The Hungarian Girl » Tokaji

Hungarian & Central European Wine Workshops – Fall 2010

The Hungarian Girl — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:16:37 +0000

If your looking to learn more about Hungarian or Central European wines, here’s your chance to do it. The following below is a list of workshops and events that are happening this fall. Please contact the event organizers directly for more information or to register.

Stetson Robbins with wine producer Szoeke Matyas in the Márta district. Photo courtesy of Blue Danube Wine Company.

Central Europe Jewels

Explore indigenous wines of Central Europe with Stetson Robbins of Blue Danube Wine Company. Try the terroir-driven dry and sweet Furmint grape of Tokaji, Hungary; an appellation older than Bordeaux. Explore the spicy, distinctive Zinfandel related Plavac Mali from the ocean-facing vineyards of Southern Croatia. And taste small production Slovenian wines from family producers farming and making wine in an ancient region the Romans fought wars over. The grapes may be unpro- nounceable but the wines are delicious. Come see for yourself and get a great introduction to wines that are still obscure and undiscovered treasures for so many.
Location: Via Cafe (Chinatown), 451 Gin Ling Way, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Date: Wednesday September 15
Time: 7:00-9:00pm
Contact: Visit the Wine Wine Discoveries Exploration website to register or for more details.

Tokaji and Eger Wine Tasting

Ben Howkins, Co-founder and Director of the Royal Tokaji Wine Company, introduces us to the Hungarian wine-producing regions of Tokaj and Eger, and leads this special wine-tasting event where we sample the favourite wine of Joseph Haydn, Bram Stoker, and King Louis XIV.
Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD
Date: Friday November 19
Time: 6:30pm
Contact: Visit the Royal Academy of Arts website to register.

Austro-Hungarian Seminar & Tasting

The Institute of Masters of Wine is hosting a seminar and tasting of wines from Austria and Hungary in London. Organised in partnership with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Wines of Hungary and the Esterházy Foundation, the seminar will include discussions about dry white wines, dry red wines, and sweet wines from both countries.
Location: The Institute of Masters of Wine, 2-3 Philpot Lane, London, EC3M 8AN
Date: Tuesday Saturday October 12
Time: 10:00am – 2:30pm
Contact: Visit the Institute of Masters of Wine website.

The Brotherhood of the Volcanoes, Tokaj-Hegyalja

Kristian Kielmayer — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:22:16 +0000

Vineyards in the village of Mád. The area where Tokaji wine is traditionally grown is a small plateau, 457 m (1500 ft) above sea level, near the Carpathian Mountains. The soil is of volcanic origin containing iron and lime.

Why is Tokaj so special? Is it the soil, is it the climate or is it the grape varieties and the people?

All these factors and much more (including the very technology used in making Tokaji) play an important role.

While the expertise of winemakers can develop, grape varieties themselves can travel and even climate can change, one thing remains very much unique to Tokaj - the soil. Its true that people who work on the soil and certain alterations can modify the outcome (e.g. fertilization) but the sub soil is pretty much the same. Some argue the types of effects the mineral composition of the soil has on the finished wine and, if I wish to simplify, there is a new world vs. old world opinion to this as well. Yet, based on tastings from the most famous white wine regions of Hungary such as Somló, Balaton-Highlands (including Badacsony, Szt. György) and of course Tokaj-Hegyalja (Foothills of Tokaj), the soil plays a major role not only in the nutrient uptake but also the character of the finished wine.

So what constitutes a volcanic soil? A combination of rocks which is a product of volcanic eruption. In the case of Tokaj-Hegyalja, there were more then 400 little volcanoes which shaped the region. Volcanic rocks have many different forms, in Tokaj this varies from andesite, basalt, rhyolit, tuff, nyirok (sort of a red clay), and zeolite. Then there is also loess, limestone, marl, gneiss and much more. Loess is usually a wind blown fine-grained mix of clay and silt. Wines coming from this part of soil are usually lighter in body and softer texture but elegant and refined. Such examples are the wines of the Hétszölö estate. The colour of rhyolite of the volcanic soil varies from white to red, yellow and darker grey. In the district of Mád there are many prime examples of such soil and fantastic wines, full bodied with plenty of density and complexity such as the wines of István Szepsy.

Example of brown forest soil formed on a volcanic base from the Királyudvar Winery.

