But while Hungary’s most famous region is associated with these botrytized sweet wines, dry Tokaji, too, has firm roots in local tradition. Dating back to the 1700s, vinum ordinárium, or ordinary wine (a reference to its production technique, rather than quality), was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, who enjoyed its “silky” character.
In the early 19th century, dry Tokaji accounted for roughly two-thirds of the region’s exports. During Hungary’s Communist period, however, from 1949 until 1989, the style was largely lost to mass production directives. Now, dry Tokaji, particularly that made with the local Furmint variety, is experiencing a renaissance.
Following the end of the Second World War, Communist cooperatives controlled the majority of Hungarian wine production. Quality was poor and remained so until the end of 1989, when the fall of communism returned Hungarian winemaking to local families.
Working with international partners like British wine writer Hugh Johnson, locals aimed to revive traditional techniques. High-quality sweet wines like Tokaji Aszú and Tokaji Essencia resurged.
Aszú wine is produced using hand-picked botrytized grapes, which are fermented with a dry or semi-sweet base wine. The resulting lusciously sweet, marmalade-scented nectar maintains piercing acidity.
Essencia, meanwhile, is the rarest of all Tokaji wines. Made from the free-run juice of Aszú berries, its high sugar content means fermentation can take up to eight years, and the wine only ever reaches around 3 percent alcohol.
In 1993, the Royal Tokaji company produced its first vintage of the viscous, amber wine. The wine is so rich and luxurious that it is typically served on ornate, crystal spoons. “Whenever I drink Essencia, I feel… imperial,” Sharon Stone wrote in a thank you note to the company, after receiving Essencia as a wedding gift.
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