Wines introduced for the fourth Great Tokaj Wine Auction

A total of 27 exclusive, limited Tokaji wines from 19 producers will go under the hammer at the Confrérie de Tokaj’s fourth Great Tokaj Wine Auction on 23rd April 2016 in Tokaj town. Once again we see a great balance of varieties and Tokaji wine styles from dry, late harvest and sweet Szamorodni to Aszú and Eszencia from both large and small producers, established and up-and-coming winemakers. As Wojciech Bońkowski notes, “The latest stroke of local genius is the Great Tokaj Wine Auction: a perfect example of intelligent promotion and valorisation of Tokaj’s territory and its liquid asset.”

These unique contemporary lots are specially chosen for the auction and available in limited quantities only: one Gönci barrel (136 l) of dry wines and one or a half Gönci barrel (136 l / 68 l) of sweet wines. The Tokaj Wine Tasting Committee (Ronn Wiegand, MS, MW, and Gabriella Mészáros, wine educator) check the quality of the wines at several stages from selection to bottling with the special Confrérie label before the next Great Tokaj Wine Auction in 2017. Ronn Wiegand says, “I believe that Tokaj’s best-ever wines are being made right now (some of them are here at this auction!), and it is exciting and rewarding for me to be part of its historic rebirth.”

Participating wineries are Baranyai Béla, Barta, Basilicus, Béres, Demetervin, Disznókő, Dorogi, Erzsébet, Füleky, Gróf Degenfeld, Holdvölgy, Kvaszinger, Patricius, Samuel Tinon Grands Vins de Tokaj, Sauska Tokaj, Szent Benedek, Tokaj Crown Estates, Tokaj-Hétszőlő, and Zsirai. This year we also see a charity lot. Mád Circle producers have each contributed a Tokaji Aszú which will be auctioned together in aid of Mike Grgić’s winery, Croatia, which was severely damaged by fire in 2015.

All Tokaji wine lovers are welcome at both the Auction and the three-day Tokaj Spring events. The Great Tokaj Wine Auction is the highlight of the three-day Tokaj Spring event. Other focal points are the blind tasting of auction lots, vineyard tours and wine dinners organised with other associations in the historic Tokaj wine region. These events bring those passionate and curious about Tokaj to meet and discover the terroir and people who are shaping this UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site. New members will be welcomed at the intronisation in the Rákóczi Cellar.