The Mayors" Wine Tokaj was presented on 4 June; this tradition, which dates back some twenty years, symbolises the cooperation between the 27 municipalities of the World Heritage wine region. The wine is not available for sale and is intended solely for ceremonial purposes.
At the handover ceremony, István Götz, Chief Executive of Grand Tokaj Zrt., explained that this year’s ‘Mayors’ Wine’ was made using Furmint and Hárslevelű grape varieties, which were contributed by the towns and villages of the wine region in accordance with tradition. The wine was fermented and matured in Zemplén oak barrels, yielding a total of 5,958 bottles. He emphasised that the company is proud that, through its professional work, it can contribute to upholding this tradition, which symbolises the cooperation between the settlements of the wine region.
Wine has been produced here for almost a thousand years
Péter Molnár, chairman of the Tokaji Hegyközségi Tanács spoke about how Tokaj-Hegyalja„s history has been shaped for centuries by a strong sense of community and cooperation. He pointed out that written records confirm that wine has been produced in the region for almost a thousand years, and that the settlements within the wine region have been working together since the early centuries to ”preserve the value and protected designation of origin of Tokaj wine”.
He pointed out that Tokaj-Hegyalja was the world’s first closed wine region and emphasised that cooperation between local authorities, winegrowers and winemakers remains essential to the region’s development today.
Urban development
György Posta, mayor of Tokaj, spoke about the developments that have taken place in the town. He explained that over the past two years, the pedestrianised street had been refurbished along a stretch of approximately 800 metres; the project also included the renovation of buildings in the town centre, as well as the development of tourist attractions and green spaces.
The mayor pointed out that the investment reinforces the long-standing aim of making Zemplén the country’s third most visited tourist region after Budapest and Lake Balaton. As part of the opening ceremony, an open-air exhibition was also launched in Tokaj’s main square, showcasing developments over the past 40 years.
