History 1949-1993

Tokaji as found in the US market

As early as the 1800s, Tokaji that came to the States found its way there via private individuals or through British or Dutch importers such as Berry Bros. in London. The quality of the wines in the era 1800 to 1949 is difficult to ascertain since so little wine from that time is extant in the US today. Therefore, nearly all Tokaji wine available in the US for purchase today is confined to two eras: 1948 to 1989 and 1990 to the present.

Tokaji 1949

After World War II, the new Communist government in Hungary de-privatized Tokaji making. all wine making and its export was consolidated into on company called Hungarovin. Monimpex was the company's parent and also regulated selling and export of paprika, cigarettes, coffee as well as wine from all regions of Hungary, not just Tokaji. This Communist era of Tokaji wine making is characterized by mechanization and large-volume production. While quality suffered at the creation of a state-run monopoly, the impact it had on quality based on actually tasting the wines of this period has been exaggerated. Many of the wine makers who came to become well known and praised after the fall of communism, were in fact the very same wine makers who worked for Monimpex. Similarly, the mass-production of Aszú wines from this time has likely been overstated. The major importer for these wines to the US was Hueblein (the US liquor magnate) often doing business under through spin-off companies such as Vintage Wine Co. Documents from Heublin from 1976 show that only 30,000 cases were imported per year and this accounted for all ten wines which they imported. Tokaji, on average would only represent 3,000 cases. Today (in 2020) Royal Tokaji alone exports roughly 12,000 cases of Aszú each year.

Tokaji 1993

After the fall of Communism in Hungary, the national monopoly was broken up and investment flooded into the region. Money came from investors and wine makers from France, Germany, and Spain as well as Japanese and British private interests. Today these companies are the forefront of wine making; Royal Tokaji Wine Company (British with Hugh Johnson as a founding member), Chateau Dereszla, Disznókő, Hétszőlő (French), Gróf Degenfeld (German). It is important to remember that many of these new companies also buy grapes from individuals and don't grow all their own fruit.

The Monimpex-Hungarovin former monopoly does exist although in a shadow of its former self and is today known as Grand Tokaji. From 1993 to 2013 the company was know as "Tokaji Kereskedőház" or (translated) "Tokaji Trading House" or "Crown Estates" in the UK. These wines are imported to the US by International Import Export doing business as Mutual Wholesale Liquor and to Britain by Pol Roger, the famous Champagne house. The state owned wine company, which by law and charter must by up all of the left-over and unwanted Aszú grapes from any family, company or consortium which does not want them. Each year Kereskedőház sets a market price for Aszú and buys from hundred of small producers who are interested in growing grapes but not in making wine. This mass-purchasing power lowers discourages the growth of quality Aszú and in turn, lowers the price of quality Aszú across the board. This quality/price drop makes growing outstanding Aszú more expensive and hampers the ability of the smaller companies to compete.