- 04 M. Beudant's Travels in Hungary. 



their mutual pressure runs a syrup, very thick, extremely sweet 

 and aromatic, which is collected with great care. The quantity 

 may be augmented a little by pressing the grapes lightly, but 

 so as not to bring away any of the pulpous matter, as that 

 would tinge the taste of the juice. This juice sometimes takes 

 the name of essence, it is mixed, in a certain proportion, with 

 the juice of the common grape as it comes from the hogshead, 

 before the gross matter is submitted to the press. This mix- 

 ture, after fermentation, produces the real ausbruch, a term 

 which corresponds to what is called in French mere goutte. 

 The maslas is made by mixing the residue of the half-dried 

 grapes, after squeezing them harder, to crush the pulp, with 

 the common wine, both that which is obtained from treading 

 and that which comes from the press. 



The wines that pass under the name of Tokay are very dis- 

 similar, and very often the resemblance is merely nominal. I 

 have tasted all the different sorts, and among them have found 

 some that may be called very bad. Some are of a straw colour, 

 with a slight greenish tinge ; in general I consider these as the 

 best; others are of a brownish yellow, more or less strongly 

 marked. Some are clear, others thick and turbid, but these 

 last are often very excellent ; they had, probably, been bottled 

 before the sediment had settled. In fact, the wine, as export- 

 ed in little barrels, contains a large quantity of mucilaginous 

 matter that settles very slowly, so that when it arrives at its 

 destination some time must elapse before it will be fit to put 

 into bottles. On the mare or gross substance of the grapes, 

 it is common to pour a fresh quantity of good wine, which, 

 when well shaken, takes a sweet and very agreeable flavour ; 

 to this new mixture they also give the name of maslas. 



Wines of the best quality are soon disposed of, with a re- 

 serve of some for the domestic consumption of the owners. A 

 very large quantity goes into Poland, and there they are found 

 to be the best, from the custom of keeping them a length of 

 time. The prices vary according to their agej in the district 

 of Tokay Proper, good wines of some years standing are at a 

 ducat (twelve francs) a bottle, but in Poland they are at two, 

 three, or five ducats, as kept longer or shorter. 



A notion generally prevails, at least in France, that the real 

 Tokay is only made in places where the imperial family have 



Eossessions, and that it is only from their cellars that it can be 

 ad iu perfection. The Hungarians deny this, and allege that 

 many land owners have vines of the very best quality. They 

 assign the pre-eminence to the environs of Tarezal, and the 

 second rank to the canton of Erdo-Benye, where the exposure 

 to the sun is peculiarly favourable. This .distinction I have 



