Tokaj Wine Region
SlovakiaInstitute of Monuments Preservation, Bratislava
Cultural landscapes
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Description
Tokaj Wine Region is a testimony of an unique land-use culture that has been existing for centuries and the related cultural traditions, too. With centuries - old experience of grape cultivation and viticulture evolved the unique geographical, geological, geomorphologic, hydrological and climatic condition of. Tokaj Wine Region. This region is characteristic to a large extent to the weathered rocks that were produced by a great diversity of volcanic and post volcanic activity. Tokaj is a uniquely located growing area, which is warmer than those situated to further north. Tokaj wine is made by unique technology from botrytised grapes. The grapes ripen are more fully, ideally, when they are overriped, the botrytis sets in. The inside of well-ripened grapes with a higher sugar contend is not the best habitat for botrytis to survive. Long and dry autumn is optimum for botrytisation, the noble mold penetrates the flesh of the fruit, where it transforms the aromas. The famous Tokaj is, therefore, a wine crafted with the use of selected botrytis grapes. The history of Tokaj Wine Region goes back to the pre-historic time. The first archaeological approval of this tradition is 17 centuries old knife of wine, found in archaeological locality Alamenev in Nizná Mysla. The oldest is the settlement of Vinicky, dated 3- 5 thousand B. C. The traditions of wine -cellar to the posterity from those time more than 2 thousand years ago. Wines of this region have gained a European respect and rank very early. The presently known beautiful and culturally rich environment of Tokaj Wine Region has been created and preserved for us by humankind in association with, and response to, the natural environment.