In the Power of Sirens of a Forgotten Land... The Slovak Tokaj
Only the second conductor guest performance in the State Philharmonic Košice cancelled the two-year old item of debt in the list of desired aims of my viniculture peregrination. The desire to visit places, where winemakers fill barrels and bottles by liquefied sun rays, remained unfulfilled on my first visit in the role of a soloist, owing to the limited time frame and insufficient overview of the local geographic and traffic situation. That is why I rather did not leave anything to chance in 2008. Probably the most thorough preparation of all the trips realized so far proved to be a perfect investment – the good timing as if had forced the day not to hurry away into history; so it was possible to enjoy all its charms in an easy-going way. The more exactly the binding items of the travel itinerary were delineated, the more space was finally left for unplanned improvisations that are able to make travels into the unknown seem like true exploring expeditions...
Already in Prague I pondered the possibility to go to Tokaj twice. Firstly as a kind of „demo“ situation after the end of some of afternoon rehearsals of the orchestra, and subsequently „for real“ – on the last day of the stay, on which I had left myself a sufficient time by deliberately reserving a night flight back to Prague. The purpose of realization of the shorter one of the expeditions was to map the geographic situation and estimate the time needed for travelling on foot, so that the real journey to explore Tokaji wines would pass off smoothly and the departure flight would not be impeded in any way. The transport connection to the area is surprisingly easy and comfortable, but only little frequented. Missing the return train to Košice would have mean a serious problem.
Before I found time - in the vortex of the work on preparations of the concert - to think even just about the particular day when to arrange the exploring expedition, the Fate had already been cutting its concrete shapes... During the break of the second (Tuesday) rehearsal, I was visited by a Slovak colleague, first horn player Ondrej Marcin, who presented me with a pleasant invitation to come to see his family, residing in a cosy little house in a quiet village not far from Prešov. I gladly accepted and I never regretted it. It seems that charming hospitality is inherent in the people of eastern Slovakia. When we were looking for a suitable date for the visit, I mentioned my travelling plans. Ondrej suddenly grabbed a guy passing us by and in just ten seconds he arranged for me a transport directly to the heart of the Slovak Tokaj for that same day in the evening! The double bass player Erik Dragošek has a girlfriend in Kašov and so he travels to the south quite regularly. Malá Tŕňa a Velká Tŕňa lies just behind a hill, however, it is a large detour going by road – so I hope he did not later curse himself for his helpful offer.
We left Košice at about six o'clock. The condition of Slovak roads in combination with the way local drivers are accustomed to „use“ them, compels you to find ways to distract obtrusive thoughts about an oncoming end of your life. What worked for me was the vision of vineyards bathing in sunshine – anyway, this idea worked great even in Uruguay, when a pilot of national airlines was just getting himself acquainted with the plane in several hundred meters above the said vineyards, with our philharmonic delegation on board :-) Fortunately the journey was not so long, which gave me hope that I would still be able to realize my fixed idea. Erik dropped me off directly next to the building (more exactly a grand-floor cabin) of the Council Hall of Velká Tŕňa. We presented each other with mobile phone numbers and we arranged that we will later agree on a more exact date of return and place of meeting. As if the weight of the entire civilization left my mind in several seconds with the noise of the engine fading in the distance... I stood alone in the healing silence, only exceptionally broken by barking of a dog. A strong smell of blooming elderberries forced its way into my nose, bleeding rays of the sun were lengthening my shade, not a soul around. I was captured by the moment...
