Century old, thick and wrinkled vines are relatively easy to find, but how about million-year-old vines? Tokaj boasts with the second oldest classification system from 1737 (after Chianti and before Port), but a lesser known fact is that probably the oldest fossil vine from Miocene age was found in the village of Erdőbénye, Tokaj. The stone with the printof a grape leaf was found in Erdőbénye andezit mine, now the stone is displayed in Vienna, Austria in Kunsthistorisches Museum. Béres Vineyard and Winery (in the photo) is keen on cherishing their traditions, therefore the fossil has special importance for them. Before changing labels, Béres had the famous imprinted stone on the label of Tokaji Aszú wines, these wines (2007 and 2008 vintages) are still available in some places (see Wine Searcher). If you want to see the cradle of viticulture, the picturesque village of Erdőbénye is well worth a visit, the village has some places to stay, Béres offers wonderful guided tastings in their modern winery, and the summer wine and cultural festival, Bor, mámor, Bénye (13–16 August, 2020) is another good occassion to travel.

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Wine tourism at Béres