Old king is so healthy because he drinks a bottle of Tokay wine every day - they said in Hungary at the reign of Franz Joseph, when all kinds of legends, anecdotes, storytelling mixed into. After the epidemic only these three grape varieties were grown for a long time in the wine region. In recent years appeared Kövérszőlő, Zéta (Oremus) and Gohér. Each grape variety is suitable for botrytis.
According to legend, once people had to fled from the fighting during the Turkish occupation of the years, and only allowed to return in late October, when the grapes have started to botrytis. In that year the wine was extremely good – since that the start of the harvest Tokaji Wine Region is Judah, Simon Day (October 28). This is how the two major types of wine: Furmint and Hárslevelű born with their white wine character and the Yellow Muscat with its muscat flavour and elegant acidity. For late harvest wines, overriped (sometimes partially botrytis) grapes are later harvested than Simon and Judah Day, at the end of November, so these wines have a fairly high degree of sugar, while they have pleasant, fruity smell.
Whether the legend is true or not, the fact is that in the 16 mid-century mentioned first in written sources the Tokaji Aszú wine. It was named after the characteristic Hegyalja botrytis. This special quality of overriping process only occurs in the long and warm autumn. Cracked, damaged berries by rain are quickly found by the Botrytis cinerea: the gray mold. If the wheather turns to dryness, the beginning gray mold becomes noble rot and starts to spread to the thicker-skin, healty berries, too. That’s why the shriveled berries’ sugar content increases significantly. During the harvest, the berries are selected separately and from them some wineries make noble dough. From that or from the noble berries as much puttony is taken as number of puttony of wine is wished to make and to this a gönci barrel (136 liters) grape juice or wine is poured. Soaked for 12-48 hours, stirring. If time is elapsed for soaking, the surface of the wine or rose noble noodle hat is removed.
According to the tradition the wine has been aged in small barrels for so many years as the butt- according to today's standards can not be bottled after at least three years of maturing. In addition to noble wines, another unique wine is Szamorodni. Word of Polish origin meaning as it grew. Partly it is made from botryties curls without sorting the noble grain. In addition, specific wine in the wine region of Tokaj Reversal, that has been made by adding Tokaj must or wine to Aszú or Szamorodni marc, and leaving to soak for 6-8 hours before repressing. The Second Wine is a dry wine, which is made that way and grape juice is poured on noble wine lees and fermented again.
The essence is the most special products of the region. Honey-sweet nectar dripping from the moulded Aszú grapes deu to their own weight, this luscious nectar is an unique rarity. Due to the extremely concentration it reaches only a few degrees alcohol over the years.
Tourist information and reservations at Tourinform Tokaj (3910, Tokaj, Serház u.1 e-mail:. tokaj@tourinform.hu, Tel :+36 70 388 8870).