The walking transfer from one side of the village to the other does not require any sporting spirit. The village stretches out more into width than length, and anyway, it surely has no more than few hundreds inhabitants. All the more notable was the local spirit of togetherness, as it occurred to me, when I saw silhouettes of no fewer than three little churches in the green veil of trees, from which each serves to a different religion. In the Greek-Catholic one service was just being held and an unusually clear singing not accompanied by organ drifted from the semi-open door. It may have been a common evening sight for the local people, but for a city boy like me it was a festive moment leaving a great impression. I stepped into a side lane and I was soon standing in front of the premises of the family company J. & J. Ostrožovič. A forged gate with stone pillars, for which not even a chateau in Bordeaux would be ashamed, was opened. I boldly entered, but I found the building already abandoned. So there was no reason to stay long. I took some photos and went back to search for some traces of life. The slope above the village appeared to promise existence of typical wine cellars cut in the volcanic tufa rocks. I almost sank into scepsis, when nothing like this was seen along the sides of steep lanes, through which I had been wandering at random for a long time – owners of charming little houses hide theese cellars from the eyes of passers-by in their gardens. Finally an open view of the landscape stretched out in front of me under the top of the slope. Feet of the surrounding hills showed off more tiny vineyards and brick entrances into cellars huddled together like some little mushrooms on a small plain. One isolated cellar with a quite decrepit facade, several tens of meters farther, even remained open. As soon as my eyes get used to the darkness of the entrance, it was possible for me to discern that its corridors are lighted. I tried to call down into the labyrinth, to bang on the metal plate door, but no one responded back. I did not find the courage to descend the stairs into the underground and to explore the cause of this strange situation.
I returned to the field path stretched along the slope like a ribbon in the north-south direction. Although it was not certain whether it would lead me as far as Malá Tŕňa, I set out for a hurried march – the sun was already inclining toward the horizon and stinging insects spinning in the air were just celebrating an evening fiesta with a bloody feast, the victim of which was to be me. After several hundreds of meters smaller vineyards appeared along the sides of the path, and a beautiful little church with a cemetery overgrown with grass foretold me that I reached my destination. The inclined „Kostolní“ Street, halved by a stream, led me to a two-floor council house. It could not be exactly claimed that the place was swarming with people, this would be a strong hyperbole, however, it was quite more busy there than at the first neighbouring village. A young girl on inline skates twirled pirouettes directly in the middle of the street, in a blind road curve on top of that (true, I did spot less vehicles than people during the entire evening), three Romany people raced up the slope with a desperately squealing monotractor with a semitrailer truck, into which they all hardly fitted. From time to time a dog crossed the road, birds sang, the air was full of such an odd humidity. The sign on the building of the local grocery store referred to the vicinity of the winery of the Macík family, the leading producer of the village. So I set out along the „Medzipivničná“ Street – more exactly along the district road connecting both Tŕňa villages. I was lucky, the owner was still in the office, a degustation for some expedition was taking place on the premises – this place is apparently very frequented. Mr. Macík Jr. looked at me, the odd evening wanderer with a camera hanging from the neck, with a slight suspicion, but after several explanatory words, he exclaimed: „I see, a conductor?!“. It sounded adorably – I didn't know whether to be embarrassed or proud:-) It was no miracle inference– I sent an email to the winery on the eve of this exploratory expedition, which explained the reason of my visit in Košice and communicated the interest in a tour of the winery. Shortly my name was placed among the many items in their appointments book – my humble wish was to be fulfilled on Friday at 12 o'clock. The SMS from Erik caught up with me just in the moment, when I was leaving the company outlet shop. After thirty minutes, little Tokaj villages were fading far behind our backs and not even during a collective discussion was I able to pull my attention away from thoughts about promising experiences of the Friday expedition.
