Tokaj was the world’s first delineated wine region, and its wines are among the most historic in the world. Its unique techniques and classifications date back hundreds of years. Through the centuries thousands of people, from at least a dozen different ethnic groups, have been involved in the wine industry in Tokaj, all contributing to the widespread fame of Tokaj aszú.
We might think these characters have disappeared with over time, but traces of them can still be found in today’s Tokaj, in the names of vineyards, cellars and street names. A recently-released book, Tokaji Wine: Fame, Fate, Tradition (Ambeli Press) by Miles Lambert-Gócs, has gathered an amazing amount of information (in English!) related to the long and adventurous history of the region, and the characters and wines that have made it the most important wine region in Central Europe.
Lambert-Gócs, a Hungarian-American living in Virginia, has been researching the history and wines of Tokaj for more than 30 years. His book is an incredible compilation of data, more like an encyclopedia, of everything related to Tokaj, inlcuding people, vineyards, villages, wine making methods, grape varietals, and more. The book is divided into four main parts with a couple of essays between. The first section deals with the people and nations which have played roles in the history of Tokaj. You’ll read about the role of Armenian and Greek merchants in Tokaj; Paraskevich, a Russian wine merchant who purchased 20 barrels of red in 1744 for the czar (that’s right, there was red wine in Tokaj back then); and the Jews who contributed to the usage of sulfur for barrel sanitation.
The second part of the book focuses on the region’s villages and towns. There is an overview of their history, the best slopes in each village, and some remarkable people who lived and worked there. No detail seems too small: even the origins of names of certain villages are discussed (Tállya, for example, could have possibly originated from either a French or an Italian word). My favorite part is the third chapter, a listing of vineyards which includes their classification, history, explanation of their names, and more. Dereszla, Disznókő, Kincsem, Mézesmáj, Palandor and Zafír—names we still see on wine bottles today—are just some examples of the more than 300 entries.You’ll find all your favorite vineyards here with tons of interesting and unexpected data that will help you appreciate the wine in your glass even more.
The fourth part is dedicated to the varietals, vine growing and wine making methods that have been used throughout the centuries in Tokaj. It is not easy to keep track of all the different styles, grapes and variations, even for Hungarians. Here you’ll get a complex overview of the variety that Tokaj has to offer. Such expressions are decoded here such as aszú, aszú dough, eszencia, kosher wine, soaking, szamorodni, and yeast film. There is even an entry about the supposed gold content of Tokaj wine, a legend that was so widespread that Paracelsus, a famous 16th century scientist, decided to study the question. He must have taken it seriously because in 1526 he came to Tokaj to investigate the matter. After certain experiments (unknown to me) he came to the conclusion that there is no actual gold content in Tokaj wine, just an extremely high minerality (which any fan of Tokaj wine can attest to).
If you are looking for tasting notes, travel information, or reviews of modern wineries in Tokaj, you won’t find them in Tokaji Wine: Fame, Fate, Tradition. This book is for the serious fan of Hungarian wine, and the wine scholars who can’t find reliable information elsewhere about this mystical region. It is packed full of facts that they will treasure as much as a glass of honey-sweet, golden-colored Tokaj aszú.
–Gábor
