Tokaj wine region

Tokaj is a historic wine region located in the northeast of Hungary, with a small part in Southeastern Slovakia (see Tokaj (region in Slovakia)). The official name of the Hungarian wine region is Tokaj-Hegyalja (Hegyalja means "Foothills" in Hungarian and was the original name for the region). The region consists of 27 communities and 7,000 hectares of classified vineyards, of which 5,000 are currently planted.

Tokaj is unique among the world's wine regions in having been declared a World Heritage Site. However, its fame long predates UNESCO recognition as the region is home to the world's oldest botrytis wine: Tokaji Aszú.

Some of the characteristics which make the Tokaj wine region unique are:

• Soil and microclimate: The Tokaj terroir consists of clay or loess soil on volcanic subsoil. The microclimate is determined by the sunny, south-facing slopes and the proximity of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers, and is conducive to the proliferation of Botrytis Cinerea (noble rot) and the subsequent desiccation of the grapes.
• Indigenous grape varieties: Furmint and Hárslevelü have been cultivated in the region for centuries and, together with Sárgamuskotály (Muscat Lunel), are the only grape varieties officially permitted for use in the region.
• Cellars: A vast system of cellars has been carved out of solid rock. They provide a constant temperature of around 12°C and high humidity of around 95%, which are ideal for the aging of Tokaji wines.
• Appelation system: A royal decree in 1757 established a closed production district in Tokaj, the world's first system of wine appellation. Vineyard classification began in 1730 and was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.

History

Viticulture in the Tokaj area existed as early as the late 3rd century AD, as evidenced by a petrified grape leaf found in Erdőbénye and dating from this period. Slavs arrived in the region in the late 5th/early 6th century and indeed the name "Tokaj" is derived from the Slavic word "Stokaj", meaning approximately confluence (i.e. confluence of the rivers Bodrog and Tisza).

When Magyar settlers arrived in Tokaj at the end of the 9th Century, they found a flourishing viticulture west of the Danube, but the state of viticulture in the Tokaj area at that time is unknown. It is possible that the Magyars have brought with them an ancient tradition of wine-making (see: Origins of Hungarian wine-making). 'Latin' people were first invited to settle in Tokaj by Hungarian King Béla III (1130-1162) and then by Béla IV (1235-1270). These immigrants were probably Walloons from northern France, although some researchers claim that they were Italians. Slavic peoples (Slovaks and Rusyns) are also documented as being involved in Tokaj viticulture by the 12th century. However, the rise of Tokaj as a major wine region can be dated to the early 16th Century.

Tokaji wine became an increasingly important commodity for the region from the 17th century, its export being a major source of income for the ruling Princes of Transylvania to which the Tokaj region belonged at the time. Indeed, revenues from the increasingly renowned Tokaji Azsú wine helped to pay for the wars of independence fought against Austrian Habsburg rule. The repute of Tokaji wine was enhanced when in 1703, Francis II Rákóczi, Prince of Transylvania, gave King Louis XIV of France a gift of numerous bottles of wine from his Tokaj estate. Tokaji wine was then served at the Versailles Court, where it became known under the name of Tokay. Delighted with the precious beverage, Louis XIV declared it "Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum" ("Wine of Kings, King of Wines").

In the 18th Century, Tokaj reached the height of its prosperity. Both Poland and Russia had become major export markets for its wine. Such was the importance of Tokaji in Russia, that the Russian emperors maintained a de facto colony in Tokaj in order to guarantee the supply of wine to the Imperial Court.

The partition of Poland in 1795 and subsequent imposition of customs duties dealt a severe blow to the exports of Tokaji wine and precipitated the economic decline of the region. However, this was only the first of three major crises for Tokaj. The second occurred when the [phylloxera]] epidemic reached Tokaj in 1885 and destroyed the vast majority of the vineyards in a matter of years. The third shock was when Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory under the Treaty of Trianon, and thus Tokaj wine lost access to the majority of its domestic market.

The era of communist rule in Hungary did much to destroy the quality and reputation of Tokaji wines. However, since 1990 a considerable amount of investment has gone into the Tokaj region, creating what has been dubbed as the "Tokaj Renaissance".

Tokaji Wine

See the article on Tokaji

References and External Links

• Tokaj - The Wine of Freedom (László Alkonyi, Budapest 2000).
• Terra Benedicta - Tokaj and Beyond (Gábor Rohály, Gabriella Mészáros, András Nagymarosy, Budapest 2003)
• Tokaj portal