Tokaji wine district

Tokaji is a picturesque place at the foot of the mountains and Hungary’s most famous wine district, with a population of less than 5,000. It is protected by the Zemplén Hills to the north and the Tisza and Bodrog rivers to the south. The hills are volcanic in origin. Autumn is mild here, and thanks to this climate, wonderful grapes ripen here, and the area has been famous for its excellent wine since the 17th century.

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General information

Unlike Ege-ra, the center of northern Hungary, known for red wines such as the famous Bull’s Blood wine, Tokaj, lying to the northeast, produces only white wines. The region is world-famous for its sweet dessert wines – Louis XIV said of Tokaj that it was “the wine of kings and the king of all wines.”

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In fact, several varieties of white wine are produced in Tokaj. The driest is “harslevelu”, “furmint” is a regular dry white wine that can be drunk in any restaurant. “Szamorodni” is a dry or sweet wine, it is a more complex bouquet, a little reminiscent of sherry. According to legend, in 1630, a farmer fled the area in fear of invaders and left his grape crop unharvested on the vines. When he returned, he saw that the bunches had dried up, sugar had concentrated in them, and the wine had a honey taste. This is how they started making “aszu” wine with different sugar content and exquisite flavor. Such wine should be drunk separately, savoring every drop.

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In total, there are 28 villages and towns in the Tokaj wine region, located at the southern and eastern foothills of the Zemplen Ridge. Everywhere you go, you’ll see private cellars and vineyards offering wine tastings.