D3 Tokaj

Question 1

Define Aszú.

Answer 1

Sweet wine made from shriveled and botrytis affected grapes.

Question 2

When (year) were Aszú wine first mentioned.

Answer 2

1571

Question 3

What was Tokaj the first to create in the wine eod in the 18th century?

Answer 3

One of the first controlled appellations, classifying it’s vineyards and decreeing which villages were allowed to use the Tokaji name.

Question 4

Why was Tokaji one of the world’s most famous wines and enjoyed by Royal courts across Europe for century?

Answer 4

It offered sweetness before crystal sugar became available.

Question 5

What happened in Hungary in 1945 which shifted the focus of Tokaji. Hoe fix it affect the quality?

Answer 5

Hungary became a communist state.

There was a shift from quality to quantity.

Question 6

What were some of the changes in wine making techniques which affected the quality of the sweet wines.

Answer 6

Wines were often deliberately oxidized,sweetened, fortified and pasteurized.

Question 7

In what year did communism end in Hungary?

Answer 7

1989.

Question 8

When communism ended, why were producers in Hungary able to start rebuilding their reputation more quickly than other eastern European countries?

Answer 8

During the communist regime, more vineyards remained in private hands in Hungary than in other eastern European countries.

Question 9

What helped the wine making style evolve in the early 1990s?

Answer 9

The arrival of foreign investors such as:

AXA, Vega Sicilia, Hugh Johnson.

Question 10

Geographically where is the Tokaj region?

Answer 10

North eastern corner of Hungary. It extends from the town of Tokaj into the foothills of the Zemplén mountains towards the Slovakian border. A part of the region continues into Slovakia.

Question 11

What is the climate of Tokaj?

Answer 11

Moderate, continental climate. Summers are warm whilst winters can be cold, although the region is sheltered from the worst of the cold, northerly winds by forested mountain peaks.

Question 12

Why are the vineyard mainly planted on slopes?

Answer 12

It helps reduce the risk of winter cold and frost damage. This is important at this latitude of 48° to 49° north. It helps take maximum advantage of the sunlight.

Question 13

What is the annual rainfall? When does the rain fall?

Answer 13

Rainfall ranges from around 500 to 600 mm per year. Although this is relatively low, around half of this falls during the growing season.

Question 14

Is irrigation permitted?

Answer 14

No.

Question 15

Describe the climate during autumn. Why is this important?

Answer 15

Autumns are warm and dry, providing ideal conditions for the shriveling of the grapes.

Question 16

Explain how the ideal conditions are created for botrytis to develop.

Answer 16

Two major rivers meet in the town. The Brodog 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. In the autumn the warm, sunny afternoons control the development of botrytis and limit grey rot.

Question 17

What are the names of the two major rivers?

Answer 17

Tisza and Brodog.

Question 18

What is particular about the geology?

Answer 18

It’s a region of hundreds of extinct volcanoes. It has deep volcanic bedrock.

Question 19

Name and describe the 2 most significant soil types.

Answer 19

Nyirok: The most significant. A volcanic soil which is said to produce the most powerful ones.

Loess: A sandy silt with high clay content found particularly around the Tokaj hill (to the west of the town) which is thought to produce lighter, more delicate wines.

Question 20

How is a soft volcanic bedrock beneficial?

Answer 20

It means vines can root very deeply, making water stress and nutrient deficiencies rare. It is also ideal for digging the cellars which are widely used in the region for aging wine.

Question 21

What is Zasmidium cellare? What does it help regulate?

Answer 21

A grey-black cushiony growth found in the cellars. A cellar fungus. It helps regulate humidity.

Question 22

Describe the vineyard plantings and vine density, old versus new.

Answer 22

Traditionally vines were grown on single posts at a density of up to 10,000 vines per hectare. This is still occasionally seen in small old plots but almost all vines are now grown on trellis, using replacement cane pruning or cordon training with VSP and at lower densities. On average between 4000 and 5000 vines for hectare.

Question 23

What have the new modern training systems allowed?

Answer 23

They have allowed for mechanisation.

