Tokaji
The historic Tokaj-Hegyalja wine-growing region is located in the north-eastern part of Hungary, close to the borders to Slovakia and Ukraine. The area where Tokaji wine is traditionally grown is a small plateau, near the Carpathian Mountains. The soil is of volcanic origin, with high concentrations of iron and lime. The location of the region benefits from protection of the nearby mountains. While winters are bitterly cold and windy, summers are noticeably hot. Long, warm autumns allow a long ripening period, delaying grape harvest until November or even later. The Tokaji Aszú – “the wine of kings” – is the Tokaj Wine region’s most famous wine. Aszú is made only in good vintages, when it is worth picking and selecting Aszú grapes, which is done by hand. Tokaj-Hegyalja became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Since 2007, only authorized wine producers from the Hungarian Tokaj region will use the Tokaji brand name.