Tokaj Macik Winery, Malá Tŕňa: organic Tokaj and cellar tastings

Four generations in Tokaj

Malá Tŕňa is the heart of Slovak Tokaj: its Medzipivničná ("Between-the-Cellars") Street runs along the stone portals of old cellars. Here works Tokaj Macik Winery, a family winery where wine has been "in the blood for four generations". Jaroslav Macik senior comes from the winegrowing village of Choňkovce; in the 1980s he moved to Tokaj with his wife Mária and revived the family tradition here. Mária Maciková is a renowned oenologist, a long-standing member of the state wine-tasting commission and author of the book "Secrets of Tokaj"; for her fight to preserve the Tokaj name and brand the President of Slovakia awarded her the Pribina Cross, 2nd class. Today the fourth and fifth generations work at the winery: son Jaroslav junior with his wife Erika, and daughter Michaela.

The winery has been named "Winery of the Year" three times and has won at least six "Wine of the Year" titles; its wines are exported to more than 15 countries and listed in over 25 Michelin-starred restaurants. According to the Košice Region tourist brochure, a Macik wine was for several years the only Slovak wine among the world’s 800 best in the exhibition of La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. Above all, Tokaj Macik Winery is the only certified organic winery in the Tokaj wine region: "no chemicals in the vineyard, and the same in the cellar". The family keeps bees in its organic vineyards.

Everyone in the family has their own taste. Mária calls Tokaj "the medium of my life" and recommends comparing conservative classics with the progressive wines of the younger generation; Jaroslav senior prefers drier wines; Jaroslav junior brought modern wines to the estate without forgetting traditional Tokaj. Erika comes from Žilina — "slivovica country" — and in recent years has taken up beekeeping too. In the video series "Tokaj on a Plate" the family shows simple recipes to go with wine, such as Spiš džatky.

Why go

• A tasting with the winemakers. Guests are received in a medieval cellar; tastings are led by Erika, the winery’s head sommelier, or by Jaroslav. Everything must be arranged in advance.
• A meal at the winery. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are cooked by prior arrangement, including seasonal Tokaj specialities.
• Open Cellars Day. Every September the winery takes part in Tokaj Open Cellars Day (12 September in 2026, ticket €35, free bus from Čerhov station).

What to taste and buy

The dry varietal AXIS line (Furmint, Lipovina with Muscat), the Rieky ("Rivers") wines Roňava and Bodrog, the sweet late-harvest Botris, classic Tokaj výber of 3–6 putňa, samorodné, forditáš and mášláš. Beyond wine: Bum Bac sparkling, organic verjus, Tokaj honey from the organic vineyards, the Cibéba spirit and Tokaj IPA — the first Slovak "Tokaj" beer, brewed together with the Kaltenecker brewery. Most of the wines carry the Košice Region regional brand.

Practical information

Address: Medzipivničná 174, 076 82 Malá Tŕňa. A car is most convenient; the nearest railway station is Čerhov. Booking visits and tastings: [email protected] or a text to +421 905 125 507; wine sales +421 905 313 352, [email protected]. Ask about tasting prices when booking; wines are also sold in the online shop.

Nearby

• Tokaj & CO on the same street — the largest cellar of Slovak Tokaj.
• J&J Ostrožovič Winery in Veľká Tŕňa — a cellar 13 m down.
• Kaltenecker Brewery in Rožňava — the Tokaj IPA partner.

Official website: tokajmacik.sk

Photos: image.pobo.space; cdn.myshoptet.com; Igor.vizner, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.