Aszú for Christmas!

We love it, we cherish it, we are proud to have a bottle or two in our cellar, wine cooler or cabinet, waiting and waiting for the right occasion. Occasions come and go, and we never open our precious Tokaji Aszú. But why not? After all, although it is one of the most nobles of wines, Aszú is also a wine born for pleasure and enjoyment, to become the crowning glory of our festive evenings, the ideal companion of our most beautiful days. It is good to possess it, but to taste it is bliss. It would be a pity to deprive ourselves of this pleasure.

Many believe, that Tokaji Aszú should only be served at the end of a meal, as an accompaniment to dessert or even as a delicacy instead of dessert, only then will it get the attention it deserves, with the brightest shining halo around it. Yet we now know, that our most treasured naturally sweet wine is also an excellent pairing with well-chosen starters and main courses.

Tokaji Aszú, knower of great secrets

Whether young or old, the Aszú of Tokaj has always been the keeper of great secrets. Although it is undeniably sweet, what really matters is not its sweetness, but the fullness it represents: the perfect harmony, the concentration, the matchless balance of acid and sugar. While young, it has the colour of acacia honey, with citrus, quince, apricot, vanilla, dill and mint notes on the nose and palate. When it is older, it turns amber, and instead of fresh fruitiness, it becomes dominated by dried fruit: figs, dates, dried peaches, ginger and toffee. After a few more years, the colour of the wine deepens further, with a golden or bronze glow in the bottle, and the taste gets dominated by tobacco, dark chocolate, coffee, savoury, nutty and herbal notes, but still with a faint hint of fruit on the back.

"Aszú is a wonderful gift, worthy of respect." – summarized once Károly Áts, holder of the title Winemaker of Winemakers 2020. Let's honour it by opening the bottle and paying attention to it. Whether served on a special occasion, a birthday, engagement or at Christmas, it will certainly help to make the celebration more intimate and memorable.

Aszú tasting in Mád

You have to taste it!

Whatever wine you’re using when preparing a dish, the basic rule is to taste it before you start cooking or baking with it. This applies even more to the Aszú, as we strive for perfect harmony, using a wine which boasts a broad spectrum of flavours.

Aszú and cold dishes

Can we start a meal by serving Aszú with the cold starter? Why not? A creamy, slightly salty-tasting Aszú with lower sugar content can be a great accompaniment to ham, salami, pork greaves or even bacon. The secret lies in the fat, which brings the flavours together and enhances them. For those who don't eat meat, serve the wine with aubergine cream and a green salad with a honey-balsamic dressing.

Aszú and foie gras

There is no classier pairing in the world. Serve fresh figs with a honey-citrus sauce on top of the traditionally cooked foie gras. Instead of serving it with bread, foie gras should be served with brioche or plaited loaf. Ideally, the chosen Aszú should have a higher sugar content and come from andesitic, rhyolitic soil rather than loess. Salt flakes are not just for decoration, they play a very important role in creating harmony.

Aszú and main course

The sweet wines of Tokaj are an excellent fit with Asian dishes, oriental flavours. That's why we should be brave when preparing a dish, using our imagination and our spice kit.  Duck or goose breast, for example, can be served with Asian seasoning and toasted noodles, or even roasted with fresh peaches in butter. Choose a younger Aszú for the fruity version and a more mature one for the oriental flavours.

Aszú and dessert

Thanks to their acidity, young Aszú wines are brilliant accompaniments to sweets made with cottage cheese. Vargabéles (a sweet noodle cake), cottage cheese cake, Viennese pancakes or classic cottage cheese dumplings are worthy crowns for a special, festive dinner - especially if accompanied by a glass of well-chosen Tokaji Aszú.

When baking, always have vanilla and cinnamon to hand, and don't skimp on the orange and lemon zest, grated hazelnuts and toasted almond shavings. If your Aszú is young and slightly dill-flavoured, feel free to sprinkle some finely chopped dill into the cake or pancake filling, and roll the cottage cheese dumplings in ground hazelnuts and serve with apricot jam.

Aszú and chocolate

More mature Aszú wines often have a caramelly, chocolatey flavour, so it is important to always prepare desserts with dark chocolate to accompany these wines. Gerbeaud slice is a good accompaniment to Aszú, but it can also be a good match with Bishop's Bread and French chocolate cake, especially if you add candied ginger, raisins, dried apricots, dates, figs, plums and roasted seeds.

Aszú and cheese

Wherever Aszú is on the table, blue cheese is a must. Whether it's English Stilton, French Roquefort, Italian Gorgonzola or Hungarian Márvány, its character and flavour brings out the wine's full potential. If you want to enhance the flavours even further, do not hesitate to add hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pears or dried apricots. Cut the pears in half, scoop out the cores and fill with blue cheese, then place in the hot oven for a few minutes and serve with Aszú. A sprinkling of rose pepper and nutmeg on top makes the experience even more complex.

As you can see, a good Tokaji Aszú can be enjoyed at any point in the meal, so you don't have to wait until the end of dinner. But it's okay to do so, because not only does it hold its place alongside desserts, but as a liquid dessert too. The point is: Tokaji Aszú is a real speciality, there is no natural sweet wine in the world quite like it. Let's be proud that this miracle was born in this tiny country and let's crown our best holidays with it. Merry Christmas to all!

(Aszú with food pairing photos in this article were taken by Lőrinc Szendeff.)