Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/935769
64 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 By the year 1737, a three-tier classifica- tion system of the Tokaji vineyards was in place—notably predating the sweet wine classification of Port by several decades and Sauternes by more than a century. Sweet and aszú Tokaji wine styles rely on clean fruit, botrysized bunches, or individual aszú berries. The latter are picked in mul - tiple passes through the vineyard and then worked into to a paste or dough; varying amounts of this material are then macer - ated in fermenting must or wine. The two main grape varieties allowed are Furmint and Hárslevelu " , but Sárgamuskotály (Muscat Blanc à Petite Grains), Zéta (Oremus), Kabar, and Kövérszo " lo " are also permitted and used in small amounts. Both sweet and aszú wines are aged in Hungarian oak casks or bar- rels that can vary in size; two of the most common, Gönci and Szerednyei barrels, hold roughly 136 and 220 liters, respectively. Finished wine styles are determined using a combined measure of minimum residual sugar and dry extract, which refers to the dissolved solids in the wines that have been elevated due to concentration imparted by noble rot. Traditionally, the wines of Tokaj have been made with oxy - gen freely available during fermentation, which occurs over a period of many years in some aszú styles. This practice helps stabilize the wine without contributing oxi- dative flavors and defines these traditional skin-contact sweet styles. With Tradition Preserved, New Styles Emerge Tokaj's producers and their wines are emerging from the dark shadow that obscured their glorious past. Attila Balla, President of Vinum Tokaj International, and Eniko " Magyar, Project Director of Wines of Excellence, have been collaborating with the Hungarian Tourism Agency to serve as ambassadors for the region's inimitable wine culture. "As part of a three-year campaign, we're educating the North American trade and consumers about traditional Tokaji wine specialties," Magyar told The SOMM Journal. "Followed by the successful 'The Year of Furmint' campaign in 2017, this year's focus will be 'The Year of Aszú' presented with the other sweet wine specialties. Our joint aim is to reposition aszú on the world's wine market: move it out from the category of being enjoyed at the end of a meal or for special occasions. Aszú can be utilized as a fascinating pairing partner, and { cover story } The handpicking of aszú berries originated in 1641 via the Regulamentum Culturae Vinearum declaration, cited as documentation of the first instance of manual single-berry selection. Attila Balla, President of Vinum Tokaj International, and Eniko " Magyar, Project Director for Wines of Excellence. grapes desiccated by noble rot in the Tokaj wine region of Hungary burst forth a plethora of traditional and modern wine styles. Rar- est among them is the world's sweetest and most complex grape elixir, Eszencia: a honey-like nectar once reserved for royalty that's been coveted for centuries. The long history of wine made from aszú fruit (originally meaning "dried grapes," the term has evolved to include grapes with high sugar levels affected with noble rot, or Botrytis cinerea) in Hungary dates to the mid-16th century. from