Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/780573
{ SOMMjournal.com } 63 The Szent Tamás Vineyards and Winery label focuses on single-vineyard expressions. Szepsy Jr. smiles, "It's not a way of making money; we want to really show the charac- teristics of that particular vineyard." The win- ery produces the single vineyards of Szent Tamás Nyulászó, Szent Tamás Percze and its namesake Szent Tamás Szent Tamás from the village of Mád and Szent Tamás Dongó from the village of Tállya. They also feature Szent Tamás Szent Tamás 86, from the best block of the vineyard, as well as Szent Tamás Szamorodni and Szent Tamás Aszú. The government, under the label Grand Tokaj, is still the largest producer in the region, but they too are transitioning toward a commitment to quality rather than large production. We embraced the opportunity to visit their five-kilometer long Szegi cellar to taste their wines. We also visited a smaller producer, the Götz family, in their unique cel - lar in Hercegkút, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in order to get an idea of the full spec- trum of production in the Tokaj region. With Tokaj's history of mass production and little attention given to concentration or quality, Szepsy Sr. and Szepsy Jr. were integral in forming the Circle of Mád, a group of like- minded producers voluntarily subscribing to regulations to ensure higher-quality wines, and the wines from the region continue to improve annually. The Bigger Picture Károly Kovács, entrepreneur and co-owner of Szent Tamás Winery and Mad Wine, clearly believes in the future of dry white wine from Tokaj and in the diligence and determination of Szepsy Jr. He has invested not only in Szent Tamás and Mad Wine wineries but also in the village of Mád itself. When asked why he got into the business, Kovács replied, "Everyone has bad ideas in life," with a candid roll of his eyes and a wide grin. "I like risk, and I wanted to prove that the wine business could be profitable," he immediately confesses. In addition to the wineries, Kovács has developed the Gusteau Culinary Father and Son: Forging Dry Furmint When I asked István Szepsy Sr. when he decided to produce a dry Furmint, he responded earnestly, "April 16th, 2003, around 11:00 a.m." I was expecting a far less specific answer but was blown away that he could pinpoint it. "It was one moment when I decided to follow my own imagination." He worked for the government earlier helping to found both The Royal Tokaji Wine Company and Királyudvar before starting his own label, aptly named Szepsy. A clear leader in the Tokaji wine industry, he started really studying the geology of the region 17 years ago, and he has clearly passed that passion on to his son. The father and son duo have been working together closely now for two decades. "I spend more time with my father than I do with my wife," laughs Szepsy Jr. COURTESY OF: TKTK PHOTO COURTESY OF CAL BINGHAM PHOTO COURTESY OF CAL BINGHAM Károly Kovács, entrepreneur and co-owner of Szent Tamás Winery and Mad Wine. István Szepsy Jr., Winemaker, Szent Tamás Winery and Mad Wine, is an 18th-generation winemaker. István Szepsy Sr. proclaims the potential for dry Furmint in these unique soils.