Tokaji Fordítás

Fordítás is rooted in the same culture of careful resource use that defines Tokaji winemaking more broadly. The first surviving written reference to Fordítás, recorded under the alternative name 'Másodaszú' (second Aszú), dates to 1826, though the technique almost certainly predates this. Tokaj itself has one of the longest regulated winemaking traditions in the world: a royal decree in 1737 established a closed production district, and vineyard classification began in 1730. The region's wines were coveted by European royal courts from the 17th century onward, with Francis II Rákóczi famously sending Tokaji Aszú to King Louis XIV in 1703. Fordítás emerged within this tradition as a way to honour the residual value of expensive, laboriously harvested Aszú dough rather than discard it.

• First documented reference to Fordítás dates to 1826, under the name 'Másodaszú' (second Aszú)
• Tokaj's royal decree appellation system dates to 1737, making it one of the world's earliest official wine designations
• Vineyard classification in Tokaj began in 1730 and was formalised through national censuses of 1765 and 1772
• Region awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002 for its unique viticultural and cultural landscape

Fordítás can only be produced within the Tokaj wine region of northeastern Hungary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. The region encompasses approximately 5,500 planted hectares spread across 27 municipalities, with the town of Tokaj sitting at the confluence of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers. It is this river geography that defines the microclimate: the Bodrog and Tisza generate the morning mists and autumn humidity that encourage Botrytis cinerea to develop on the grapes. Sunny afternoons then concentrate sugars in the affected berries. The volcanic soils, predominantly andesite, rhyolite tuff and loess, contribute mineral complexity to wines from Fordítás through to dry Furmint. Elevations across the classified vineyards range from roughly 135 to 250 metres.

• Region covers approximately 5,500 planted hectares across 27 municipalities in northeastern Hungary
• UNESCO World Heritage Site status awarded in 2002 for the historic cultural landscape and winemaking traditions
• Rivers Bodrog and Tisza create morning mist and autumn humidity essential for Botrytis cinerea development
• Volcanic soils including rhyolite tuff, andesite and loess give wines mineral salinity and structural complexity

After the Aszú berries are macerated in base must or base wine and then pressed to produce Tokaji Aszú, the spent dough retains residual sugars, botrytis compounds and skin-derived character. Fordítás is made by returning fresh must or base wine to this pressed dough, typically in a ratio of roughly one litre of wine per kilogram of dough, and macerating again. The resulting wine is then fermented and aged for a minimum of one year in oak barrel and one year in bottle before release. Fordítás must reach a minimum residual sugar of 120 g/L. The style carries the unmistakable stamp of noble rot, with notes of dried apricot, honey and acacia, though it is generally considered less full-bodied than Tokaji Aszú made directly from fresh botrytised berries. Fordítás was once widely produced but is now made only in very small quantities.

• Must or base wine is poured onto pressed Aszú dough in approximately a one-to-one ratio by weight for secondary maceration
• Minimum residual sugar of 120 g/L; aged at least one year in oak and one year in bottle before release
• Carries genuine botrytis character including dried stone fruit and honey notes, though less concentrated than primary Aszú
• Considered a by-product of Aszú production rather than an independent harvest; output is very small and declining

Fordítás holds official status as a recognised sweet wine category within the Tokaj Protected Designation of Origin. The 2012 Hungarian regulations codified Fordítás among eight Tokaj wine types, alongside Aszú, Szamorodni, Máslás, Eszencia and others. A subsequent revision in 2020 raised the minimum residual sugar threshold for Fordítás from 45 g/L to 60 g/L, and more detailed regulatory guidance subsequently placed the minimum at 120 g/L in line with 5-puttonyos Aszú. The most recent EU-published revision of the Tokaj PDO specification, reported in 2026, abolished the dry variants Fordítás Sec and Máslás Sec while retaining Fordítás as an authorised sweet wine. The 2026 revision also tightened bottling rules, requiring Fordítás to be bottled within the production area.

• Fordítás has been an officially codified Tokaj PDO category since the 2012 Hungarian wine regulations
• Fordítás Sec was abolished under the 2026 EU-published PDO revision; Fordítás as a sweet wine remains authorised
• Wines including Fordítás must now be bottled within the Tokaj production area under updated 2026 rules
• Szamorodni was reorganised under the same 2026 revision into two separate designations: Szamorodni dry and Szamorodni sweet

All Tokaj PDO wines, including Fordítás, must be made from the six officially permitted grape varieties: Furmint, Hárslevelű, Sárgamuskotály, Kabar, Kövérszőlő and Zéta. Furmint dominates, accounting for roughly 60% of the region's plantings, prized for its naturally high acidity and its susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea. Hárslevelű contributes approximately 30% of the region's vine area and adds aromatic and floral dimensions to blends. Because Fordítás is made from the dough left over after Aszú production, its character is directly tied to the same botrytised fruit and vineyard sites that supply Aszú. Premier vineyard sites across Mád, Tarcal, Tolcsva and Mezőzombor, classified as far back as 1730, form the backbone of both Aszú and Fordítás production in quality estates.

• Furmint is the dominant variety at approximately 60% of regional plantings, valued for high acidity and botrytis susceptibility
• Hárslevelű accounts for roughly 30% of the region's vine area, contributing floral and aromatic character
• Six varieties are officially approved for all Tokaj PDO categories: Furmint, Hárslevelű, Sárgamuskotály, Kabar, Kövérszőlő and Zéta
• Vineyard classification in Tokaj dates to 1730, giving Fordítás access to some of the world's longest-classified vineyard sites

Fordítás production has contracted sharply since the 1990s modernisation of Tokaj, and only a small number of estates continue to make it. Disznókő, the 112-hectare single-site estate in Mezőzombor owned by AXA Millésimes since 1992, has been one of the leading forces in the post-communist Tokaj renaissance and occasionally produces Fordítás alongside its core Aszú range. Oremus, the Tolcsva estate owned by the Álvarez family of Vega Sicilia since 1993, is another historically significant producer in the region. Both estates are primarily known for Aszú and dry Furmint, reflecting a broader industry trend away from smaller secondary categories. Most contemporary Fordítás, where it is made at all, comes from smaller family estates that maintain it as a living expression of Tokaj's traditional production repertoire.

• Disznókő: 112-hectare single-site estate in Mezőzombor, owned by AXA Millésimes since 1992, pioneer of the post-communist Tokaj renaissance
• Oremus: Tolcsva estate with 13th-century cellars, owned by the Álvarez family of Vega Sicilia since 1993
• Fordítás is now produced in very small volumes, primarily by smaller family estates maintaining traditional categories
• The broader Tokaj market has shifted emphasis toward Aszú and single-vineyard dry Furmint since the 1990s