Szepsy

The Tokaj region in the north-eastern corner of Hungary, bordering Slovakia and the Ukraine, has been a famous wine region for centuries. Initially known for their almost mythical sweet wines, the region has now reinvented itself with a generation of young ambitious wine makers whose undisputed leader and spokesperson is Istvan Szepy .

The oldest region in the world to have a vineyard classification in the world dating back to the 1700s, these wine growers are now the keepers of this culture and heritage. With a focus on single vineyard wines, they are producing dry, powerful wines which express the region and their volcanic soil.

Szepsy is continuously exploring the potential of the Tokaj region with the help of his two sons. While the sweet wines are and will always be some of the world’s greatest, no one in this day and age can rely on commercial survival with them.

The Szepsy vineyards cover just over 50 ha hectares in Tokaj wine region around Mád village, but only 50 000 bottles are produced.

Many of their vineyards are high altitude, located on steep stony slopes. Enormous sacrifices are made in the vineyards in pursuit of producing the best grape quality possible from each site, with three green harvests as well as cutting off the wings of individual bunches. Vineyard management also includes no fertilizers, no pesticides, and no herbicides.