This expedition started early in the morning. I attempted to persuade the alarm clock by several pressings of the button „sleep“ to let me have the pleasure of a few more minutes. After all, the fatigue after the concert was noticeable and I did not want to get out of the warm bed. Especially when there was no promise of a sunny day behind the window. However, the alarm clock, the tyrant, the demon of civilization was unmerciful and I was defeated at last. At 7:33, a somewhat shabby electric vehicle departed from the 5th platform of the Košice station, in the direction of Čierna nad Tisou. As the distinctive volcanic hills of the Slovak-Hungarian border started to loom at the horizon, the sun was peeking out of the clouds all the more often and I, for my part, was peeking from the window looking for any traces of vinicultural cultivation on the surrounding slopes. Still in Čerhov, the northern entrance gate of the Tokaj region, where we arrived about an hour later, no vineyards were to be seen along the right side of the track. The first thing to assure you that you found yourself at the birthplace of the „Wine of kings, king of wine“ was an old barrel situated on a concrete pedestal about a hundred meters from a little train station, directly next to a bus stop. The sign at its front stated „Vítajte v Tokajskej oblasti! (Welcome in the Tokaj region)“. The destination of my journey, the proper heart of the vinebearing region – little villages Velká and Malá Tŕňa were hidden in the shade of a slightly sloped hill adorned by a continuous carpet of vineyards. You would need a long time to walk around it, but I was lucky again, the train transport is connected here to a bus transport, so I was able to get a comfortable ride to Velká Tŕňa for 12 Slovak crowns. The path to the premises of the family winery of the Ostrožovič was already very familiar to me. In just five minutes I entered the door of their business office. I was attended by the charming Mrs. owner and she immediately led me to the recently reconstructed Tokaj House. It is impressive what a resilient will and desire to restore the deserved respect to the forgotten corner of Slovakia were able to make out of the original agricultural buildings, where only booing of cows had been resounding before! From the outside the Tokaj House looks like any family village house with a terrace, but inside it you are adressed by a rare harmony of decorations, consisting of wittily used old objects of various natures, of natural materials etc., which effectively correspond with the walls from rough stones with no facades and with massive roof beams. Everything is in a nice harmony and evokes an impression of rustic cosiness. Even the toilet there is unique. The building serves as a presentation space, shelves are full of wine in bottles of varied shapes, degustations take place in the degustation room, visitors can enjoy local gastronomic delicacies combined with the wines and in case of need they can even stay overnight, although the accommodation capacity is limited. For this reason the owners are reconstructing another, smaller building, hidden in a neighbouring plot behind a fence so far. It will be rebuilt into a boarding house. The Tokaj House also contains a newer cellar in its underground. The family formerly stored their wines in several cellars on the slope above the village. On the reconstruction of their house, a test geological bore was drilled out, so that it could be proved that about 8 meters below the earth surface there is tufa subsoil, which is so necessary for ideal maturing of the local wines. The floor of the cellar lies in the depth of 14 meters and a really long winding stairs lead to it. While descending the stairs I was accompanied by a young employee of the winery, who was charged with attending me, after Mrs. Ostrožovič had told me many interesting things about the origin of the company and about the production itself.
There is extreme humidity of 98 % in the underground. At some places of the stairs ground water is even visible slightly soaking through. The corridors, with the exception of newly extended ones, have been covered with precious black mildew Cladosporium cellare in several years. Its characteristic smell, mixed with vapours from barrels guarding the liquid gold, can soak your clothes in just a few minutes and in the same persistent way it forces its way into a glass of wine. You can taste the wine immediately in several separated rooms, designed for a large company, or intimate get-together of a few friend. Ostrožovič do not wipe out the mildew from the barrels, which results – together with a unique lighting – in a distinct enchantment of the cellar. This is further reinforced with several artistic reliefs of personalities, who contributed in crucial ways to the history of the Tokaji wine. A harmonizing touch of an architect's hand is very noticeable there.My friendly guide seated me in the largest of the rooms with a relief of the Tree of Life on the wall and offered me these samples for tasting (they are stated below including my own evaluation in the hundred-point system):
92 Tokaj 2002 4 puttonyos, Malá Tŕňa - Makovisko
90 Tokaj cuvée 2005, selection of grapes, „Natural Sweet“, Malá Tŕňa - Makovisko
89 Tramín červený 2007, selection of grapes, „Special Collection“, Velká Bara – Ružičky
88 Lipovina 2006, selection of berries, „Natural Sweet“, Malá Tŕňa - Makovisko
88 Cuvée „Víno Královnej Alžbety“ 2006, selection of grapes, Malá Tŕňa - Makovisko
87 Furmint 2006, selection of grapes, „Special Collection“, Malá Tŕňa - Vlčina
86 Lipovina 2006, selection of grapes, „Special Collection“, Malá Tŕňa - Makovisko
86 Muškát žltý 2007, selection of grapes, „Special Collection“, Malá Tŕňa - Makovisko
84 Muškát žltý 2007, kabinet, Malá Tŕňa - Makovisko
82 Rulandské biele 2004, selection of grapes, „Special Collection“, Velká Bara – Ružičky
82 Ryzlink vlašský 2005, selection of grapes, „Special Collection“, Malý Horeš - Vitálius
Time passed quickly during the degustation and a friendly conversation both about wines and technologies (the young man had a good practice from the home cellar of his parents). It was almost half past twelve, when we were ascending the stairs back to daylight. Each of the last steps noticeably increased the temperature of air. There was still a little time for few words with the Mrs. owner and a purchase of treasures for my private cellar. I chose a 5 puttonyos Tokaj 2002 and a unique rarity from local vineyards – Tramin 2007, selection of grapes! It is a wine from the last harvest, as this wine variety is not at home in Tokaj of course and its bushes have to be stumped.
