Talks with István Szepsy Jr. are always fascinating and expose layers of knowledge about Tokaj’s long legacy and the trade of winemaking. If you speak Hungarian, check out the podcast with Istvan, Part I and Part II.

The Road to Becoming a Winemaker

Ever have a true opportunity to pursue anything else, son of the legendary winemaker István Szepsy? As he says, “if you’re born into a family of circus performers, chances are great you’ll also become one too.” Beginning early, he worked in the vineyards to save pocket money while concentrating on mathematics and IT at Sárospatak Reformed Middle School, also known as “Refi. He remembers enjoying playing games on school computers—when the few functioning ones cooperated—playing Need for Speed as his preferred choice of car chase.

István returned to the family winery in 2005 following a time in London. By then Szepsy’s sweet wines—especially its Tokaji Aszú—were already well-known worldwide. Although these wines followed a well-travelled road, their voyage into dry wine manufacture was just starting and would be full of experimentation and learning.

Parental rigour is stronger than challenges faced professionally.

Dry wines need accuracy, and as István remembers, they have no pity on you if something goes sideways. The family started moving towards dry winemaking in 2006. Just twenty years old, István thought dry wines would be the height of Tokaj’s offerings. But this transformation came with a price: it tarnished the standing of Aszú wines. István notes the rarity and importance of outstanding Aszú since only roughly three out of ten vintages allow for its creation.

Furmint and Hárslevelű are, for him, the key instruments for highlighting Tokaj’s single-vineyard quality. Though Furmint is difficult, he stands completely behind the variety since the range best fit to convey the notion of Tokaj. Furmint is the third most planted white grape variety nowadays; it spans 3,600 hectares in Hungary.

Aszú’s Life and Death: a Romeo and Juliet Story

Tokaji Aszú’s account of merely 3% of the region’s output points to its rarity. István presents the making of his work as a theatrical, almost Shakespearean trip:

1. The Beginning: Botrytis causes ripe fruit to shrivel; their skins remain strong, their colour greenish-yellow.

2. The Change: Though their form stays spherical, the berries adopt new colours.

3. “Grey” botrytis inhabits the closing Aszú phase and thrives at the end of metamorphosis.

4. The End: Devoid of water and sustenance, the berries reach full botrytis, completing their noble sacrifice.

Each vintage tells a story. For example, compared to just three weeks in 2013 and 2017, the botrytis developed in 2008 over eight weeks. These wines are shaped by humidity, air, and time; every bottle is a testament to nature’s beauty.

The Difficulties of Furmint: Economically Uneconomical Wines

István says, “Working with Furmint is pretty shitty,” citing its fussy character. Furmint thrives where it struggles, he says, making wines that honour their source. Tokaj would gain from village designations, stressing variations in soil and climate. But the jump was quick to skip the “commune evolution” and go straight to single vineyards. But it makes sense, since villages have their own identity:

• Mezőzombor: high-water-content volcanic soil rich in perlite.

• Tarcal: Predominated by loess.

• Bodrogkeresztúr: Rhyolite tuff.

•Mád: Quartz-based rhyolite.

• Tallya: Andesite.

Tokaj features 418 registered single vineyards, of which 52 are First Class and six of which are located in Mád.

Value the Person instead of the Tools

Aszú wines, István thinks, only with time will their actual beauty show. “The sensation of sugar diminishes, allowing other characteristics to shine,” he says. “Top Aszú wines need 12 to 15 years to reach their peak.” Value for István is in the people and customs spanning generations, not in the instruments.

A Party Wine for the Times

On my first wine lesson at Borkollégium, I recall sampling a 1999 Szepsy Cuvée. This sweet, intense late-harvest wine was really unforgettable—lively, crisp, complex. István remembers the same wine he drank during his 20th birthday celebration. It was brilliant but clearly tempered the party with around 200 grams of residual sugar. “It put a lid on the party—you couldn’t drink too much of it,” he laughed.