Question 24

Are vineyards mostly worked by machine or by hand? Why?

Answer 24

Many vineyards are still worked by hand, especially on steeper slopes and hand harvesting is required for the careful selection of Aszú berries. Labour availability is not currently a problem but maybe in the future.

Question 25

What are the main disease concerns? How are these managed or mitigated?

Answer 25

Powdery mildew, and in wetter years grey rot. Managing the canopy to ensure good air circulation (particularly important for grapes intended for dry wines).

Question 26

What are the main pests?

Answer 26

Wild boars and birds.

Question 27

What are the yields for Aszú wines? Why are they so small?

Answer 27

Yields are tiny 2 to 3 hL per hectare. Because the berries have shriveled on the vine.

Question 28

What are the yields for dry wines?

Answer 28

Between 30 to 40 hL per hectare.

Question 29

How many permitted grape varieties? What are the three most important ones?

Answer 29

``` Six. The most important are: Futmint Hárslevelú Sárga Muskotály (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) ```

Question 30

What is the most planted grape variety?

Answer 30

Futmint | 69% of all plantings.

Question 31

Describe the characteristics of the grape variety Furmint.

Answer 31

Very versatile Capable of producing high-quality wines from dry to sweet Late ripening and needs long, sunny growing season to ripen fully Retains high levels of acidity even when fully ripe

Question 32

Why is Furmint well-suited to the production of sweet wines?

Answer 32

It is very susceptible to botrytis (despite thick skins) Grapes accumulate a high level of sugar (further concentrated by shriveling) Balanced by high acidity

Question 33

Describe a typical style of dry Furmint.

Answer 33

Due to higher levels of sugar they can be full-bodied with high levels of alcohol. Typical flavors include lemon, apple and pear. Develop notes of honey and nuts with age. More age worthy examples are aged in Oak. Other styles are intended to be drunk young.

Question 34

What is the second most planted great variety?

Answer 34

Hárslevelú | 18% of the total plantings.

Question 35

Describe the styles of wines produced from hárslevelú. What does it bring to a blend?

Answer 35

Fruitier than Furmint with distinctive aromas of white peach and orange blossom. In a supporting role in blends it adds distinctive perfume, although it is sometimes made as a varietal one, both dry and sweet.

Question 36

What is the third most planted grape variety?

Answer 36

Sárga Muskotály | 9% of the regions vines

Question 37

What does Sárga Muskotály bring to a blend? Is it made into a single varietal wine?

Answer 37

It adds floral notes in blends in both sweet and dry wine. | It also appears as a varietal wine, mainly dry but occasionally sweet.

Question 38

How is the sugary juice inside the shriveled grapes extracted? Why?

Answer 38

The grapes are macerated in must, fermenting must or base wine to draw out their sugars and flavors. The juice cannot be effectively extracted by normal pressing because it is so concentrated.

Question 39

Describe a classic Aszú wine.

Answer 39

Deep amber in color High in acidity Low to medium alcohol Intense aromas of orange peel, apricots and honey

Question 40

Why are foggy mornings and warm afternoons important in the development of noble rot.

Answer 40

Foggy mornings allow noble rot to develop and the breezy sunny afternoon shrivel the grapes. Warm, humid autumns encourage the development of noble rot. In hotter dryer years, yields of noble rot affected grapes will be significantly reduced.

Question 41

How are noble rot affected grapes picked?

Answer 41

They are picked individually in several passes through the vineyard. A time consuming and labor intensive process. They are then stored until required.

Question 42

Before maceration what do most producer do with the Aszú grapes? How do they do this? Why do some producers not use this technique?

Answer 42

They match the grapes into a paste. They do this by crushing or breaking open the grape in someway, usually buy passing them through a pump. Some producers prefer to use uncrudhed grapes to avoid any bitterness from the skins and seeds.

Question 43

What does the choice of maceration depend on?

Answer 43

The desired style of wine (lighter or more concentrated/fuller).

Question 44

What are the advantages and disadvantages of macerating Aszú berries in fermenting must?

Answer 44

