Tokaj wine country is a hilly corner of north-east Hungary where the Zemplén mountains drop toward the plains and the Bodrog river runs south to meet the Tisza. The volcanic soil, the long autumn mists and the noble rot, a fungus that shrivels the grapes and concentrates their sugars, are the ingredients of Tokaji Aszú, the sweet wine that Louis XIV of France is said to have called the wine of kings and the king of wines. The region was one of the first in the world to classify its vineyards, in the eighteenth century, and UNESCO now lists it as a cultural landscape.
This cellar sits near Sárospatak, a small historic town on the Bodrog with a Renaissance castle that belonged to the Rákóczi family, leaders of Hungary's uprisings against the Habsburgs, and a famous Reformed college where Comenius, the Czech educator, once taught. The town, with about fourteen thousand inhabitants, has petrol, supermarkets, a thermal bath and plenty of cafés, so everything practical is easy. Sátoraljaújhely, about ten kilometres away on the Slovak border, is a larger town with the same facilities.
What is special about the cellars of the area is that many are dug into soft volcanic tuff, a rock that is easy to carve, forming long cool tunnels that stay at a steady temperature all year. They are often coated with a dark, velvety mould that feeds on the alcohol fumes from the wine and which locals treat as a sign of good health. A rider should be aware that tastings are plentiful but that Hungary has a strict zero alcohol limit for drivers, so a spit bucket or a bottle for later is the only safe approach.
The roads between the villages are quiet, with gentle climbs between the vineyards, smooth enough for any machine and good for slow enjoyment, with views of terraced slopes and the Zemplén hills. Expect some patched tarmac, agricultural traffic at harvest time and the occasional herd of geese. The best months are late September and October, when the harvest is in and the hills turn yellow and red.
Food here is hearty: goulash, stuffed cabbage, fish soup from the river, and sweet cakes. A coffee at a village shop and a stroll between the vines will fill an hour pleasantly.