Full of fresh impressions, I set out along the district road in the direction of Malá Tŕňa. The sun above my head was already scorching somewhat, but even so my walk along the abandoned road was pleasant. An older puppy of retriever ran out from one of the last houses of the village and headed straight to me. Fortunately, it had good intentions – it just wanted to play. However, it was not willing to leave its new friend alone, so I was impelled to seek out its owner, so that the puppy was safely out of dangers of the road and I could continue my walk. I came just in time to the buildings of the winery of the Macík family. Mr. owner gracefully passed me on to the company's sommelier. As soon as we greeted each other, she silently took two glasses from a shelf and led me to the cellar. There were less steps in the stairs this time, also less of noticeable humidity. But a specifying comment showed me my mistake – wines have ideal conditions there as well. The cellar was, as many others in the area, dug out already in the Middle Ages, but even the Macík family still works on extending its capacity. Corridors are currently being built, in which customers will be offered the service of archiving boxes. They already have several of these loges there and bottles of Tokaji delicacies rest in them under a really considerable layer of cellar mildew. I learnt that the newest spores have white colour, which turns into grey as they get older and finally into black. According to this you can estimate, how old the individual parts of the underground labyrinth are. The wine matures there both in barrels with typical red-painted iron bands and in bottles– placed vertically of course, so that air oxygen could penetrate to their content through the corks. After a short tour of the underground, Miss sommelier seated me in a wide corridor fitted in a purposefully simple manner for degustations. She offered me these wines to taste:
93 Tokaj 1996, 6 puttonyos, „Tokaj Classic“
91 Tokaj 2006, 5 puttonyos, „Tokaj Millennium“ (reductive technology)
88 Lipovina 2006, selection of grapes, „Tokaj Grand“, Černochov - Lada
88 Muškát žltý 2006, selection of grapes, „Tokaj Grand“
82 Furmint 2006, late harvest, „Tokaj Grand“, Čerhov – Čierna hora
I was especially curious about the Tokaji selection produced by the reductive method. The Macík family started this method of production probably as the first one from the wineries in the Slovakian part of the famous region. Inhabitants of the Hungarian part of the region were quarrelling about this technology already shortly after the revolution, when the area – until that time dominated by a state company as a monopoly - was flooded by first foreign investors, mainly from France. These investors brought modern equipment, methods and opinions, even though it must be said that they did not treat the traditions, passed on between generations through centuries, with much respect. Even small local producers experimented with new approaches at the close of the old era, for example Istvan Szepsy, a descendant of the legendary creator of the Tokaji wine in its present form. The Tokaji produced by the reductive method provoked literally diplomatic skirmishes – similar as those taking place even today between Hungarian producers and their rightful colleagues from Slovakia with regard to the issue of recognition of indivisibility of the geographic region of Tokaj and the right to the same name of the mark of origin. The state company of that time considered such wines as a personal attack and threat to traditions by barbarian foreigners, on the other hand foreign producers saw it as a bias against progressiveness and an effort to damage large investments. Thanks God, nowadays the situation is stabilized after complicated negotiations and reductive wines exist in symbiosis alongside traditional oxidative wines – which is great! It was enabled by a change in viniculture laws, which shortened the prescribed minimum time of maturing of wine and leaves the choice of technology up to the winemaker.
