The Confrérie de Tokaj will stage the 6th Great Tokaj Wine Auction on 21st April 2018 in the synagogue in Tokaj. The largest number of lots to date will go under the hammer here at one of the Tokaj Wine Region’s most prestigious events.
On Thursday 22nd February the Confrérie presented this year’s wines to the press at the Gerbeaud Atrium, Budapest. Wines offered at the Auction are not otherwise available on the market, as was emphasised at the press conference.
Record number of wines, record estimates
Member of the Confrérie de Tokaj Board, Laurent Comas said, “A record number of 31 wines from 24 producers with a total estimate of 70 million Hungarian forints (over €225 000) will go up at the Auction. Dry lots are a Gönci barrel (136 l), sweet wines as one or a half Gönci barrel (136 l, 68 l) and Eszencia as 10 litres.” All lots are bottled and labelled for the buyer.
The 2017 vintage promises exceptional quality
As in previous years auction lots are selected by the expert wine tasting committee: Gabriella Mészáros, international wine educator, and Ronn Wiegand, one of the world’s very few Master of Wine and Master Sommelier.
Gabriella Mészáros said, “This year we had significantly more wines to choose from, and those that made it onto the Auction list were tasted on several occasions. Potential buyers can bid for fresh barrel lots as well as a smaller number of bottled wines.” She added, “The 2017 vintage brings us exceptional quality in both dry and sweet wines.”
The Auction becomes an international event
Collectors, wine merchants and restaurant owners from Hungary and around the world are all among the bidders at the Auction. Increasing the number of participants outside Hungary is a goal, as Samuel Tinon, vice-president of the Confrérie, noted. In the last six months the Confrérie has presented wines and the region in several world cities (London, New York, Washington and Warsaw). And thus members and guests at the London 67 Pall Mall wine club can join in the action live and bid from the comfort of the exclusive London wine club.
The next step is for a similar live link in the USA next year.
The Great Tokaj Wine Auction is not a goal in itself but a tool
Laurent Comas highlighted that the Auction supports the international renown of Tokaji wines and brand building and that it has become a leading event in the region.
The aim of the Auction is for the income to support the development of the Tokaj Wine Region, so the Confrérie de Tokaj is able to realise independent projects for which financing is difficult or impossible to procure: wine study scholarships, local development and solutions to promote wine tourism in the historic wine region.
The three-day event, Tokaj Spring, runs from 20th to 22nd April in the Tokaj Wine Region, Hungary. More information about the accompanying events and the wines available at Auction can be found at www.tokajiborlovagrend.hu/en/
Press contact:
Katherine Chapman
0036 70 612 0400
contact@tokajiborlovagrend.hu
