Soul

I admit that I am very conservative when it comes to wine. This doesn't mean that I only drink wine from France, Italy or other major wine producing countries in Europe - I am open minded enough to try wine from newer and unknown areas. The pure and simple explanation for my conservatism when selecting wine is that I prefer the producers with longer tradition, more experience and knowledge, and first of all - more soul - when they make their wine.

You maybe wonder what I mean with the expression 'soul'?
Well, in short terms it's about the wine makers philosophy, why he, or she, cultivates grapes and then makes wine of them. It's nothing romantic about it, although a lot of people have a romantic picture of wine making and the work that comes with it. It's hard work, with a lot of risk in it. If the wine maker doesn't cheat of course…

How do we measure the 'soul-factor' then? This is of course very difficult, specially when you haven't met and talked with, and heard the stories from, the wine maker himself (or her!). And sometimes it's impossible. Because many times wine, also among the expensive ones from famous and well known producers with high rankings on the top lists, is lacking this, for me, very important component. I fear that the wine making companies (or actually "industries") from the new world operating on the global market, and also many of the wine makers from the old world, are so streamlined to fit the "market's" demands so they can't deliver the most important ingredient which makes a wine unique, outstanding and memorable - 'soul'.


The photo was taken on the Tokaj-Hegyalja mountain at the harvest of 2002 - exactly 500 years after the Tokaji Hétszölö estate was founded. Wine has been cultivated more than 800 years in the area, and Tokaj has the oldest classification system, dated 1700 (155 years before Bordeaux!).
A wine region which for me defines 'soul' is Tokaj. Here you can find the ultimate mix of traditional wine making, history, unique terroir(s), micro climat(s), superior and ancient cellars for nursing combined with the producers passionate love to the earth and their wine.

Tokaj wine got soul.