page_title: Tokaj (Slovakia)
section_title: Characteristics of the wine region
hierarchical_section_title: Tokaj (Slovakia) / Characteristics of the wine region
caption_attribution_description: English: A wine cellar in the village of Vinicky, one of the seven classified Tokaj villages in Slovakia.
context_page_description: Tokaj wine region is a wine-growing region located in south-eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary. The two vine-growing areas were once part of greater Tokaj wine region of the Kingdom of Hungary.
  Following the Treaty of Trianon a smaller part became part of Czechoslovakia, and after 1993 Slovakia. The majority of the region remained part of Hungary.
  Nowadays, the Slovak part of Tokaj wine region comprises 7 communities and approximately 908 hectares of vineyards. Under current EU legislation, the vintners in the Slovak wine region of Tokaj may use the Tokaj label.
context_section_description: Tokaj wine region is one of a handful in the world whose conditions are favourable for growing grapes for naturally sweet
  wines. With its 908 ha, Tokaj is the smallest of the six vine-growing regions of Slovakia. It comprises 7 villages in the Trebišov District: Bara, Čerhov, Černochov, Malá Tŕňa, Slovenské Nové Mesto, Veľká Tŕňa, and Viničky.
  Some of the characteristics which make the Tokaj wine region unique are:
  Soil and microclimate: The Tokaj terrain consists of clay or loess soil on volcanic subsoil. The microclimate is determined by the sunny, south-facing slopes and the proximity of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers, and is conducive to the proliferation of Botrytis Cinerea (noble rot) and the subsequent desiccation of the grapes.
  Indigenous grape varieties: Furmint and Lipovina have been cultivated in the region for centuries and, together with Yellow Muscat and Zeta, are the only grape varieties officially permitted for use in the region.
  Cellars: A vast system of cellars has been carved out of solid rock. They provide a constant temperature of around 12 °C and high humidity of around 95%, which are ideal for the aging of Tokaji wines.
  Appellation system: A royal decree in 1757 established a closed production district in Tokaj, the world's first system of wine appellation. Vineyard classification began in 1730 and was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.
caption: One of many Tokaj wine cellars in Viničky, Slovakia.
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