The Wine Cellars of Hercegkút

The Tokaj wine region in northeastern Hungary has been producing wine since Roman times. Tokaj’s wines were historically prized throughout Europe, thanks to a gift of numerous bottles that the prince of Transylvania presented to King Louis XIV. Delighted with the precious beverage, Louis XIV declared it the “Wine of Kings, King of Wines”. Subsequently, Tokaj’s wine became the main drink served at the Versailles Court, where it became known under the name of Tokay.

Wine Cellars of Hercegkút Hungary

Hobbit’s home like wine cellars near the village of Hercegkút in Hungary. Photo: boyoz/Shutterstock.com

Centuries of wine production has changed the landscape of this region, with intricate pattern of vineyards, farms, villages and small towns, with their historic networks of deep wine cellars carved by hand into volcanic rocks, which are the most characteristic structures in Tokaj. Of particular note are the wine cellars in Hercegkút, a small Swabian village just 3 km away from Sárospatak. Here, the cellars are dug into the slope of the hills with a triangular entrance. Covered with grass, they look like tiny Hobbit houses.

Although they look very small, the cellars are between 10 to 40 meters deep, and some of them branch underground to form multi-level cellar system. The cellars are owned by the villagers, and it is said that there is one wine cellar for each house in Hercegkút.

The cultural landscape of Tokaj’s wine producing region consisting of 28 villages and more than 11,000 hectares of vineyards was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002.

Wine Cellars of Hercegkút Hungary