Tokaj-Hegyalja region was classified amongst the very first in the world, the vineyards have a strict hierarchy and some are better then others. However, today such “official” classification does not exist as it once did which is a great shame – if I’m honest. The wine region is located in the North-East corner of Hungary, approximately 200 km from the capital, Budapest, near the borders of Slovakia and Ukraine. Slopes are facing mainly South-East, the region is between the Hernád and Bodrog rivers while many other smaller and larger rivers also pass through the region.

These rivers play an important role in the foundation of the “noble rot”, the botrytis cinerea, which is a key component in making the famous sweet wine, the aszús, sweet szamorodnis and esszencia. The convergence of these waterways bring forth humidity, fog and warmth which create the right balance of conditions that produce this noble rot. Botrytis is the fungus which is responsible for penetrating through the healthy grape’s stomata while consuming sugar and acidity but at the same time dehydration takes place whereby water evaporates and the juice is concentrated creating more glycerol, laccase and enzymes. The cinerea refers to the unappetizing ash like looking powder on the grape skin giving it the rotten appearance. Normally grapes in this condition would never be used in wine production but in fact because of this process the end result makes a very complex and sweet wine.

Another contribution to the unique style of Tokaj is the grape varieties used. You could apply Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon or even Chardonnay to make sweet wine but why? Why would you use them when you have Furmint, Hárslevelü? Grape varieties are the tool to represent the origin and the typicity. Hungaricum, meaning Hungarian grape varieties either by history and tradition or crossing (breeding), play an important role to achieve something great. In the case of Tokaj, there is also something else which is not practiced anywhere else in the world, the technique utilized in making the aszú wines.

The botrytis affected grapes are picked separately and while this is nothing special as it’s similarily done in Germany, Austria and France, the maceration with the dry wine or must is different. This means that from the aszú berries they make a sort of “pastry dough” and from here there are 3 different ways to go forward. You can either macerate the aszú berries, pastry in unfermented must, add fermenting must or add a dry base wine. Pannon Tokaj for instance works with fermenting must because they believe that the CO2 during fermentation helps to release more flavours from the aszú berries. The tricky question with the aszú wines is when it comes to the above mentioned classification, that many of the shrivelled berries come from smaller growers and a lot of different vineyards too.

The Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region is very diverse with a lot of different soil formations with higher quality then others such as “rhyolit” - a clear and bright soil and “zeolit” which has a superior drainage, water conducting and heat retaining quality. Tokaj-Hegyalja is not just an exciting wine region in Hungary but also one of the most stunning in the world because of its terroir. The harmony between soil, climate, variety and the people create these outstanding dry white wines and remarkable aszús.

The Budapest International Wine Festival

The Hungarian Girl — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:19:53 +0000

Hungary’s largest and most prestigious wine festival is happening from September 8th – 12th located in terraces of the Buda Castle Palace (Budavári Palota).

The festival features over 1,000 wines from across the country and the world. Vistiors will have the opportinity to learn about the history of Hungarian wine making and meet renowned wine makers. Traditional Hungarian music and gastronomic delights are part of the 5-day festival. Several wine workshops and lectures are also held.

A charity wine auction wraps up the event, with proceeds donated to the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service.

For more information including tickets, visit the aborfesztival website.

Hungarian Wine Facts

The Hungarian Girl — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Hand-crafted Hungarian wine bottles.

Hungary may not be the most well-known wine producing nation. However, it has certainly contributed to many apsects of wine and winemaking.

Here are some facts about wine in Hungary.

• Only three European languages have words for wine: Latin, Greek, and Hungarian.

• Vines believed to be indigenous to the region were first cultivated in Roman Times.

• Hungary is one of the few countries in the world where it’s entire land can be used for vine growing.

• There are currently 22 wine regions in Hungary.

• More than 60 percent of total wine production is white, although red wines are growing more popular and their production is increasing.

• The most well known dry red wine of Hungary is Egr Bikaver, bull’s blood of Eger.

• The vineyards of Tokaj were the first in the world to be classified according to quality.

• Throughout the 17th and 18th century, Tokaji aszu was a cherished commodity enjoyed by the royals of Europe.

• In the Hungarian National Anthem, the poet Ferenc Kölcsey (1790-1838) wrote about the country’s most precious gifts. Included is the wine of Tokaji: “In the grape fields of Tokaj, You dripped sweet nectar.”

