History of the wine region Tokaj
A part
of the Slovak wine region of Tokaj was
once part of the historic Tokaj wine region of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Due to the Treaty of Trianon the majority of the region Tokaj-Hegyalja
(around 28 communities and some 4,500 hectares of vineyards) remained
part of Hungary and a smaller part (3 communities and about 175 hectares
of vineyards) became part of Czechoslovakia (today Slovakia).
In 1959 four more villages were added by Czechoslovak legislation. The
dispute between the countries over the right of Slovakia to use the
name Tokaj that started in 1958 for its wines was resolved in 2004 -
the two countries came to an agreement in June 2004 under which wine
produced on 565 hectares of land in Slovakia will be able to use the Tokajský/-á/-é label ("of Tokaj" in Slovak),
providing that the Slovaks accept the Hungarian quality control
regulations.
With the accession of both Hungary and Slovakia to the European Union,
the Tokaj name (including other forms of spelling) was given Protected Designation of Origin status. Tokajské - Tokaj wines produced in Slovakia.
The villages of the Tokaj wine region
in Slovakia are Bara, Čerhov, Černochov, Malá Tŕňa, Slovenské Nové
Mesto, Veľká Tŕňa, and Viničky.
Characteristics of the wine region
Some of
the characteristics which make the Tokaj wine region unique are:
- Soil and microclimate: The Tokaj terrain consists of clay or
loess soil on volcanic subsoil. The microclimate is determined by the sunny, south-facing slopes and the proximity of
the Tisza and Bodrog rivers, and is conducive to the proliferation of
Botrytis Cinerea (noble rot) and the subsequent desiccation of the
grapes.
- Indigenous grape varieties: Furmint and Lipovina ("Hárslevelű"in Hungarian) have been
cultivated in the region for centuries and, together with Muškát Žltý (Muscat Blanc à
Petits Grains) and Zéta are the only grape varieties officially permitted for use in the region.
- Cellars: A vast system of cellars has been carved out of
solid rock. They provide a constant temperature of around 12 °C and
high humidity of around 95%, which are ideal for the aging of Tokajské wines.
- Appellation system: A royal decree in 1757 established a
closed production district in Tokaj, the world's first system of wine
appellation. Vineyard classification began in 1730 and was completed by
the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.
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