PRESS RELEASE
30TH MARCH 2015
Tokaj Spring 2015 – three days of exclusive events around the Great Tokaj Wine Auction
Exclusive Tokaji wines not otherwise commercially available go under the hammer at the Confrérie de
Tokaj’s third Great Tokaj Wine Auction on 25th April 2015. The venue? The impressive Knights’ Hall of
Sárospatak castle, the former historic centre of this legendary wine region. The lots? As in the first two
successful auctions, leading Tokaj producers offer unique barrel lots (136 l) of contemporary wines that are
not otherwise commercially available.
From dry Furmint and Hárslevelű through Szamorodni to Tokaji Aszú, the overwhelming majority are
single vineyard. An expert panel guarantees the quality of each lot, following its journey from acceptance to
bottling. Since every barrel is expressly prepared with the auction in mind, Michelin-star restaurants and
merchants to collectors in Hungary and abroad are among the bidders. In 2014, half of the lots were sold
outside Hungary from Poland and Germany to China and the US.
Tokaj Spring, the three-day event from 24-26th April, offers guests a superb opportunity to become better
acquainted with the Tokaj wine region, its wines and producers through vineyard tours, cellar visits, the
blind tasting of auction lots, the wine and gala dinners, and initiation of new Confrérie members (trade,
journalists and Tokaji lovers committed to the development of the region). This unique event starts with a
reception in the Royal Waiting Room at the Eiffel’s Budapest station from where guests travel to the wine
region on the Tokaj Express heritage train with wine tasting, lunch and talk presenting the vineyards. A
great way to start this exclusive weekend in style. These are unforgettable days that bring Tokaj lovers close
to the region and its masters to discover and explore together the world of Tokaji terroir wines.
The 16 producers at the 2015 Great Tokaj Wine Auction include a range of wineries from those recognised
internationally for their outstanding wines to new family-owned cellars keen to present their wines to a
wider audience for the first time. As Seigneur de Vin István Szepsy noted, “The Great Tokaj Wine Auction
offers a great opportunity for the market to react to unique quality offered by a terroir. The auction is key to
the repositioning of the Tokaj brand, and the cooperation it engenders is fundamental to rebuilding the
region together. We are strong if we work together.”
The Confrérie de Tokaj allocates the 40 % of the net hammer price to organise the auction and to contribute
to the development of the Tokaj Wine Region, UNESCO world cultural heritage since 2002. Thus, in
addition to procuring an exclusive Tokaji lot, buyers have the satisfaction of knowing that they are
supporting this re-emerging region recently named by Bloomberg as one of the ten undiscovered wine
regions of the world. A stunning area where the close relationship between man and nature is tangible
among vineyards that weave across the sun-drenched foothills of the Zemplén mountains.
Nóra Winkler, top Hungarian auctioneer for all three Great Tokaj Wine Auctions, commented about the
tense and exciting moments that gripped the auction room in 2014. “The proportion of lots sold, the hammer
prices and the packed room all express that we are on the right track.”
For more details about the event and the Confrérie de Tokaj – whose members include top Tokaj producers
as well as wine lovers and merchants - visit http://tokajiborlovagrend.en.
More information: Katherine Chapman (+3670 612 0400)
Confrérie de Tokaj: www.tokajiborlovagrend.hu
Contact: [email protected]
Confrérie de Tokaj
www.tokajconfrerie.hu @Confrerie_Tokaj
www.facebook.com/TokajiBorlovagrend