• Somló is the smallest wine region in Hungary.

• California’s wine industry was jumpstarted by Hungarian immigrant, Ágoston Haraszthy, who shipped 300 different vine cuttings in 1861.

• Hungarian viticulturalist Zsigmond Teleki became world-famous by finding disease resistant varieties during the philoxeria epidemic that swept through Europe in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

• Hungary’s 22 wine regions lie between the same parallels as France’s Champagne and Bordeaux.

• The word for wine in Hungarian is “bor.”

Hungary and Slovakia Battle Over Tokaji Wine

The Hungarian Girl — Sun, 16 May 2010 14:05:54 +0000

Tokaji wine became the subject of the world's first appellation control which was established several decades before Port wine, and over 120 years before the classification of Bordeaux.

For over fifty years, there has been a long-running dispute between Hungary and Slovakia over the wine term “Tokaj”.

The issue has heated up after the European Commission had recently given Slovakia the go-ahead for registering one of its wine regions, hitherto known as Tokajská Vonohradnícka Oblast under the name of Vinohradnícka Oblast Tokaj.

Tokaji in Hungarian, hailed as “the king of wines and the wine of kings” by King Louis XIV of France, has been produced for centuries in the north-east of Hungary, at the southern part of the Zemplén mountains. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002 on account for its viticulture traditions and landscape. The region is also the first in the world to produce wine from botrytized grapes.

The Tokaj region was redefined in 1908 and was split up in 1918, with the majority of vineyards going to Hungary and a small section of vineyards going to Czechoslovakia which is now Slovakia today. In 1959, as part of the Treaty of Trianon from World War I, four more villages were added to Czechoslovak, three of which had been mentioned in the original 1798 Tokaj delineation. The exact number of hectares within Slovakia is under dispute as well.

Slovakia had previously asked to officially register the term “Tokaj” in Slovak, but the request had been rejected by the European Commission. However, the current agreement would give Slovakia similar rights as Hungary for regulation and quality control over the wine. Many Hungarian producers are concerned the reputation of their vintage wines could be jeopardized. Although, Slovakians producers say their region is at a disadvantage due to the strict regulations imposed upon them.

In the past, EU regulations on geographical indication ordered French and Italian producers to relinquish using the Tokaji brand name, including its spelling varieties. It was also later proven that those wines had no correlation to Hungarian Tokaji wine. The European Union also settled the issue with Australia and the United States and both countries agreed to phase out the use of the Tokaji brand name.

The situation with Slovakia where about 10 per cent of the Tokaji region resides reminds yet to be resolved for both countries with further proceedings set to take place later this month.

Hungary’s Wine Regions

The Hungarian Girl — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:41:45 +0000

Vineyard in the Zemplén Mountains near Tokaj. The region is known for producing the sweet Aszu wines.

Hungary has a long and distinguished history of winemaking. Grapes were first known to be cultivated in the area by Romans over 2000 years ago.

The country’s diverse climate of hot and humid summers, dry autumns, and rainy springs to cold winters makes it an ideal place for winemaking.

Its best-known wines are Tokaji Aszu, a sweet dessert wine and Bull’s Blood (Egri Bikavér), a full-bodied red wine. However, there are many other types of wines to be enjoyed and appreciated within this beautiful country as well as magnificent scenery and landscape. It can be easily stated that Hungary is truly a wine lover’s paradise!

There are currently 22 wine regions throughout the country. Here is a brief description of each region along with their grape varieties.

Aszar-Neszmely

Aszar-Neszmely lies northwest of Hungary near the Danube. The region is well known for its Hilltop Neszmély winery as well as for its plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Királyleányka, and Olaszrizling.

Badacsony

Badacsony wine region located on the Northern shores of Lake Balaton.

Badacsony is located on the Northern shores of Lake Balaton and is approximately 1600 hectares. The leading grape variety is Szürkebarát, a descendant of Pinot gris, brought to Hungary from France in the Middle Ages. High-quality dry white wines can be found in this area.

Balatonfelvidek

This region produces acid-rich, full-bodied whites. Grape varieties include Italian Riesling, Szürkebarát (Pinot Gris), Szürkebarát, Rizlingszilváni, Chardonnay and Muscat Ottonel.

