I visited the Hungarian Tokaji Wine Region in 2022 en route from Hortobagy and as a pleasant stopover for 2 days before heading to the Aggtelek and Slovak Karsts WHS. The best location in terms of vineyard landscapes is probably the area around Mad, Tarcal and Tokaj with excellent views from the oval Terézia chapel near Tarcal. The unique highlight of this WHS for me though lies in the peculiar shaped Tokaji wine cellars in Hercegkut.

First of all, Tokaj is the name of one of the villages of the wine region, while Tokaji is the official name of the wine region. The inscribed part (at least for now) lies in Hungary, but there are plans to extend this WHS to the Slovak part too. Tokaji aszu wine, the world's oldest botrytized wine, is a sweet wine made from grapes affected by noble rot. The "nectar" coming from the grapes of Tokaj is also mentioned in the national anthem of Hungary. Of the six grape varieties officially approved for Tokaji wine production, Furmint and Harslevelu account for 60% and 30% of the area respectively. The wines produced in the region range from dry whites to the Eszencia, the world's sweetest wine. I tried a variety of wines from different wine cellars and since I was travelling by car got a generous sample of those I enjoyed most during my stay.

Probably the largest and most impressive of the wine cellars are found at the Oremus winery near Tolcsva, which belong to the Spanish Alvarez family. The 10 13th century separate wine cellars seen above ground (recently restored) are now actually different entrances to the same 4 km long maze of connecting cellars underground, after having been connected in the 19th and 20th centuries. A modern lift has also been integrated which makes the cellars easily accessible even for the elderly and easier for the wine to be transported in and out. The tunnels were simply carved into the soft layers of volcanic rhyolite tuff and later arched with bricks or rocks. The climatic conditions of the cellars provide ideal conditions to age the wines either in barrels or bottles. The overall ambience inside is quite similar to the Infernot cellars in Piedmont, Italy. The temperature of the cellars remains around 10.5°C all year round, with a humidity of 85-90%. Most of the walls are covered by a special mold which helps to regulate the humidity and keep the air clean. The cellars have shafts leading up to the surface for natural ventilation which are called “spirit holes”. Apart from the 10 connecting cellars, the Oremus winery also includes the Alvarez family mansion opposite a pretty half-timbered church.

The area where Tokaji wine is traditionally grown is a small plateau, 457 metres (1,500 ft) above sea level, near the Carpathian Mountains. The best systems of peculiarly shaped Tokaji wine cellars are to be found in the little Swabian village of Hercegkut, namely the Koporos Cellars and the Gombos-hegyi Cellars. Of all the cellars of these two systems in Hercegkut, cellar 92 of Gombos-hegy and cellar 87 of Koporos receive special mention as part of the WHS and are masterpieces of folk architecture too. The hillside cellars, with their distinctive triangular entrances, can be seen from town and the surrounding area, and are reminiscent of hobbit holes. I had a field day here with my drone. Kalvaria Hill rises up over the Gombos-hegy cellar rows, and you can follow a sacred route up to a chapel with an intimate atmosphere and a beautiful view of the town and of the Zemplen Mountains in the distance.

All WHS locations had UNESCO signs or information boards but the UNESCO WHS plaque can be found in the small main square of Tokaj (precisely on the wall of no. 15 Boraszuk winery). With no rain in sight for days on end, I can happily report that there were no pesky mosquitoes. The Tokaji Wine Region is really quite off the beaten track and it was a real delight for a change to enjoy so many fine wineries practically alone for most of the time, unlike the most famous wine regions of Italy and France for example. I'll definitely be revisiting in the near future if only to restock my small cellar at home with some more Tokaji wine. It is yet another one of those splendid places I would have never visited were it not for the WH list.