Austria Germany Hungary

Question 1

Sopron PDO 1,436ha

location & terroir?

varieties?

Elevated village within?

Answer 1

Most NW corner of Hungary boarding Burgenland & Lake Neusiedlersee. Pannonian climate. Rich gneiss and mica schist.

¾’s of production are red varieties; predominantly: Kékfrankos followed by Zweigelt and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Kőszeg PDO is a village/vineyard elevated to wine sub district?

Question 2

Villány 2,483ha

location & terroir?

2 additional villages of note?

Answer 2

South along the Croatian border. Hungary’s hottest region: sub-Mediterranean climate - though winters do get cold.

Villány Hills consist of five huge plates thrust up on top of one another for south-facing vineyards on a limestone bedrock overlaid with loess and clay.

Palkonya and Kisharsány are other significant wine villages other than Villány itself. (‘kiss-harsh-sharn’)

Question 3

Villány 2,483ha

International varieties of note?

2 indigenous varieties of note?

1 trademarked style?

Answer 3

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (Villányi Franc) & Merlot

Kékfrankos and Kékoportó (Blauer Portugieser).

Also produce a lot of Rose.

RedY is also a newer initiative for Portugieser-based blends that are light, fresh & fruity.

Question 4

Villány 2,483ha

1 producer and top wine?

Answer 4

Gere Attila Winery “gear-re’
7 generations, 70ha.

‘Kopar Cuvee’ is Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon only made in the best years from the best fruit from the slopes of Villány PDO (Kopár, Csillagvölgy, Konkoly, Ördögárok). Barrique for 16-18 months.

Question 5

Tokaji

Ha?

6 permitted varieties for production?

Answer 5

5,361ha

Furmit: 2/3rd of regions plantings. Susceptible to botrytis and high acidity. Skins grow back after bursting?

Harslevelu (linden leaf / Lipovina in Slovak): Linden leaf refers to the linden leaf/blossom like aromas it develops with age.

Sarga Muskotaly / Yellow Muscat (Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains)/Muscat Lunel: used as a seasoning grape like Muscadelle in Sauternes.

Zeta (previously called Oremus), Koverszolo, Kabar (all 3 are rarely used)

Question 6

When was Tokaji delaminated and classified?

Answer 6

In 1737 by Royal decree - adjusted in 1772 - but dates back in literature in 1571.

Resembling somewhat of a ‘V’ shape with the Hill of Tokaj at its base the vineyards of 27 villages were classified into 1st, 2nd & 3rd levels with 2 Great Growths:

Szarvas & Mézes Mály (Honey pot)
Ideally situated South facing at the top of the steepest declivities and perfectly accessible to the air both from east and west.

Question 7

István Szepsy

Village & vineyards of note?

wine of note?
2nd label?

Answer 7

Mád. 18 generations.

63 ha of cultivated area at premium sites such as Kiraly near Mád (“King´s Hill”), Danczka, Urágya, Betsek and Nyulas – appears to blend? And bottles Aszu no single vineyards?

• 2017 Cuvee Anastasia – one off wine made by his
  daughter Anastasia.
• ‘Hun’ a 2nd label of sorts recently released.

Urban 2nd is used for dry wines.

Question 8

The Royal Tokaji Wine Company

Inauguration?

Credited with revitalizing single vineyards with what wine & when?

3 x 1er bottlings?

Answer 8

Mád. 1990 - Hugh Johnson & investors in 1990. Szepsy vinified the co-op’s first vintages of 90 & 91. They own over 100 hectares of vineyards.

Mezes Maly (first vintage 1993). 11 of the 19ha. ‘Honey Pot’.

All village of Mád:
* Nyulaszo: Steely one
* Szt Tamas: more blossomy
* Betsek: heartier style

Question 9

Older vintages of Tokaji can go almost black

Vintages of note in the last 25 years?

Answer 9

1972: Excellent

1993: Legendary, Historic vintage. First great year after the change in political system.

Poor: 1998

1999: Legendary – rivalling 1993 as vintage of the decade.

00’, 01’, 03’, 05’, 06’, 07’: Excellent

2008: Legandary – Essencia produced.

’09, ’12, ’13, ‘17: Excellent

Question 10

Who owns Tokaji Oremus?

Locations?

Answer 10

Vega Sicilia (Alvarez family), 1993.

New winery in Tolcsva.

First class growth monopole vineyard of ‘Oremus’ is in Sátoraljaújhely northeast of Tolcsva.“Or-ree-muss” means “Let us Pray” in Latin. ‘shat-o-ray-olley-hay’.

Question 11

Szarvas Dülö
location & monopole owner?

Answer 11

Stags Hill vineyard sits on the Southern Slope of Mount Tokaji. Crown Estates of Hungary.

Question 12

Which Tokaji estate did Jean Michael Cazes help establish?

location?

2 vineyards?

Answer 12

Disznókõ

1992. AXA Millesimes – aided by employee by Jean Michael Cazes. This vineyard was once owned by the Hungarian Prime Minister in 1867.

Southeast of the Village Mad – halfway between Tarcal.

Monpole vineyard Disznókö (“pig rock”) refers to a large stone that was meant to resemble a wild boar. Dorgo vineyard is above? on the same hillside.

Question 13

Tokaji Mountain alternative name?

