Hungary Wine

Question 1

Which rivers meet to inform the Tokaj region?

Answer 1

Tisza and Bodrog

Question 2

What year did Transylvanian Prince Rákóczy classify 28 villages in Tokaj?

Answer 2

1700

Question 3

What does Aszú mean?

Answer 3

The term originally signified desiccated grapes, it has evolved to indicate grapes of high sugar levels afflicted with botrytis cinerea.

Question 4

“Tokaji”

Answer 4

• An adjectival form used to indicate the wine

Question 5

Describe the Tokaj region:

Answer 5

• Sheltered by the Carpathian mountains, it enjoys a warm continental climate with long, humid autumns: perfect for botrytis. Soils are predominantly volcanic loess and clay.

Question 6

How much does a puttony container hold?

Answer 6

25 kg

Question 7

What is the Tokaj Renaissance?

Answer 7

A producer’s organization devoted to the preservations of Rákóczy’s original division of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd growths. 74 vineyards are recognized as first growths.

Question 8

Which Tokaj vineyards are designated as Great First Growths?

Answer 8

Szarvas and Mézes Mály

Question 9

Esszencia

Answer 9

• A tiny fraction of syrupy free-run juice is allowed to settle out of the Aszú must. This is vinified as Esszencia.
• Retains at least 450 g/l of residual sugar
• Can take decades to ferment to 4-6% abv

Question 10

Tokaji Aszú Production:

Answer 10

• Aszú grapes are hand-picked and gathered in puttony
• Aszú grapes are foot-pressed into a paste
• The Aszú paste is mixed with non-aszú must in gönci barrels
• The number of puttony added to a gönc determines the final level of sweetness
• It must contain at least 120 g/l of rs and age for just over two years

Question 11

Gönc:

Answer 11

A Hungarian oak cask of approximately 136 L

Question 12

Tokaj Szamorodni:

Answer 12

• “As it comes”
• Produced from a mixture of aszú and non-aszú grapes and is often oxidative
• Matured in cask for a min. 6 months, sometimes under a film-forming yeast similar to flor.
• May be sweet (edes) or dry (száras)

Question 13

Fordítás:

Answer 13

The product of re-fermenting wine with the pressed paste of Tokaji Aszú

Question 14

Máslás:

Answer 14

The product of re-fermenting wine with the spent lees of Tokaji Aszú

Question 15

Circle of Mád

Answer 15

• Founded by István Szepsy (Royal Tokaji Company)
• A small group of producers committed to elevating the stature of dry wines

Question 16

Hungarian Appellations:

Answer 16

• 22 Regions
• 33 PDO’s
• 6 additional PGI’s
• These are divided among three major geographical zones: The Northern Massif, Transdanubia, the Great Plain

Question 17

Lake Balaton PDO’s:

Answer 17

• Balaton-felvidék (Balaton Uplands)
• Badacsony
• Balatonfüred-Csopak
• All are dominated by Olaszrizling (welshriesling)

Question 18

Mátra:

Answer 18

• Hungary’s second largest region
• An hour east of Budapest
• Landscape is composed of hills and volcanic soils
• Most important grape is Szürkebarát (Pinot Gris)

Question 19

Eger:

Answer 19

• Located in the Northern Massif
• Famous for Egri Bikavér (“Bull’s blood of Eger”)
• Egri Bikavér was historically made from Kadarka
• Szekszárd in Transdanubia is the only other region allowed to use Bikavér on the label

Question 20

Sopron:

Answer 20

• Contiguous with Austria’s Burgenland
• Both grow Blaufrankisch (Kekfrankos)
• Located in Transdanubia

Question 21

Kunság:

Answer 21

• Hungary’s largest regions
• Located in the Great Plain
• Mass production of white wine, and some red, from indigenous grapes

Question 22

Somló:

Answer 22

• Located in the northwest of Hungary
• Lies on the slopes of an ancient volcano
• Olaszriesling and Juhfark are the main varieties