“The King of wines, the wine of Kings” – History of the Tokaj region

With a number of vineyards and world famous grapes, Hungary is a great destination for anyone looking to enjoy some quality local wine. Tokaj region is one of the most famous beetween all the ones to be found in Hungary

The Tokaj region in general

The Tokaj region is an area of 5,500 hectares of vineyards and includes in total 27 towns and villages. The area is best known for its sweet aszú wines, made from nobly rotten grapes. In Tokaj, six grape varieties are permitted to grow. The most famous ones are Furmint and Hárslevelű. Other varieties grown in smaller quantities are Sárga Muskotály, Kövérszölö, Zéta (a crossing of Furmint and Bouvier), and Kabar (a crossing of Hárslevelű and Bouvier). All of these varieties can be used in Aszú. 

Read also: Hungary in the world’s top wine tourism destinations!

Short history of the Tokaj region

• First written mentioning of Aszú wine: 1571
• Mád gathering of 12 regional wine-towns: 1641
• The world’s first vineyard classification: 1720’s
• Royal Charter: demarcation and appellation control: 1737
• Revival – a new style of Aszú wines: 1990’s
• UNESCO World Heritage Site as Cultural Landscape: 2002
• Government-designated Growth Area: 2014

XIV Louis and the Tokaji wine

Ferenc Rákóczi II, Prince of Transylvania, who owned a huge piece of the vineyards in the Tokaj region, established a good relation with the French Royal Court. The reason for that was, that both him, and the french side were looking for allies against the Habsburgs.