Balatonmelleke

Balatonmelleke is a small region located in the Zala Hills that is approximately 1623 hectares. The area was just recently designated as a wine region in 1998. Although, there hasn’t been any significant process in winemaking there is hope for potential in the future. Whites are mainly produced here.

Balatonfured-Csopak

Located on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, this region produces mostly full-bodied, mineral-rich whites. Balatonfured-Csopak is also known for its mineral water.

Bukkalja

Bukkalja is a sizeable district, in the foothills of the Bukk Mountains. It’s known for its beautiful landscape consisting of forests, mountains, and lakes. The most important wine of this region is the Olaszrizling, a full-bodied white wine. The area is also well known for the German-owned Gyongyos Estate.

Csongrad

Csongrad is Hungary’s warmest wine region located in the Southern Great Plain. This historical settlement produces excellent reds. Grapes varieties include Kadarka, Kékfrankos and Zweigelt.

Del-Balaton

Del-Balaton is one of Hungary’s newest wine regions. It produces both reds and whites. Grape varieties in this area include Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Muscat and Semillon.

Eger

This beautiful and historical town is located in Northern Hungary at the foot of the Bukk Mountains. It’s most famous for its Egri Bikavér also known as “Bull’s Blood”, an elegant red blend mainly based on Kékfrankos. According to legend, the drink was established after the Turks try to invade the town of Eger. It was rumouredthat soldiers drank bull’s blood mixed with wine to frighten off their enemy. Other grape varieties include Leányka, Olaszrizling, and Hárslevelü. Tibor Gál’s GIA , Grof Buttler and Ostoros are just a few of the leading wineries in the area.

Etyek-Buda

Located northwest of Budapest, this region produces whites. Sparkling wine is also made here.

Hajos-Baja

Furmint grapes, one of the most widely grown varieties in Hungary.

Hajos-Baja produces mostly whites. The area is most known for its historic cellar village, consisting of 1,200 unique wine cellars. It is the largest continuous cellar district in Europe stretching over 2 kilometers.

Kunság

Kunság is one the largest wine regions in Hungary, consisting of over 28, 000 hectares. Its wines are milder in taste due to the sandy soil. One particular winery that should be noted is Frittmann.

Mátra

Hungary’s second largest wine region located in the foothills of the Mátra range. Mainly white wines are produced here. Leading wineries are Szoke Mátyás, Borpalota, and former state farm cooperative Szoloskert.

Mecsekalja

This region is located within a mountain range between Villány and Szekszard. It’s most prominent grape is the unique Cirfandli and Juhfark.

Mór

The picturesque Valley of Mór runs between the Vértes and the Bakony mountains. It’s most popular variety is the Ezerjó, which produces a full-bodied spicy red wine. Other grape varieties include Leányka and Tramini.

Pannonhalma-Sokoroalja

The Pannonhalma-Sokoroalja wine region mainly produces white wines. The grape varieties grown here are Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rhine Riesling and Italian Riesling, Királyleányka and Traminer (Gewürztraminer). An ice wine variety is also produced from Riesling. There are some red wines in this area such as Kékfrankos.

Somló

Somló is the smallest designated wine region in Hungary. Located on a hill midway between Pannonhalma-Sokoroalja and Balatonfeldvidek, the region produces both red and white wines. Main varieties are Kékfrankos, Olaszrizling, Hárslevelü and Furmint. During the 18th century, the region was favored and respected by the Habsburg dynasty.

Sopron

Sopron is a significant wine producing region, one of the few in Hungary to make both red and white wines. It’s most significant grape is Kékfrankos. The area’s top winery is Weninger.

Szekszárd

Szekszárd produces some of the country’s top red wines. Unlike the robust wines of Eger or Villány, these reds are softer with a distinctive flavor. Among the grape varieties are Kékfrankos, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zweigelt and Kadarka.

Tokaj-Hegyalja

Tokaj-Hegyalja or Tokaj is Hungary’s most famous wine region. The region lies on the edge of the great Hungarian plain, dominated by the extinct Tokaj volcano and the Zemplen Hills. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002 on account for its viticulture traditions and landscape. Best known of Tokaj’s unique wines is the sweet aszu, made from late-ripened grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, a mold that concentrates grape sugars and flavors into honeylike sweetness. However, the most prized is Eszencia, made the juice of aszú berries that is highly concentrated in sugar and aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 10 years before bottling. The region also has a variety of dry and semi-sweet wines. Grape varieties include Furmint, Hárslevelü, Zéta, Kabar, and Muscat. Well-known wineries are Royal Tokaji Wine Company, Disznóko, and Crown Estates.

