A brief history
The Babits family on the Tokaj Hills
The family's history in Tokaj-Hegyalja dates back to the reign of Béla IV, when they came to Hegyalja (then called Stipula) as Italian settlers to introduce modern technology in viticulture and winemaking. The winemaking tradition was passed down from generation to generation, and continues to this day.
The vineyard, which belongs to the first class of the grape cadastre, is located on the south-southeastern slopes of the volcanic Zemplén Mountains. The family's vineyards are located in the Poklos vineyard on the border of Szegi, as well as in the Vay vineyard in Olaszliszka and the Kincsem vineyard in Tolcsva. The vineyard areas have an excellent azimuthal position, and their altitude above sea level is also optimal: due to their location of 150-250 m, neither late spring nor early autumn frosts damage the plantations, so the quality of the crop continuously supplies the winery with the best raw materials. The most typical wine of Tokaj-Hegyalja is the Tokaji Aszú, as well as the sweet and dry Szamorodni, which are made from the typical grape varieties of the region: Furmint, Hárslevelű and Szárkamuskotály.
The family traditionally begins the harvest in the second half of October, when the grapes are already overripe and the sugar content of the grapes reaches 22-24 degrees. The grapes of each vineyard are treated separately from harvest to bottling. The pressing is carried out very gently. The high-quality must obtained in this way is the raw material for the always high-quality Babits wines. The cellar, the noble mold covering the cellar walls (cenospodium cellare) and the aging in oak barrels that can be traced back to great traditions play a decisive role in the development of the characteristic character of Tokaj wines. The temperature of the cellar, carved into rhyolite tuff and hundreds of years old, is a constant 10-12 C.
