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The King of Wines, the Tokoi wine region historic cultural landscape.

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These are the vineyards of the Tokoi region of Hungary.

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The region's wine producing tradition has been passed down from medieval times.

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The underground cellars of Tokoi are an interconnected labyrinth of tunnels.

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They have made la pourriture noble, noble rot wines for 16 generations here.

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Louis XIV of France from his palace in Versailles once said,

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this is the wine of kings and the king of all wines.

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But why are noble rot wines produced in this region?

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It's due to the fog.

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Two rivers converge in the Tokoi region

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and a thick blanket of fog covers the area during the autumn and winter months.

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The damp holds the secret to producing these special grapes.

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The bottom of this bunch of grapes is rotting.

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The mold is caused by high humidity.

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The rotten grapes are known in French as la pourriture noble.

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The rotting process concentrates the sugar content and makes the grapes incredibly sweet.

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The combination of moisture and sunshine creates just the right environment

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to produce grapes of perfect sweetness.

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The noble rot spreads to the whole bunch within two weeks.

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The grapes are then ready for harvesting.

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Ottoman Turks invaded the Tokoi region in the 17th century

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when farmers returned to the villages.

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Grapes that had gone unharvested were found shriveled and rotting.

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Left without a choice, the farmers went on to produce wine from them

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and what they came up with had astonishing flavor.

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But the winemaking process also requires more time and skill to create the taste.

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At least three to four years is needed.

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A vintage wine can take several decades to mature.

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The scale shows 80% humidity.

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The ceiling and walls are covered with fungus, a sign that the cellar is nice and humid.

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The wine is maturing perfectly.