Location?

Climate & Terroir?

4 rivers of note?

Answer 13

Mt. Kopasz

NE Hungary at the base of the Zemplen Mountain range; at the northern point of the great flat plains. The region is further sheltered to the North by the Carpathian Mountain range.

Warm continental climate with long humid autumns. Loess & clay over volcanic subsoil.

Bodrog & the Tisza.

Madi & Tolcsva are 2 village named rivers also.

Question 14

4 Villages of Tokaji of note?

Answer 14

Sátoraljaújhely ‘shat-o-ray-ully-hay’
Sárospatak
Tolcsva
Mád (Madi river)
Tarcal
Toakji

Question 15

Tokaji Szamorodni (“Za-ma-rondi”)

2 styles and req?

Answer 15

‘As it comes’
Whole bunch harvesting as apposed to single berry for a mixture of both aszú and non aszú grapes.

The finished product can be both:

dry (száras ‘sar-rash’)
Max. 9 g/L RS.

sweet (édes ‘e-desh’).
Min. 45 g/L RS.

Question 16

The 2013 Tokaj Product Specification (TPS) essentially abolished the 3-5 puttonyos system and now protects the term Aszú.

What are Aszú req?

min. planting density’s?
max yields?
min. RS?
min. abv?
Aging req?

Answer 16

Aszú must be hand harvested - all enrichment forbidden.
4,000 vines/ha.
10 tons/ha or 70hl/ha

120 RS g/L
9% abv
Aged for 3 years - 18m in barrel.

3-5 puttonyos remain as labelling terms for marketing purposes only.

Question 17

6 Puttonyos min. RS?

Aszú Esszencia
max yields?
min. RS?
min. abv?

Answer 17

150 g/L

2 tons/ha
min. 450 g/L
1.2-8% abv.

Question 18

Historical volume of a Puttonyos?

Answer 18

20L of Aszu paste/ 25 kg’s

Question 19

What is the other barrel historically used in Tokaji?

Answer 19

Szerednye “sa-rend-ya”.

A Szerednye barrel is 200-220L (mainly 220L though) was also common.

Also made from Zemplén oak in the village of Szerednye – now modern Ukraine. Gönc and Szerednye barrels were also easier to transport by cart as the wines from the region were primarily exported to Polish and Russia and the barrels were never returned thus new ones had to be crafted every vintage.

Question 20

Fordítás

Production method?

min RS?
Aging req?

Answer 20

‘Turning over’

Made by pouring must on aszú dough which has already been used to make aszú wine.

Can be dry (száras) or sweet (édes). 9 / 45 g/L RS.
Min. 6 months in barrel.

Question 21

Máslás

Production method?

min RS?
Aging req?

Answer 21

‘Copy’
Made by pouring must on the lees of aszú.

Can be dry (száras) or sweet (édes). 9 / 45 g/L RS.
Min. 6 months in barrel.

Question 22

Késői Szüretelésű

Production method?

min RS?
Aging req?

Answer 22

‘Late Harvest’ ‘key-shoi sa-ra-taly-e-shu’

Min.45 g/L RS - typically 50-180 g/l RS and a ratio of botrytized berries comparable to Aszú wines.

No aging req? and thus is becoming an emerging more reductive style ready for release a year to 18 months after harvest.

Question 23

What is the term for Tokaji white table wine?

Answer 23

Fehér bor

Question 24

What is the term for Tokaji sparkling wine?

Answer 24

Pezsgő

Question 25

What is the Hungarian term for ice wine?

1 producer?

Answer 25

‘Jégbor’

Chateau Pajzos ‘poi-zosh’
Sárospatak, 55ha. Owned by the Laborde family of Château Clinet in Pomerol.

In 1999 became the first winery to produce a Tokaji ice wine:
* Labelled as ‘ Tokaji Furmint Jégbor Icewine’

• 1993 & 1999 Pajzos Tokaj Esszencia – both received 100 points from Robert Parker and Neil Martin.

Question 26

Egri-Csillag

req?

authorized varieties?

Answer 26

“tea-laag” (Star)

Must be a blend of at least 4 grape varieties. No single variety may be less than 5% or more than 50% of the total blend. A minimum of 50% of the blend of the authorised varieties – the remained may be made up of anything else?

Authorized varieties include: Furmint, Hárslevelű, Sárga muskotály, Kabar, Olaszrizling (Welschrielsing), Pinot Blanc etc + LOTS of other indigenous varieties…

Question 27

Bikavér

Req?

Authorized varieties?

Aging req for 3 tiers?

Answer 27

“Bulls Blood”

Must be a blend of at least 4 grape varieties, including 30-50% Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch).

No single variety may be less than 5% or more than 50% of the total blend.

Authorized varieties include Kékoportó (Blauer Portugieser), Kadarka (Histroically was #1), Blauburger, Zweigelt, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Menoire, Syrah.

Aging requirements in wooden barrel: Classicus (6m), Superior (12m), Grand Superior (12m).

Question 28

What is the most famous red wine wine region in Észak Magyarország?

location?

2 additional wine regions of note?

Answer 28

North Hungary

Eger PDO 5,618ha

Eger is a city & region just northeast of Budapest (which is centre of the country) in the northern Massif located between the Mátra and the Bükk Mountains – also wine regions.