Lively London bidding boosts Great Tokaj Auction

The sixth Great Tokaj Wine Auction has raised over €60,000, with nearly a third of the total coming from bidders in London.

Taking place on 21 April, a live video link between Tokaj and London wine club 67 Pall Mall, allowed buyers there to bid on a mixture of dry and sweet wines and they eventually contributed around €20,000 (£17,000) to the final result.

Laurent Comas, a member of the Confrérie de Tokaj board that organises the auction, said: “Collectors, wine merchants and wine clubs have all bid at the auction, and the same is true this year.

“We would like to continue to increase the number of participants from outside Hungary so we are delighted that 67 Pall Mall in London has joined the action. We hope that in 2019 we will also have another live link, this time to the US.”

Taking place in April every year, the auction is the highlight of the three-day event and, as with many other similar auctions around the world, the wines on offer are often produced and bottled specifically for the sale – making them unique lots.

The majority of wines offered this year were from recent vintages but also included were 12 bottles of rare 1963 Tokaji Aszú 5 puttonyos from Grand Tokaj which realised €5,500 in total – the equivalent of €450 a bottle.

“The aim of the Great Tokaj Wine Auction is to present the Tokaj Wine Region, its outstanding quality Tokaji Aszú and Hungary. The historic wine region has been part of UNESCO World Heritage since 2002, a terroir whose wines naturally enjoy protected designation of origin status. We would like this unique terroir and its superb wines to be recognised throughout the world,” added Comas.

Proceeds from the auction are used to help develop the region, including areas such as promoting tourism.