Advent, Aszú and artisans. Advent brings a time to look inside, be quiet and to prepare for sharing the wealth around us. What better way to explore the physical side than with local producers who create high quality products perfect for gifts and treats and taste Tokaji Aszú with the winemakers in vineyards, cellars and bistros! 2023 sees an explosion in smaller Advent events at intimate cafes and bistros as well as wineries. Crafts and handcrafts in the region seem to be booming too as people scale up from friends and family to small-scale production :) So an artisan experience too for sure!

If you'd like to find out more detail about the Incredible Edible Tokaj Wine Region project and first planting event, feel free to download the draft presentation in Hungarian (with Appendix in original source languages - Hungarian, English and French). Info about Incredible Edible Tokaj Wine Region project and first planting event here.

I love markets - and broadly see a few types. The traditional farmers' markets where local people and farmers bring their surplus to share, to sell, seasonal produce from their gardens, plots and farms nearby. Fresh eggs and milk, yoghurts and cheeses, sausages and hams. Think of the typical lively village market scene, a bustling marché in France, a mercato in Italy, a mercado in Spain. Here in Hungary, the piac, and in the Tokaj Wine Region, we still have four thriving original markets (Abaújszűntó, Sárospatak, Sátoraljaújhely, Szerencs) plus a number of small town/village market days celebrated throughout the region. And then we have the new farmers's markets, where modern farmers and artisans bring their wares direct to the customer. Direct contact. Communication. Often with higher levels of animal welfare, environmentally friendly philosophies, artisan closer to nature. Slower. Reinventions of the original markets. Let's discover them.

We are priviliged that several incredible down-to-earth and head in the clouds loving artists live and work among us in Sárospatak and the wider region - many of them members of the group Patak csoport. Active in their social consciencsce and community building around performances and exhibition openings in Sárospatak over the last 20, 30, 40, 50 years. Also two enormous murals, wall art on a huge, brave scale one a nursery, one on a block residential flats in the town centre.