The favourable natural conditions, the hard work of the wine-growers and the secret of the wine’s production help bring about the birth of Tokaj wine “VINUM REGUM REX VINORUM” (the wine of kings, the king of wines).

The harvest begins at the end of October, and the grapes are able to ripen thanks to the special microclimate.  As a result of the autumn rains and the morning mists, the grapes become fragile and are attacked by the Botrytis Cinerea noble rot. The following sunny days help make the grapes sweeter and create raisins.  The wines are rich in acids and gustatory elements.  The ageing continues in tufaceous cellars at temperatures between 10 and 12˚C.  Thanks to the mould in the cellars, the humidity of the air is between 78 and 98%.  In this way, the wine gains the taste, colour and aroma typical for Tokaj wines.

Tokaj selection 3,4,5,6 – puttons
Tokaj selection 3, 4 , 5, 6-puttons wines are the top Tokaj wines. They are produced by a traditional technology using so-called cibéby-raisins, which give the wines a particular, unique taste and aroma as a result of the effect of the noble Botrytis cinerea Persoon rot.  For producing these raisins and Tokaj wine, varieties defined by law can be used as follows:

• Furmint - makes up 65% of the Tokaj varieties,
• Lipovina - 25%,
• Yellow Muscat – 10%.

Other varieties cannot be used for the production of Tokaj wines.  The bready taste of the wine is caused by the presence of oxygen during the ageing process of the grapes and wine.

The production of selection wine is particularly hard work.  The cibéb raisins are sorted and ground during the harvest.  Then the  3-4-5-6 puttons (the traditional measuring unit: 1 putton is 23 to 25kg) of cibéb raisins are added to one Gönci barrel (136 l) of good quality wine.  During the soaking process, aromas, tastes and rich substances are released, which will be refined further during the ageing process in wooden casks.  Depending on the amount of puttons of cibéb raisins, we differentiate between 3 – 4 – 5 and 6 puttons basic selection wines, which age in Gönci and Szerednyei barrels for at least four years, sometimes much longer.  In selection wines, the aromas of chocolate, toffee, caramel, coffee, honey, quinces and nuts blend together with the taste of fresh fruit.  These tastes, depending on the wine’s age, can be found in endless combinations. The characteristic feature of these wines is their rich taste and perfect harmony of acids and sugar.  This wine is a noble gift with which we can honour our family, friends and acquaintances.  It is a true natural treasure among drinks with which we can celebrate precious moments in our life and our successes.

Tokaj grape variety wines
The production of Tokaj grape variety wines depends on many factors which can influence the fermentation processes for obtaining dry and semi-sweet Tokaj wines.  The grapes are pressed immediately and the must ferments in large wooden casks. The fermented young wines are then transferred into small casks with a volume of between 136 and 250 litres.  After the ageing process, the Tokaj grape variety wines obtained are dry or medium-sweet and characterised by their 11-12% proof alcohol content, delicate golden yellow colour and higher content of ephemeral acids. 

Tokaj spontaneous wine
Another type of Tokaj wine are spontaneous dry and sweet wines.  The sweet Tokaj spontaneous wine is made from grapes in such a way that the cibéb raisins are not removed from their stalks, leaving a residue sugar level of 20-50g/l after fermentation and ageing.  For the production of dry Tokaj spontaneous wine, aged wine without cibéb raisins is used.  After approximately one month of fermentation, the wine is transferred to smaller containers.  In the smaller casks, which are not filled up owing to the oxidation process, the long process of ageing is carried out at a temperature between 11 and 14 C.  Dry Tokaj spontaneous wines must be of a golden yellow colour.