Tolcsva is a quiet village in the Tokaj wine region of northeastern Hungary, on the slopes of the Zemplén hills above the Bodrog river. The Oremus cellars here are among the most famous in the region: a network of tunnels cut into the volcanic rock over centuries, their walls black with the noble mould that thrives in the damp, steady cold. The estate has been owned since the 1990s by the family behind Vega Sicilia, one of Spain's most celebrated wineries, and it has become a showcase for the revival of Tokaji after the communist decades.
The wine that made Tokaj famous is aszú, a sweet wine made from grapes shrivelled by botrytis, the noble rot, which develops in the autumn mists rising from the Bodrog and the Tisza. The grapes are picked one by one, and the resulting wine is intense, golden and capable of ageing for decades. Louis XIV is said to have called Tokaji the wine of kings and the king of wines. The region has a long history of classifying its vineyards, among the earliest in the world, and in 2002 UNESCO listed it as a cultural landscape. Today Tokaj also produces excellent dry whites from the Furmint and Hárslevelű grapes.
The Zemplén hills are volcanic, with rounded summits covered in oak and beech forests and vineyards on the lower slopes. The roads between Tolcsva, Olaszliszka, Erdőbénye and Sárospatak wind through the hills and along the river, with gentle curves, little traffic and views over the vineyards. The surface varies, and potholes are common on the minor roads, so stay alert.
Sárospatak, eleven kilometres away, has a Renaissance castle associated with the Rákóczi family, leaders of the Hungarian struggle against the Habsburgs, and a famous Reformed college, founded in the sixteenth century, with a historic library. The town has fuel, restaurants and hotels. Tokaj town, at the confluence of the Bodrog and the Tisza, is another good base.
Hungary has a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol for drivers and riders. If you want to taste, plan to stay the night; many wineries offer rooms, and a slow evening in a cellar, with candles and a glass of aszú, is one of the great pleasures of the region. Ride the hills in the morning instead, when the mist lies in the valleys.