Hongrie

Question 1

What is the climate of Hungary?

Answer 1

Moderate Continental

Question 2

Where in Hungary is the Tokaj region?
What is the mountain range protects the area?

Answer 2

Northeast Hungary
Carpates

Question 3

Tokaj is situated at the confluence of which 2 rivers?

Answer 3

Tisza and Bodrog Rivers.

They help generate the early morning humidity necessary for the
development of noble rot.

Question 4

What is the main grape used in Tokaji?

Answer 4

Furmint

Furmint makes concentrated, high acid white wines with flavours of
apples when young, developing into nuts and honey as
they age.

It can make premium quality dry white wines but due to its late ripening and susceptibility to botrytis, it is better known as the principal grape variety used for sweet ASZU wines.

Question 5

What is the secondary grape used in Tokaji?

Answer 5

Hárslevelű

Hárslevelű is a late ripening, spicy, aromatic grape with elevated acidity.

Question 6

What is the third grape used in Tokaji?

Answer 6

Sárga Muskotály, aka Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

Sárga Muskotály is perfumed and floral.

Question 7

What is the bottle size for sweet wines in Hungary?

Answer 7

50cl
(75 cl for dry wines)

Question 8

What does Aszú mean?

Answer 8

Aszú means “rotten” and indicates the grapes were affected by Botrytis/Noble Rot.

Question 9

What is Tokaji Szamorodni?

Answer 9

Szamorodni translates to “as it comes,” so Tokaji Szamorodni means “Tokaji as it comes.”

This means that there was no selection between normal ripe, non-Botrytis grapes and aszú grapes - all grapes were harvested together, pressed together, and vinified together. A bit of Botrytis will display the notes of noble rot in even a dry wine.

Because there was no selection, the wine may come out dry to sweet, depending on how much Botrytis was present at the time of harvest.

Question 10

What is the minimum aging requirement for Tokaji Szamorodni?

Answer 10

New laws per WSET 3 textbook 2022 edition:

Aged in cask minimum 6 months;
Can be released January 1st the second year after harvest.

Question 11

What does “száraz” mean on a bottle of Tokaji Szamorodni?

Answer 11

Dry

Question 12

What does “édes” mean on a bottle of Tokaji Szamorodni?

Answer 12

Sweet

How sweet the wine is depends on how much Botrytis was present when the grapes were harvested.

Question 13

Sometimes a Hungarian winemaker will not fill up their Szamorodni barrels all the way.

What happens to the wine if the barrel isn’t topped up?

Answer 13

The wine may develop flor-like yeast which will lead to flavor characteristics in the wine similar to a Fino Sherry.

Question 14

What is a trend, or style of wine, coming out of Tokaj these days that doesn’t involve sweet wines?

Answer 14

Dry white wines made primarily from Furmint, often fermented and/or matured in oak (neutral or new).

Question 15

How is Tokaji Aszú made?

Answer 15

Botrytis-affected (aszú) berries macerate with non-botrytis affected must (a standard base wine) either before, during, or after fermentation for 12 to 60 hours. The aszú infuses the must or wine with botrytis characteristics.

The must or wine is pressed and is matured in oak.

How many aszú berries were used determines the final sweetness of the wine.

Question 16

As of 2013, what is the minimum residual sugar for Tokaji Aszú?

Answer 16

120g/L

Question 17

What is a puttony?

Answer 17

The unit used to express the level of sweetness is the puttony.

The Tokaji azsu wines are labelled on a scale of three to six puttonyos
depending on the level of residual sugar above the minimum amount of sugar.

Question 18

Describe a typical Tokaji Aszu.

Answer 18

ClassicTokaji is :
- deep amber, with
- high acidity and
- intense aromas, and flavours of orange peel, apricots and honey.

The wines become more concentrated and intense as they rise up
the sweetness scale.

Question 19

What is the minimum aging requirement for Tokaji Aszú as of 2013?

Answer 19

A minimum of 18months in oak is needed and the wines can be released in the January of the third year after harvest.

Question 20

What is Eszencia?​

Answer 20

Eszencia is made using just the free-run juice of the aszu berries.

The must is so sweet it can take years to ferment, and even after that time the wines remain very low in alcohol (usually lessthan S%
abv).
The high level of sugar is balanced by very high acidity and the wines have an enormously concentrated flavour.
They are able to mature and retain their freshness for a century or more.

Question 21

What is the minimum level of residual sugar for Eszencia?

Answer 21

450 g/L

Question 22

What’s the difference between a Late Harvest wine and Tokaji Aszú?

Answer 22

Late Harvest wines are usually made from grapes that have spent extended time on the vine, potentially using botrytis-infected fruit.

Late Harvest wines are produced by FERMENTING the botrytised
grapes (such as Sauternes or TBA) rather than by the macerating process used for Tokaji Aszu.
They have LOWER RESIDUAL SUGAR LEVEL.
They may also be MATURED FOR LESS TIME than Aszu wines.

Question 23

How are sweet Tokaj wines labeled if they have less than 120g/L of residual sugar?

Answer 23

Wines with a lower level of residual sugar than regulatory minimum for Tokaji Aszu must be labelled as Late Harvest orTokaji Szamorodni depending on how they are made.

Question 24

Europe’s largest lake is in Hungary. What is the lake?

Answer 24

Lake Balaton

Question 25

What are some other white grapes grown in Hungary?

Answer 25

Olasz Rizling (Welschriesling)
Cserszegi Füszeres
Kiralyleányka
Chardonnay
Pinot Gris

Question 26

What are the red grapes of Hungary?

Answer 26

Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch)
Kékoportó (Portugieser)
Zweigelt

Question 27

What is Bull’s Blood?

Answer 27

Bull’s Blood in Hungarian is Egri Bikavér, a style of red wine from the region Eger. Eger is between Budapest and Tokaj.

Historically Egri Bikavér was made predominantly with Kadarka, but this grape has grown out of fashion.

Egri Bikavér now is made primarily with Kékfrankos and other red grapes.

Question 28

What are the 3 regions of Hungary?

Answer 28

Transdanubia
Great Plain
North Hungary

Question 29

What are the soils around Lake Balaton?

Answer 29

Iron-rich volcanic debris.

Question 30

What is a gönc?

Answer 30

A gönc is a traditional Hungarian oak barrel that holds approximately 136 liters. Gönci (plural) are used in the production of Tokaji Aszú.

Historically, aszú-filled puttony were dumped into gönci (barrels) and depending on the number of puttony used, the level of sweetness would be reflected in a level between 3-6. These levels indicating the sweetness have been eliminated as of the 2013 vintage, and Tokaji Aszú is now simply labeled Aszú.