The Tokaj Women and Wine Association (Tokaji Borbarátnők) has been instrumental in reviving a long-held tradition of celebrating St Urban’s Day. The saint’s relic is venerated at masses throughout the Tokaj wine region. And in Mád, where events are organised in association with the Mád Circle (Mádi Kör), this is naturally a day when wineries open their doors to visitors.

We’ll publish more detailed info about the programme when we have it. Till then and to give you an idea, in 2015 there were events around wine and gastronomic delights, including wine dinners, wine and food pairings (as well as expert dessert and chocolate makers), cooking events and music.
Open Cellars
in Mád: Barta, Budaházy, Demetervin, Első Mádi Borház, Holdvölgy, Tokaj Classic, Zsirai and the recently finished Tokaj Women and Wine centre were open to the public for wine tastings, tours and buying wine
elsewhere in the region: Pendits (Abaújszántó), Patricius (Bodrogkisfauld), Tokaj Nobilis (Bodrogkeresztúr), Gróf Degenfeld, Tokajicum (Tarcal), Béres (Erdőbénye), Oroszlános (Tállya), Erzsébet pince, Sauska (Tokaj)

The relics of Saint Urban, patron saint of vine growers and winemakers, have been in Our Lady of the Visitation church in Monok since 1771 when Pope Clement XIVth gifted them to Count István Andrássy. Legend has it that, after expressing his appreciation of the wine brought by the count, he learnt that it could not be created every year. Thus the pope offered divine assistance in the form of the relic to ensure a plentiful harvest of grapes for the wine. The vines in Tokaj are flowering around this time of year and poor weather does not bode well for the harvest.