Drought threatens the production of sweet Tokaj selections. The winemaker does not expect cibébas this year, without which they cannot be made

High temperatures and a lack of rainfall have affected vineyards in the Tokaj Wine Region in eastern Slovakia. Winemaker Jaroslav Ostrožovič of Veľká Tŕňa told the TASR news agency that a dramatic drop in the harvest is expected particularly for Furmint and Lipovina, and that they do not expect cibébas to form this year either. Yet it is precisely from these that putňa Tokaj selections are made—the sweet wines that made the region famous. TASR ↗

What winemakers are reporting

According to Ostrožovič, some varieties are visibly suffering from a lack of water, which he says may result in lower yields as well as lower grape pressing yields. “There will probably be a dramatic drop in Furmint and Lipovina, because these are mainly the two varieties where it is currently visually apparent that they are suffering most from the drought,” he said. Young vineyards have already begun shedding leaves in some places—the plant is thus limiting its water consumption in order to survive. TASR ↗

According to him, the amount of rainfall itself is not the only problem. Similarly dry periods have occurred in the past, but this time they are accompanied by prolonged temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius. At such temperatures, the need for water increases while evaporation also rises. TASR ↗

The drought has also shifted the calendar. They began harvesting Yellow Muscat in the final week of August, and vegetation is approximately two to three weeks ahead of normal years. The lack of water can be seen directly on the grapes—the berries are smaller, and if conditions deteriorate further, the vine may begin drawing water even from them, causing them to shrivel and the bunches to wilt. TASR ↗ Pravda ↗

Why missing cibébas mean more than a smaller harvest

Cibébas are raisined berries of Furmint, Lipovina, and Yellow Muscat affected by the noble form of the mold Botrytis cinerea. They are picked by hand and soaked in Tokaj must or wine, followed by pressing, fermentation, and several years of aging. The number of putňa vessels in the name indicates how many containers of cibébas were added to the batch—for a four-putňa selection, this is approximately four putňa vessels, or around one hundred kilograms of cibébas per 136 liters of must. Ostrožovič ↗

They can form only under narrowly defined conditions. The mold attacks ripe berries when damp and warm weather alternate in autumn: morning fog facilitates the germination of spores on the skin, while afternoon sunshine prevents the infection from turning into ordinary rot. The autumn fogs around the Bodrog and Tisa favor the formation of cibébas. If autumn is instead too wet and cold, the grapes simply rot—the successful formation of noble rot is therefore a matter of microclimate and luck. Vinoviny ↗

Production is exceptionally demanding in terms of both raw materials and manual labor. According to the producer’s data, approximately seven kilograms of grapes are needed for one kilogram of cibébas; botrytis and the weather dry them out at a ratio of one to seven. One picker collects about ten kilograms of cibébas during a full working day—not even one complete putňa vessel. Ostrožovič ↗

And the result does not appear on store shelves immediately. Under Slovak rules, Tokaj selections may be placed on the market no earlier than after three years of aging, including at least two years in a wooden barrel in a Tokaj cellar. This year’s selections would therefore reach the market no earlier than 2029—and whether the shortfall will also be felt on store shelves will depend on stocks from older vintages. Ostrožovič ↗

It is not only Tokaj

Similar reports came in from other growers during the same week. In the Czech Republic, hop growers expect a harvest up to a quarter smaller, and winemakers in Moravia are also reporting a decline. The apple harvest in the Czech Republic is expected to be roughly half the usual size. Novinky.cz ↗ Aktuálně.cz ↗

In Spain, this year’s summer was the hottest in the European part of the country since measurements began in 1961, while Italy is reporting its hottest summer since 1950. In the Netherlands, drought reduced August inland shipping volumes to their lowest level in fifteen years. Hospodárske noviny ↗ TASR ↗ Hospodárske noviny ↗

The government approved the commission’s statute on the same day

By coincidence, on the very Wednesday when the winemaker described the state of the Tokaj vineyards, the government approved the statute of the National Commission for Water and Drought. It had approved the commission’s establishment a week earlier, on September 2. Prime Minister Robert Fico heads it, while the deputy chairmen are Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč and Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba. It is to meet at least four times a year and will be divided into a decision-making college and an expert college, which is to include, among others, the hydrometeorological institute, the water management company, the forestry center, and universities. STVR ↗

“We need decisions not to be based on political impressions, but on data and expert materials,” Takáč explained. The commission’s creation follows a cabinet meeting at Agrokomplex, where the government adopted five resolutions for agriculture worth more than 160 million euros, aimed mainly at drought and high fertilizer prices. One of the announced measures is a return to the Tichý Potok water reservoir project, which local residents oppose. Nový Čas ↗ STVR ↗

Criticism came from two sides. The Christian Democrats disagree with the statute—according to them, farmers, municipalities, and landowners have no real influence in it, while expert recommendations are not binding on anyone, which they called a wasted opportunity. The Union of Towns and Cities of Slovakia objects that neither it nor other partners are represented on the commission. The opposition also points out that the government has not yet presented specific measures. Nový Čas ↗ Hospodárske noviny ↗

What the winemaker is calling for

Ostrožovič says preparations will have to continue for years. He considers the construction of storage reservoirs one possible solution. Water from the winter period or torrential rains could be captured in them and used during droughts. He saw inspiration in Australia: “When we were in the wine-growing regions of Australia, I saw these storage reservoirs there for the first time. They had no wells, only storage reservoirs where they captured water when there was any.” TASR ↗

According to him, such measures also require simpler permitting procedures and financial support from the state. According to Takáč, the new commission is to operate so that the expert college prepares proposals, while the decision-making college assesses them, discusses the options, and addresses funding. TASR ↗ Nový Čas ↗