Hungary Flashcards
Where is Tokaj?
The Tokaj region lies in the north-eastern corner of Hungary. It extends from the town of Tokaj into the foothills of the Zemplén Mountains towards the Slovakian border (a small part of the region continues into Slovakia).
Describe the climate of Tokaj.
- Moderate continental
- Vineyards are protected from the worst of the cold, northerly winds by the Carpathian Mountains.
- Average sunlight hours between 1400-1500 in the growing season.
- Rainfall 500-600mm
- Autumns are warm and dry.
- Rivers create humidity
Outline the topography of the vineyards of Tokaji.
- Vineyards are mostly planted on slopes to reduce the risk of frost and winter cold.
- Slopes are south, south-west and south-east facing for max. sun exposure.
What are the two rivers influencing the growing region of Tokaji?
Tisza and Bodrog
These rivers meet in the town of Tokaji
How do the Tisza and Bodrog rivers influence Tokaji?
The Bodrog floods regularly creating shallow marshes and water meadows. The moist air results in frequent morning fogs in the autumn, ideal for the development of botrytis
What is a major factor contributing to Tokaji’s soils?
Tokaji is a region of hundreds of extinct volcanoes.
What is nyirok in Tokaji?
A volcanic soil which is said to produce the most powerful wines.
What are the main soil types of Tokaji?
What styles of wine are they thought to produce?
Nyirok: volcanic. Produces more powerful wines.
Loess: sandy silt with clay. Produces lighter, more delicate wines.
What is Zasmidium Cellare in Austria?
Grey-black cushiony growths of the cellar fungus which are believed to regulate humidity.
What is the name of the cellar fungas famous in Tokaji cellars?
Zasmidium Cellare
What is the name of the volcanic soils of Tokaji?
Nyirok
How were vines traditionally planted in Tokaji?
Vines were grown on single posts at a density of up to 10,000 vines per hectare.
How are most vines now planted in Tokaji?
Vines are grown on trellis using replacement-cane pruning or cordon training with VSP.
Lower densities of 4000-5000 vines per hectare.
What are the main pests and diseases concerning growers of Tokaji?
The main disease concerns are powdery mildew and, in wetter years, grey rot. Managing the canopy to ensure good air circulation is particularly important for grapes intended for dry wine. Pests include wild boar and birds.
What are the typical yields for Tokaji Aszú?
2-3hL/ha
What are the typical yields for Tokjai dry wines?
30-40hL/ha
What are the six permitted grape varieties in Tokaji PDO?
Furmint, Hárslevelű, Kabar, Kövérszőlő, Sárgamuskotály, Zéta
How much does Furmit account for in Tokaji’s total plantings?
Around 63%
Outline the viticultural characteristics of Furmit.
- Late ripening
- Thick skinned, but susceptible to botrytis
- Accumulates high sugar levels and retains high levels of acidity
What aromas does Furmint contribute to wines?
Typical flavours include lemon, apple and pear which can be detected in all styles of wine.
The wines develop notes of honey and nuts with age. Grapes affected by botrytis give flavours
of dried apricot and mango.
How much does Hárslevelű account for in Tokaji’s total plantings?
Around 19%
What aromas does Hárslevelű contribute to wines?
It produces wines which are fruitier than Furmint with distinctive aromas of white peach and orange blossom.
Sárga Muskotály is more commonly referred to as what name?
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
What is Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains known as in Tokaji?
Sárga Muskotàly
What does the word Aszú mean?
Aszú is the Hungarian word for grapes that have been infected with botrytis and have shrivelled on the vine.
What are the containers used to collect harvested Aszú berries called?
Puttony
What do producers make of the syrupy free-run juice of Aszú berries?
Tokaji Esszencia
What are the steps of the extraction and fermentation processes for Tokaji Aszú?
The juice inside the berries is too concentrated to extract via pressing. Instead:
- Winemakers will typically create a paste from berries, mashing by passing through a pump is the most common technique.
- The paste macerates for 12-60 hours in must, fermenting must or base wine at 12-15ºC or 16-20ºC with strongly fermenting must.
- After maceration, juice is drained and paste/berries are pressed.
- Must is fermented (or continues to ferment).
Aszú berries or paste macerate in must, fermenting must or base wine to extract aromas and sugar.
How does the winemaker decide method to choose?
Depends on the desired style of wine.
Maceration in must gives lighter styles followed by maceration in young, finished wine.
Maceration in fermenting must gives the strongest extraction and most complex wines, but unless berries are both ripe and clean, can also extract unpleasant bitter, unripe characteristics.
How does the timing of the maceration of aszú paste/berries affect the final style of wine?
Strongest extraction occurs when the must is fermenting most actively early on while some producers prefer the later stages for a lighter
extraction.
What are the requirements when using base wine for aszú maceration?
It must by law have a min. potential alcohol of 12% abv, though in practice the base wine is often 14.5–15.5% abv (which is lowered
by the addition of the Aszú berries/ paste). Otherwise, winemakers are free to choose which grape varieties they use (Furmint and Hárslevelű are the most common) and how botrytised the grapes that make this base wine are.
What vessels are used for fermentation in Tokaji?
Both stainless steel and oak
What is a gönc in Tokaji?
A Hungarian oak cask of approximately 136 L
On the label of Tokaji Aszú, what does the term puttonyos mean?
Traditionally, this referred to the amount of puttony (baskets) added to a gönc (cask) with must/base wine determines the level of sweetness of the final wine.