Villány-Siklós

The most southerly of Hungary’s great wine regions, Villány-Siklós covers an area of about 2000 hectares. It’s divided by two towns – Villány and Siklós. Reds are produced in Villány while whites are made in Siklós. Top wineries in the region are Csányi, Bock, Táffin, Attila Gere, and Gere Tamás.

Tokaji Aszú – The King of Wines

The Hungarian Girl — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:43:11 +0000

Tokaj-Hegyalja district of Northeastern Hungary.

Overview

Tokaji Aszú is a sweet, topaz-colored wine from Hungary.

The wine derives its name from the Tokaj-Hegyalja district of Northeastern Hungary. The region lies on the edge of the great Hungarian plain, dominated by the extinct Tokaj volcano and the Zemplen Hills.

Tokaji Aszú is made from late-ripened grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, a mold that concentrates grape sugars and flavours into honeylike sweetness.

The Tokaj-Hegyalja district was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2002 on account for its viticultural traditions and landscape. It covers a total of 28 towns and villages.

Tokaji Aszú is also proudly cited in the Hungarian national anthem.

Tokaji Aszú from Crown Estates 1988.

History

Crowned as the “king of wines and wine of kings” by Louis XIV, Tokaji Aszú has a long and distinguished history.

It is believed the first aszú was made by Laczkó Máté Szepsi in 1630. It then quickly became a favourite among the royal households of Europe.

Tokaji wine became the subject of the world’s first appellation control, established several decades before Port wine, and over 120 years before the classification of Bordeaux. Vineyard classification began in 1730 with vineyards being classified into 3 categories depending on the soil, sun exposure and potential to develop noble rot, botritys cinerea, first class, second class and third class wines. A royal decree in 1757 established a closed production district in Tokaj. The classification system was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.

After World War II, Hungary became a Soviet-influenced state with a Communist central-planning system. Tokaji production continued with a limited number of producers, but the bottling and distribution were monopolized by a state-owned organization. As a result, the quality of the wine plummeted and most of the bottles became inaccessible to the world.

Since the collapse of the communist regime in the early 1990’s, Hungary’s vineyards have regained their status with foreign investment.

Tokaji Aszú is now recognized as a highly esteemed wine and has won numerous international awards over the years.

Grape Varieties

There are six grapes varieties that produce Tokaji wine.

• Furmint
• Hárslevelü
• Sárga Muskotály or Yellow Muscat
• Kövérszolo
• Kabar
• Zéta

Taste Profile

In Hungary, “Aszú” wines are traditionally drunk at the end of the evening or as an aperitif. However, they also make a fine accompaniment to white meat in sauce, game, blue cheeses, and desserts. It should be noted that a bottle, once opened, can be kept for several weeks in the refrigerator. The wine should ideally be served between 10 and 12°C.

Wine producers

Below are a few listings of wine producers for Tokaji Aszú.

Crown Estates of Hungary
http://www.crownestates-tokaji.com

Disznóko Vineyards and Winery Inc.
http://www.disznoko.hu

Patricius Tokaj
http://www.patricius.hu

Royal Tokaji Wine Company
http://www.royal-tokaji.com

Tokaj Hetzsolo
http://www.tokaj.com

Tokaj Kereskedoház
http://tkrt.hu/eng

Further information

For more information about Tokaji Aszú and the wine region, you can visit these websites as listed below.

Official Website of the Tokaj Town in Hungary
http://www.tokaj.hu

Tokaj Renaissance Classified Vineyards of Tokaj
http://tokaji.directinfo.hu

Time Magazine
“The Sweet Sensation of Hungary’s Tokaj” by Sudi Pigott
http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1884266,00.html

The New York Times
“Hungary Returns to a Sweet Past” by Eric Asimov
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/dining/27wine.html

Straight.com
“From Hungary, here’s Tokaji: how sweet it is” by Jurgen Gothe
http://www.straight.com/article-194029/hungary-heres-tokaji-how-sweet-it