Looking for a wine trip that’s off-the-beaten path? Try the Tokaj region of Hungary, 125 miles northeast of Budapest.
An area with a serious pedigree and history, its best known for its sweet aszú wine which was prized by European royalty and the likes of Beethoven, Liszt and Goethe. Declared “the wine of kings, and the king of wines” by Louis XV, it was so desired by the Russian Czars that there was a group of Cossacks whose only mission was to ensure this wine reached them. Now along with its famous sweet wines, the region is regaining a reputation for dry whites and is on the map for oenophiles.
We suggest flying into Budapest, renting a car and making the two-hour drive through rural countryside. Once in Tokaj, stay at the Gróf Degenfeld Castle Hotel in the town of Tarcal, a restored country house with 20 rooms in the middle of its own vineyards. During the day wine taste at one of the region’s many cellars (vineyards are spread out through a 26 town appellation), horseback ride or bike through the rolling green hills (the Gróf Degenfeld has bikes), then end your day at Degenfeld Retaurant on the main square in Tokaj, which serves up fine nouvelle-Hungarian fare, or Ôs Kaján in Tolcsva for fresh Hungarian country cuisine in a shady garden.
Note: The area’s most unique feature -- the labyrinthine cellars carved out of volcanic mountain rock where you can find wines made over 300 years ago, covered with the famous black mold that allows them to age indefinitely.