Now measured by set min. RS levels.
The wine will be labelled 3-6 puttonyos.
What are the ageing requirements for Tokaji aszú wines?
Aszú wines must be aged in barrel for at least 18 months. They may not be released prior to January 1 of the third year after harvest
What kind of oak is preferred for the fermentation and maturation of Tokaji Aszú wines?
Hungarian oak, often from the Zemplén mountains above the region, is widely
used for fermentation and ageing.
What is the traditional Tokaji bottle?
Aszú wines must be bottled in a traditional, clear-glass, 500 mL Tokaji bottle.
What size of barrel is preferred for the fermentation and maturation of Tokaji Aszú?
Traditionally a gönc (136 L) but more producers are now leaning towards larger barrels of 300-500L.
What year did Tokaji stop using the traditional puttonyos scale for its wines?
2013
How did the puttonyos scale change for Tokaji Aszú wines in 2013?
- To be labelled Puttonyos, the wine must have a min. 120g/L of RS (the former requirement for the 5 puttonyos category).
- Producers now may label their 120+g/l RS wine as 3-5 puttonyos, but most will label under 5.
- 6 puttonyos wines are required to have min. 150g/l RS.
- Wines with below 120g/l are labelled late harvest or Tokaji Édes Szamorodni depending on how its made.
What is Tokaji Eszencia?
These are extremely rare, and therefore extremely expensive, wines made from the tiny
volume of syrupy free-run juice that trickles from Aszú berries.
Min. residual sugar for Tokaji Eszencia?
450g/l
Typical alcohol levels for Tokaji Eszencia?
Usually less than 5%
Describe the style of Tokaji Escenzia.
Full bodied with the consistency of syrup.
Pronounced, highly concentrated flavours.
High acidity. Can retain there freshness and therefore age for a long time.
How do Tokaji late harvest compare to Tokaji Aszú?
Late Harvest wines tend to be lighter bodied and less concentrated than Aszú.
What is the min. RS for Tokaji Late Harvest?
45g/l
Most wines are between 90 and 110g/L
Are Tokaji Late Harvest typically aged in oak.
Oak ageing is not compulsory and many wines spend little or no time in oak (and instead are
stored in stainless steel) as producers aim to emphasise the fruit characteristics.
When are Tokaji Late Harvest wines typically released after harvest?
Between 12-16 months after service.
What does the term Szamorodni mean?
This is a polish word meaning as it comes.
What are Tokaji Szamorodni wines?
This traditional style is made from whole bunches with varying amounts of healthy and botrytized grapes.
What style of wine is Tokaji Szamorodni?
It is produced in either a sweet (édes) style or as a dry (száraz) wine, depending on the level of ripeness and botrytis.
The sweeter style is more common.
What is the min. RS for Tokaji Szamorodni édes?
Min. 45g/l although most are bottled between 90 and 110g/l.
What is édes in Hungarian?
Sweet
What is száraz in Hungarian?
Dry
What are the ageing requirements for Tokaji Szamorodni?
Must be aged in barrel for at least 6 months. They may not be released until January 1 of the second year after harvest.
What are Dry Szamorodni wines from Tokaji?
Dry Szamorodni is aged under a thin film of flor yeast (much thinner than those formed in Sherry production) for up to 10 years without topping up. The wine is protected from excessive oxidation and it develops nutty and green apple aromas.
How much has the production of dry wines increased in Tokaji?
Production has tripled in the last five years.
How are the practices of producers changing as more move to produce dry styles of wine in Tokaji?
Examples include:
* Producing grapes with no botrytis
* Producers are planting new vineyards on higher and windier sites above the fog zone
* Using more open canopies and appropriate new treatments to prevent rot.
How have the styles of dry wines changed in recent years in Tokaji?
At first, dry wines were made from very ripe grapes, underwent full MLF and lengthy periods of oak ageing.
Now, many producers are using less-ripe berries, fermenting in stainless steel, and taking a less interventionist approach to produce lighter-bodied wines which show varietal character.
What is a Dűlő in Hungary?
Single vineyard
What are the assemblage requirements for dry Tokaji wines?
Varietal named wines must include a min. of 85% of labelled variety.Wa
What grape varieties are most commonly used for dry Tokaji wines?
Furmit is most common
Hárslevelü and Muscat also used.
What is Zempléni in Tokaji?
PGI for wines made from other grape varieties of Tokaji.
What is the land under vine in Tokaji? (ha)
In 2022, there were 5,260 hectares under vine in Tokaji PDO
What is the average holding size in Tokaji?
Between 1-2ha
How much of a role does Grand Tokaj have in Tokaji’s total production?
The state owned Grand Tokaji sources from over 2000 growers and producers 30-35% of the region’s wines.
What is the average production (in hectolitres) of Tokaji?
Production over the five years from 2017–2021 has averaged at 150,000 hL
How much does Tokaji Aszú account for in Tokaji’s total production?
10%
How much do dry wines account for in Tokaji’s total production?
15%
Which wine style is most produced in Tokaji?
A significant amount is inexpensive, non-botrytised wine (often made semi-sweet by stopping fermentation early) destined for the home market and other Eastern European countries.
Outline the export market of Tokaji.
Only relatively small amounts of Tokaji are exported outside Eastern Europe, with UK, USA and Canada being the largest markets. Overall, exports account for around 40 per cent of production.