It offers the strongest extraction and makes the most complex wines. Unless the berries are both ripe and clean, it can also extract unpleasant bitter, unripe characteristics. It can also extract unpleasant bitter, unripe characteristics.

Question 45

What are some of the winemaking decisions which can affect the style and quality of Aszú wines?

Answer 45

- Wether to mash the berries into a paste or use fresh and crushed berries. - The length of time of maceration. - The temperature of maceration. - The liquid used for maceration (must, young wines, fermenting wines) - The timing of the maceration (Later stages of fermentation for lighter extraction, or while fermenting most actively for strongest extraction)

Question 46

Wine makers can choose between three types of liquids to macerate the Aszú berries in. What are these three options?

Answer 46

Maceration in must (gives the lightest styles) Maceration in young finished wines (gives the next lightest styles) Maceration in fermenting must (gives the strongest extraction and most complex wines)

Question 47

How long are the paste or grapes macerated for? And at what temperatures?

Answer 47

Between 12 and 60 hours. Around 12 to 15°C. May rise to 16 to 20°C with strongly fermenting must.

Question 48

What is the legal requirement for the minimum potential alcohol of a base wine when it is used for maceration of Aszú berries or paste? What is it in practice? And why is the final wine not that high in alcohol?

Answer 48

- It must by law have a minimum potential alcohol of 12.08% ABV. - In practice the base one is often 14.5 to 15.5% ABV. - The ABV is lowered by the addition of the Aszú berries or paste.

Question 49

What type of yeast is used for Aszú wines?

Answer 49

Some producers use ambient yeast but many prefer cultured yeast for their reliability, as the high sugar levels can make fermentation difficult.

Question 50

What type of vessels are used during the fermentation?

Answer 50

Both stainless steel tanks and barrels are used.

Question 51

Why do some producers target a higher level of alcohol in their finished one?

Answer 51

To achieve a one with less sweetness.

Question 52

What are the different ways that fermentation might stop or be stopped in the production of Aszú wines?

Answer 52

Fermentation may stop naturally, especially at higher sugar levels. These wines will be naturally stable. Some producers might choose to stop fermentation either by chilling, or racking the wine, or adding SO2.

Question 53

Why do some producers choose to stop fermentation of there Aszú wines?

Answer 53

This will avoid the risk of re-fermentation and it controls house styles.

Question 54

What is the minimum age requirement for Aszú wines?

Answer 54

18 months in order barrels.Some producers prefer longer.

Question 55

What type of oak is often used?

Answer 55

Hungarian oak, often from the Zemplén mountains above the region.

Question 56

What were the traditional maturation vessels called? What capacity were they? What size are the most producers switching to now?

Answer 56

Gönci. 136 L barrels. Most producers and now switching to larger barrels of 300 to 500 L.

Question 57

What type of bottles must Aszú wines be bottled in?

Answer 57

In a traditional clear glass 500 mL Tokaji bottle.

Question 58

In what year did the regulations around Aszú wines change significantly? What were the changes?

Answer 58

2013. The minimum level of residual sugar was increased to 120 g/L, the equivalent to the previous minimum for 5 puttonyos. Wines with lower levels of sugar are now labeled late harvest or Tokaji Édes Szamorodni, Depending on how they are made. They no longer need to use the categories of Puttonyos. Wines can still be labeled as five puttonyos or six puttonyos if they are above 150 g/L residual sugar, but this is not mandatory. Wines can still be labeled three or four puttonyos if the producer wishes as long as they have a minimum of 120 g/L of residual sugar.

Question 59

Explain what the Puttonyos scale traditionally was.

Answer 59

Until 2013, Aszú was classified by its level of sweetness, using the Puttonyos scale. This measure counted the number of pickers buckets (called puttony)of Aszú berries added to a traditional gönci barrel of a must.

Question 60

What are Eszencia wines? How are they made?

Answer 60

These are extremely rare and therefore extremely expensive wines. They are made from the tiny volume of syrupy free run juice that trickles from Aszú berries. The juice is so sweet that it can take years to ferment and even then only reaches very low levels of alcohol, usually less than 5% ABV.

