Tokaji is the wine of Tokaj, in north-east Hungary, where the Bodrog and Tisza rivers meet and autumn mists coax noble rot onto the grapes. The name follows Hungarian grammar: Tokaj is the village and the region, and the "-i" turns it into "from Tokaj". So Tokaji Aszú, Tokaji Furmint and Tokaj Szamorodni all come from the same 27 villages. Here you will find the sweet classics next to the dry Furmint that has put the region back on sommeliers' lists.
What makes Tokaji wine unlike any other sweet wine
Twenty million years of volcanic activity left rhyolite, andesite, tuff and loess across the slopes, and a good Tokaji carries that stony, smoky edge. Furmint makes up most of the vineyard, with Hárslevelű, Sárgamuskotály, Kövérszőlő, Zéta and Kabar allowed alongside it. Furmint ripens late, keeps searing acidity and catches botrytis readily, so even very sweet Tokaji tastes lifted rather than heavy.
A royal decree in 1737 drew the boundaries of the region, one of the first wine appellations in the world, and in 2002 UNESCO listed the vineyards and their hand-cut volcanic cellars as a World Heritage cultural landscape.
Tokaji Aszú, Szamorodni and late harvest explained
Tokaji Aszú
Aszú berries are shrivelled by noble rot and picked one by one, then soaked in fermenting must or young wine. Since 2013 an Aszú needs at least 120 g/l of residual sugar, which is what 5 puttonyos now means; 6 puttonyos starts at 150 g/l. Expect apricot, orange peel, honey and a mineral finish. The Carpinus Tokaji Aszú 5 puttonyos from the Bai family is a textbook example, and there is a TR Tokaji Aszú 2017 in a half bottle for something rarer.
Szamorodni
Szamorodni means "as it comes": whole bunches go in, healthy and botrytised berries together. The sweet (édes) style is lighter than Aszú and ages at least two years, one in barrel. The dry (száraz) style ages under a veil of yeast and tastes nutty and savoury, a cousin of fino sherry and vin jaune. The TR Szamorodni 2017 is the sweet style.
Late harvest
Late harvest Tokaji arrived in the 1990s: overripe grapes, little or no botrytis, short ageing and a fresh, fruity sweetness. It is the easiest way in. Try the Carpinus Furmint Tokaji Late Harvest from the Lapis vineyard in Bodrogkeresztúr, the Grand Tokaj Late Harvest in a 50 cl bottle, or the organic TR Édes.
Dry Tokaji Furmint for the dinner table
More and more growers bottle Furmint dry, and it is thrilling: quince, lime and smoke, with the acidity of a Chablis and a little more weight. Attila Homonna, a former electronic musician farming organically in Erdőbénye, makes the Határi from old vines on stony hillsides. The TR Palota comes from a single organic vineyard in Tállya, and TR Dry and the organic Tokaji Furmint Dry Selection 2020 are brisk, food-friendly bottles. If you like dry Riesling or mineral white wine in general, start here.
How to serve and pair Tokaji
Serve sweet Tokaji cool, around 10 to 12°C, in a white wine glass. Aszú loves foie gras, blue cheese, fruit tarts and apricot or walnut desserts. Dry Furmint handles pork, poultry, paprika dishes and creamy sauces. Looking for more sweet bottles? Browse our dessert wine collection, or try fortified wine if the nutty, flor-aged side of Szamorodni appeals.
Tokaji wine questions we get asked most often
Is Tokaji always sweet?
No. Aszú, sweet Szamorodni and late harvest wines are sweet, but dry Furmint and dry Szamorodni are fully dry.
What does puttonyos mean on Tokaji Aszú?
A puttony was the basket used to carry aszú berries. Today 5 puttonyos means at least 120 g/l of sugar and 6 puttonyos at least 150 g/l.
What is Tokaji Eszencia?
The free-run juice of aszú berries, fermented for years to just a few degrees of alcohol with sugar that can pass 800 g/l. It is made only in great vintages and traditionally served by the spoonful.
Is Tokaj the same as Tokaji?
Yes, in practice. Tokaj is the place; Tokaji means "from Tokaj" and is the word most wine labels use.