Tokaj: the back story

About Tokaj: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Budapest Editorial Team

The Tokaj wine region, in the north-east of Hungary where the Bodrog meets the Tisza, makes some of the world’s most celebrated sweet wines. Its villages, vineyards and mould-lined cellars form a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape.

Aszú and noble rot

In autumn, mists from the rivers encourage noble rot (botrytis) on the Furmint and Hárslevelű grapes, shrivelling them and concentrating their sugar. These aszú berries are picked one by one and added to wine or must, creating Tokaji Aszú, a golden sweet wine with high acidity that can age for decades. Dry Furmint is now just as exciting.

A historic wine region

Tokaj’s vineyards were classified in the 18th century, making it one of the first wine regions in the world with defined boundaries. Its wines were sought after at the courts of Europe.

In Tokaj cellars, a soft black mould covers the walls and helps the wine.

The cellars

Wines mature in cellars cut into the volcanic rock, where a black mould, Cladosporium cellare, covers the walls and keeps humidity steady. The Rákóczi Cellar in Tokaj town is one of the most famous.

Sárospatak

Nearby Sárospatak has the Rákóczi Castle, a Renaissance castle on the Bodrog, and a historic college.

Our advice: stay two nights in Tokaj town or a wine village, book cellar tastings ahead, and taste dry Furmint as well as Aszú; designate a driver, or join an organised wine tour from Budapest.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Tokaj: the back story before you go.