Question 61

What is the legal minimum level of sugar in eszencia wines?

Answer 61

450 g/L.

Question 62

What is the most recent style of Tokaj to emerge? As a reaction to what?

Answer 62

Late harvest. | As a reaction to the amount of time and investment needed to produce and mature Aszú wines.

Question 63

How are the late harvest wines produced? How does this defer to Aszú wines?

Answer 63

They are produced in a similar way to sweet wines found in other one producing regions. The maceration process is not used. They typically use a lower proportion of botrytized grapes.

Question 64

What is the legal minimum residual sugar level for late harvest wines?

Answer 64

45 g/L. Most are between 90 and 110 g/L.

Question 65

What is the legal requirement for aging of light harvest wines? Why?

Answer 65

Oak aging is not compulsory and many wines spend little or no time in Oak. Producers came to emphasize the fruit characteristics.

Question 66

What is Szamorodni?

Answer 66

A traditional style made from whole bunches with varying amounts of healthy and botrytized grapes.

Question 67

What does Szamorodni mean?

Answer 67

It’s a Polish word meaning as it comes.

Question 68

What are the two styles of Szamorodni wines?

Answer 68

édes (sweet) | száraz (dry)

Question 69

What is the most common Szamorodni wine style? What is the minimum residual sugar level? What are most bottled at?

Answer 69

Édes. 45 g/L. Most are bottled at around 90 to 110 g perL.

Question 70

Why are a number of producers placing greater focus on the category of Édes Szamorodni wines?

Answer 70

The wines only need to be aged in Oak for six months, which is much shorter than for Aszú . They are seeing it as a more authentic one then the more recent late harvest style.

Question 71

How is a dry Szamorodni wine made?

Answer 71

It is aged under a thin film of flor yeast for up to 10 years.

Question 72

Dry wines in Tokaj: in the past, when we’re they made? And now?

Answer 72

Then: used to be a by-product, only produced when botrytis didn’t develop. Now: move towards dry wines in 21st century and some high quality examples being made. Production has tripled in last 5 years.

Question 73

How are producers of dry wines achieving quality grapes?

Answer 73

Planting new vineyards on higher and windier sites above the fog zone. Using more open canopies. Using appropriate vine treatments to prevent rot.

Question 74

What id Dúló?

Answer 74

A single Vineyard wine.

Question 75

Style of dry wines produced? At first? Now?

Answer 75

At first: The dry wines were made from very ripe grapes, underwent full malolactic conversion and lengthy periods of aging in new oak barrels. Now: many producers have rained in their approach, using less ripe berries, fermenting in stainless steel and generally taking a list interventionist approach to produce lighter bodied wines which better show varietal character.

Question 76

What grape varieties are mostly used for producing dry wines?

Answer 76

Furmint (most common) Hárslevelú Muscat Kabar Single varieties and blends.

Question 77

What is the minimum percentage of a grape variety if a wine is labeled as single varietal, under PDO rules?

Answer 77

85%

Question 78

What is the name of the PGI in hungry? What wines does it cover?

Answer 78

PGI Zempléni Used for wines made from other grapes, in particular international varieties, and for inexpensive wines produced at yields higher than those permitted by the PDO.

Question 79

Are hectares planted increasing or decreasing? Why?

Answer 79

They are increasing, as new, higher vineyards are being planted to produce high-quality dry wines. Barely half of the potential Vineyard area has been planted.

Question 80

Are average holdings small or large?

Answer 80

Average holdings are small, between one and 2 ha, and many growers have contracts with larger producers to provide grapes, especially Aszú berries.

Question 81

How is the production split between the different styles of wines?

Answer 81

Aszú accounts for around 10% of production. Dry wines account for 21%. Of the rest, a significant amount is inexpensive, non-botrytized wine (often made semi-sweet by stopping fermentation early).

Question 82

What are the main export markets?

Answer 82

China France UK USA

Question 83

What percentage of production do exports account for?

Answer 83

40%