The designation “Tokaji” has reflected the special esteem given to the wines of the Tokaj-Hegyalja region since the 16th century. The name became widely known at that time primarily to distinguish these wines from those of other Hungarian “hegyalja” regions — such as Erdély-Hegyalja, Arad-Hegyalja, and Pozsony-Hegyalja.
Tokaji wine achieved true international fame in the 17th and 18th centuries, notably through the diplomatic connections between Ferenc II Rákóczi and Louis XIV of France. This era also gave rise to the now-famous epithet — “the wine of kings, the king of wines” — which further strengthened the reputation of Tokaji Aszú, often referred to today as “liquid gold.”
Hungarian viticultural products had already been traded in various royal courts and commercial cities across Europe since the early 13th century. Interest in Hungarian wines grew particularly strong from the reign of King Matthias Corvinus, and with the spread of Aszú production techniques, attention increasingly shifted toward the Tokaj region. Although a will document from 1571 already mentions Aszú wine, a detailed description of the production method was preserved by the Reformed pastor Máté Szepsy Laczkó, who is recorded as having presented this noble sweet wine to Zsuzsanna Lórántffy in 1630.
From Sárospatak’s cellars to royal courts
The next major period of expansion is linked to Ferenc II Rákóczi. The prince actively used his extensive international network — partly to finance the War of Independence, largely supported by revenues from his Tokaj vineyard estates — to promote Tokaji wines abroad. The cellar estates of Sárospatak became closely associated with the Rákóczi name, as his gift shipments reached the royal courts of Sweden, Poland, Prussia, France, and England.
It is recorded that Tokaji wine was regularly served at the court of Louis XIV of France. According to legend, the Sun King himself coined the phrase “Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum” — “the wine of kings, the king of wines,” a saying that became inseparable from Tokaji Aszú’s global reputation.
The Tokaj wine route toward Eperjes and Kassa
By the early 18th century, Tokaji wine exports reached unprecedented levels. Figures such as Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Frederick the Great, as well as intellectuals like Voltaire, Goethe, and Schubert were all known admirers. In 1714, approximately 20,000 barrels of wine were reportedly transported annually along the Tokaj trade route toward Eperjes (today Prešov) and Kassa (Košice), from where shipments continued to Poland and Russia.
The Russian imperial court regularly negotiated with Tokaji suppliers, even sending purchasing commissions to select the finest wines directly at the source. The wine’s popularity was further reinforced by early medical beliefs: moderate consumption was considered beneficial and restorative, to such an extent that by the late 19th century it was included in the Hungarian Pharmacopoeia under the name “Vinum Tokajense Passum.”
Today, the historic wine route toward Eperjes and Kassa can still be followed — by car or bicycle — tracing the same paths once used to transport barrels of Tokaji wine to the courts of Central and Eastern Europe.
Tarcal and the legacy of first-class vineyards
When visiting Tokaj-Hegyalja, a stop in Tarcal is highly recommended. Its historic first-class vineyards — including Perőcz, Czeke, Feketehegy, Mézes Mály, and Királygát — still produce some of the finest Aszú base grapes today. The volcanic rhyolitic tuff soils, southern exposure, and autumn mists that encourage the development of Botrytis cinerea together create the unique process of noble rot that distinguishes Tokaji wine from all others.
Tasting a 6 puttonyos Aszú at a winery such as Oremus offers a direct link to this legacy — and makes it clear why Rákóczi once considered it the most noble of gifts.