What is the difference then? The wine produced by the reductive method is maturing in barrels for a substantially shorter time. Hungarian winemakers moreover often use new fired barrels of the barrique type. It is not pasteurized in any case as it was common earlier in the State cellars. That is why it preserves a markedly fresher, fruitier character, slightly similar to the French Sauternes wine. It fits more easily into the taste of western consumers, with French in the lead. The traditional Tokaji requires a knowledgeable consumer, conversant with the principles of production, who knows what beauties he/she should be looking for in this unique product. The reductive production is less costly and also more comfortable for winemakers. The wine is launched into the market considerably earlier and it is up to the customer to store it for further maturing in bottles. The difference between oxidative and reductive Tokaji is noticeable already at first sight through the traditional colourless bottle – the oxidative one has a many times darker amber shade.
At the Macík's place, you can taste both types at the same time and it is really a very exciting and enlightening experience. It is hard to prefer one to the other. What I personally wish is that the modern approaches lived alongside the traditional ones for the longest possible time. The winery also offers accommodation in their own boarding house „U Macika“ and gastronomic services. Apart from the quality of the wines themselves I was attracted by the beautiful design of labels, which is in graphic harmony with all features of the company's presentation, from promotion leaflets to web pages. At the close of the visit, I asked my guide for the possibility to look at the production operation itself, but unfortunately I was not obliged. The time came for saying goodbyes. As it could be expected, I bought one bottle of both reductive and oxidative Tokaji selection for my archive. More exactly: a Tokaj 6 puttonyos (oxidative) 1996 and a Tokaj 5 puttonyos (reductive) 2006. Already the 10 years of difference in the age of the wines launched into the market simultaneously precisely demonstrates the nature of the difference between the above described production approaches...
The buildings of the former Slovakian state company, having the position of a monopoly during the socialism era – similarly as the already mentioned Borkombinat in Hungary, are situated in the immediate vicinity of the premises of the company of the Macík family. Some of them look quite abandoned and quite shabby accordingly. Currently they are, together with large cellars, property of the company Tokaj & Co. s.r.o., which was formed by separation of the winery production from the wine – fruit production company Galafruit. Technical operations of the winery are located in the Slovakian city Nové Mesto, the wine is only transported to the cellars in Malá Tŕňa for maturing. Constructions on the surface apparently are not related in any way to wine production. When I was passing by, I decided to improvise a little – there was enough time left until the departure for another visit. I had not expected at all that this third unplanned visit would be my most enchanting experience.
