”If no risk is taken with new methods and new prices, then there is no progress,” says winemaker István Szepsy, whose family has been engaged with viticulture since the 16th century.Continue reading
This year for the first time, a Hungarian company has made it into the top 100 at the World’s Best Vineyards. Szepsy Winery from Tokaj was ranked 62nd.
The world is divided into 22 regions in the competition, with 36 professionals (sommeliers, journalists, tourism industry representatives) from each region invited to submit a list of seven, but the list changes from year to year. As a result, this year for example, Lebanon and Russia are among the new countries on the 100 list, to the extent that Karam Wines from Lebanon has also earned the title of most successful newcomer ever, debuting at 14th place, Vince reports.
The Szepsy Winery website states:
“Our family has been producing wine in Tokaj since the 1500s when the production of aszú wine started, so the history and life of the family and wine are inseparable. Today’s generations are proud of their ancestors’ achievements, which inspire them to become worthy of the task. Our aim is to produce the best possible quality grapes in our vineyards, without compromise. That is why we have chosen vineyards with high altitudes, rocky soils, steep slopes, and old vines – the average age: over 40 years. We select small, loose cluster Furmint mainly in the Mád area, but the desire to get to know the terroir also encourages us to explore other areas in the villages of Bodrogkeresztúr, Tarcal, Mezőzombor, Rátka, and Tállya.”
According to the World’s Best Vineyards website, the vineyards on the list are “the best places to taste terrific wines and learn about winemaking and grape-growing. Many also offer superb views, restaurants, and places to stay.”
The first place went to Argentina’s Zuccardi Valle De Uco for the third year in a row.
A video showing the top 50 vineyards can be watched here, and another one introducing the 51-100 list, including the Hungarian Szepsy Winery, is here. The full list is also available on the competition’s website. The Friends of Hungary Foundation, publisher of Hungary Today, also made a portrait video before about winemaker István Szepsy which can be viewed here.
Source: HVG
Featured image via the Szepsy Winery’s Facebook page