) has its seat in Sátoraljaújhely. This company is the most characteristic representative of traditional-style Aszu production. The majority of the museum wines inherited from the wine combine - a collection of several hundred thousand bottles representing the aszu production of the whole 20th century - are preserved by the Tokaj Kereskedôház Rt. |
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