First I shyly knocked at the semi-open door of a ground floor cabin hidden among trees – from where they sent me several meters farther to a little two-floor house, with a winged door of a cellar. There is the company's small wine shop. There I was prompted to enter without hesitations into the underground kingdom, where I would find one of its three queens. The Uruguayan winery Del Pedregal came on my mind, also managed by a well coordinated female trio. While I was descending along low steps of the stairs, a woman behind my back just called into the dark that she is sending a visitor. I was immediately attended by a very kind lady, who led me deeper into the confusing labyrinth of corridors blackened by mildew. After inquisitive questions of a more detailed technical nature she noticeably livened up and ardently, with a rightful pride, started to talk about the secrets of the Tokaj production, to which she dedicated her life. Only there did I learn many facts unknown or confusing to me for long. You see, conclusions of professional publications often diverge in some issues of the production process of the unique Tokaj wine. Meanwhile there was enough time to admire the enchantment of the cellar. It gives a well arranged impression, floors of corridors are covered by tiny pebbles, barrels of varied sizes with green painted iron bands are regularly wiped there, all of them are uniformly closed by photogenic glass plugs (even though the lady cellarmaster pointed out to me that they seal less than the more ordinary silikon ones) and in front of them, there are candles that are lit during romantic tours without electric lighting. I was not able to resist temptation and I took out one of the plugs to see the wine surface and smell the liquid that got stuck to the glass. I was dazed by the intoxicating aroma of the divine beverage. What can be more sensuous is just esencia. The winemakers of the Tokaj region along both sides of the border together with knowledgeable wine lovers pronounce this name with the highest respect. For the interested people to get more confused, the virtually same name covers two very different products, although they share one feature - uniqueness! It is necessary to distinguish between the Tokaj selection esencia (in Hungary - Tokaji Aszu Eszencia) and the Tokaj esencia. In the first case, it concerns a hypothetically 7 – 8 puttonyos Tokaj, even though this kind of labelling is incorrect and with regard to the principle of production of Tokaj selection (Aszu) wine, it is basically nonsensical. The volume of 6 puttonys of cibebs (that is up to 150kg), which are – smashed into a paste – poured by 136 l (Tokaj measure, the content of the so-called Gönc barrel) of the basic samorodny wine, is limiting even from the pure physical perspective. Information about the technology of preparation of the Tokaj selection esencia are quite diverging in the case of individual producers. By inference you can come to the conclusion that it is made either by thinning the free-run cibebs juice (esencia), or the paste from the cibebs by pressed must and subsequent fermenting to a relatively standard (for Tokaj wines) alcohol content (the Slovakian version), or by adding the free-run cibebs juice (esencia) into the Tokaj selection wine (the Hungarian version). On the other hand the Tokaj esencia is a pure syrupy nectar. It ferments only very hesitantly, often even for whole years and resistent tribes of yeast cells are literally drowned in the enormous content of sugar – it may occasionally reach up to 900g/l! The emerged beverage of gods then has such a low alcohol content that the name wine is not quite suitable here perhaps. It is a real miracle of nature and allegedly, nothing more delicious can be produced from wine grapes. People who tasted the legendary teaspoon of it in Hungarian cellars claim that its aroma cannot be gotten rid off even after several hours. I was not so lucky, but I was at least able to see demijohns with a reserve of non-fermented esencia on the floor of a room enclosed by iron bars. The Tokaj winemakers store it to have sufficient amounts of cibebs juice to produce selection wines in cases when there is a bad year and insufficient number of cibebs forms on the bushes. This method is allowed by the viniculture´s law.
The cellar also harbours rich stocks of wines of older years, mainly from the 1990s. They lie in bottles of the type not used anymore these days – narrow, high bottles with a flat bottom. These Tokaj wines can be still found on the Slovakian market, mostly with the original labels of the company Galafruit. „Since you're already here, come and sit in the degustation room, I will bring you something to taste!“ This lady manifested the typical Eastern-Slovakian hospitality. She gradually brought these wines on the table in a small cosy room:
92 Tokaj 1999, 6 puttonyos
90 Tokaj 2003, 4 puttonyos
87 Tokaj 1999, self-born dry
83 Muškát žltý 2007, selection of grapes
Apart from the evaluated wines, I tasted a young 5 puttonyos Tokaji of the year 2006, which will be - for a considerable while still - maturing in barrels, from where it was drawn in a smallest amount for purposes of a technical degustation, which is regularly held in the winery by enologists and sommeliers to decide about the further proceedings. It surprised me by unexpected smells – my guide explained to me that this is the smell and taste of freshly picked up cibebs. By maturing, the wine will further develop into the typical features, for which the Tokaj selections are loved by connoisseurs all over the world. When I had tasted the last sample, Mrs. Štofirová (she had told me her surname by then) offered me that she would draw me any wine to take home with me, for a remembrance – at this moment I was already overwhelmed by her hospitality, I gave her my due thanks and prepared myself to leave, as I already felt myself almost like a freeloader. One would hardly come across such attitudes in Czech regions. It is one of the reasons why I would like to give my thanks to this lady here once more - for the unique experience! And to think how lucky I was - they were about to treat the cellar by sulphur and close it, which they do before every weekend. After ignition of the sulphur tablets, by which both the cellar and wines are protected against noxious microorganisms, the cellar is not possible to be entered. In the little shop above the cellar, I bought myself a bottle of the mentioned precious Tokaj selection esencia, year 1999. It is only rarely available in the Slovakian Tokaj area – all the more I was surprised by its price corresponding to the common price for a 5 puttonyos Tokaj wine.
