Hungary

Question 1

Tokaj location, climate, soils, rain, latitude, topography, hazards

Answer 1

NW of Hungary
Warm Continental
Volcanic bedrock (soft) under variety of soils (Nyriok | Loess)
500-600mm, dry autumns
48 Latitude (Alsace, Baden)
S & SW slope & aspect in Zemplen foothills
Fungal, boars, birds

Question 2

Geographic features, total ha, training, density, avg yield, dry wine planting locations, treatments

Answer 2

Zemplen Mountains & foothills, Bodrog & Tisza Rivers
Very Small - just under 6,000 ha
VSP (cordon & cane) - open airy canopies
4000-5000 vines/ha
30-40 hl/ha
Windier sites above fog zones
spraying common

Question 3

Old vs New Style Dry Wines

Common Grapes

Min % if varietally labelled

Answer 3

Plantings became further away from traditional sizes that developed noble rot (rivers)

Old: Ripe, full MLF, oak aging

New: Early harvest, stainless, less intervention = lighter & fresher, varietal & terroir expressive

Mostly Furmint (late ripening, high acid, green & citrus, high sugar)

Some Harslevelu (more aromatic peach & orange blossom) and Sarga Muskotoly (muscat relative, floral)

85%

Question 4

All styles produced in Tokaj & their sweetness levels

Answer 4

Zempleni - mostly semi sweet - 70% of production - basic wines for domestic & Eastern Euro market made by stopping ferment early

Aszu - Sweet -10% of production - paste or berries, macerated w must, fermenting wine, or wine. Must/wine may also have botrytis character, may not

Late Harvest - various - just late harvested grapes (less expensive)

Szamorodoni - Dry to Sweet - “As it Comes” - whole bunches w/ varying amounts of botrytis.

Szaraz - Dry Szamorodoni - Aged under flor for up to 10 years w/o topping up = basically fino sherry w/ higher acid

Dry - protectively made, modern white wines made in intl style