Let’s talk Hungary and let’s talk dessert wines. I bet if I were to ask you where the first region was in Europe to have classified wines you’d say France, maybe Greece, Italy or Spain, but in reality the first wine region to be classified was Tokaji in Hungary in 1700. For many many years this region was known for producing some of the world’s best dessert wines. However, the owners of these vineyards were Jewish and unfortunately most of them and the Jewish inhabitants in the village that harvested and protected the wines and vines were killed in Holocaust concentration camps. After this horrid event also came Soviet occupation of the region, which led to further damage of the wine and the vineyards. Communist practices removed all the large estates, created cooperatives and the focus of the production was on quantity and not quality. It wasn’t until the political changes of the 1980s that a group of 60 vineyard owners in 1990 led by Hugh Johnson OBE formed the Royal Tokaji to once again bring this region and the wines back to their former glory.
There are three main white grape varities planed in Tokaji. Furmin, Harslevelu, and Muscat de Lunel. Tokaji wines are known for there sweetness, which is a result of noble rot. As I introduced last week, Noble Rot is a much nicer term than fungus. Noble Rot is a fungus that impacts ripe grapes and removes water from them, thus making them more sweet. Therefore, in order to get Noble Rot on the wines the wines have to be harvested late.
Grand Tokaji, Sárgamuskotály, Tokaji, Hungary, 2016 is a 100% Yellow Muscat sweet wine that should be enjoyed with a beautiful summer salad, lighter cheese, or fruit.
I’m inspired by the history of this wine as well as the delicious flavor and I’m glad to see that it is making a much deserved resurgence.