The time came to set out back to Čerhov for the return train. I considered whether to take the district road through Velká Tŕňa, which is reliable but somewhat longer. But the more adventurous alternative won - a path through the wood and vineyards of Čierna hora, virtually leading as the crow flies. Already the Macík family mentioned this possibility to me, so I dropped in their office to get more specific information about this route. The owners helpfully offered me to take me by car, but I refused with thanks. There was no hurry, the train to Košice was about to depart in more than an hour. Also a bus goes from Malá Tŕňa, which should stop next to the train station five minutes before the train comes. But I did not trust this alternative. Later, it showed that my skepticism was unnecessary, but it compelled me to take a walk, which caressed my soul...
The dusty field path to Čerhov starts directly below the boarding house of the Macík family. I gave a last parting glance to the vineyards of the Malá Tŕňa and stepped into the not so deep wood. The route turned to the right, soon blackcurrant orchards appeared and first lines of grapevine. Just there it was where the Macík family allegedly had their vineyards. The sun was not merciful to the wanderer, my backpack with six Tokaji wines, a camera and a bottle of water weighed down my back, still I felt so comfortable walking! Beauty all around was showing through leaves of grapevine, my nose was gratified by smells of meadow flowers, birds were singing, noone on the path just me. The recently overblown grapevine already showed off proudly its panicles, germs of future grapes – „strapce“, as they are nicely called by Slovakian winemakers. Tendrils of grapevine, seeking firm support, grew high to the sky. I had a feeling as if I was ascending up there with them! I was returned back on earth by a scenery of first houses of Čerhov with a small forbidden waste dump. In ten minutes, I passed through the village and saw the train station. As the journey passed more quickly than I had expected and there was still a good half an hour left until the departure, I went to relax to a pleasantly shaded bower next to a public cellar. The village holds its cultural activities there, at the tidy open space. I was driven out of there soon by hunger, so I sought the services of a picturesque grocery shop. I made there a debt of 1 Slovakian crown, as I (as many times before) confused a two-crown coin with a five-crow one in my wallet and thereby overestimated my financial resources. I had wanted to spend all my Slovakian money if possible at the wineries, so I was left with few last coins, which I had to use, tempted by the possibility of a humble supper. The kind lady shop assitant had already cut the ham for my rolls, so she just swept her hand in a never-mind gesture: „when you are passing by some day again!“. Yes, I MUST come back to Tokaj! It is not only the voice of my conscience that is always calling me to that unique place! Tokaj must inevitably bewitch any person. It is being forgotten, frequently being abandoned by its inhabitants, yet its unique spirit is intact, time as if just stopped there. It gives me ambiguos feelings. The local people do not have easy lives, nor anybody in the east of the country. Under such conditions, the unique efforts of the winemakers I visited seem almost heroic and provoke full sympathies. Their fate is parallel with top musicians in the current culturally devastated Middle Europe. Neither the winemakers nor the musicians sense whether the horizon they see in the distance is a promise land or a fata morgana that just cruelly tests the depth of their well of life forces... But still they do not waver in their efforts, do not back off from their ideals, they are still looking for perfection, fill bottles with their toil and seal bottle necks by an imprint of their heart. I am calling loudly into the world: discover beauties of this land and the divine wine born there! But I am also pleading silently: lets not sell its soul...
