Best Time to Visit Slovak Tokaj

The main season runs from May to October. September is the busiest month, with the harvest and two major wine events. Spring and early summer bring cellar festivals, autumn brings mists and botrytised grapes, and winter is quiet, with cellars open by arrangement. The cellars themselves stay at about 10–12 °C all year, so a tasting is possible in any month.

Climate at a glance

The region has a continental climate with long, dry autumns and morning mists that favour noble rot. The monthly figures come from the Milhostov weather station near Trebišov (1991–2020 averages).


Mean annual temperature (region)	about 9.6 °C
Rain per year (region)	about 608 mm
Average daily high in July	27.4 °C
Average daily high / low in January	0.9 °C / −4.4 °C
Days with at least 1 mm of rain	88 a year
Days with snow	31.6 a year
Sunshine	1,932 hours a year
Inside a tuff cellar	about 10–12 °C, humid

Month by month

January to March

Cold and very quiet. The vines are dormant, and most cellars open only if you arrange a visit. The Rákóczi manor in Borša, just outside the wine region, keeps winter hours (Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–16:00, closed on Mondays). It's a good time for an unhurried tasting, but book everything.

April

The vineyards wake up. From 1 April the Borša manor exhibition is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. Days are mild, though nights can still be cold.

May

The festival season starts with the May Festival of Farmers' Wines on a Saturday in May along the Medzipivničná cellar lane in Malá Tŕňa. In 2026 eleven or twelve small growers opened their cellars, and a free shuttle ran from Čerhov station. 25 May is St Urban's Day, the traditional feast of winegrowers; a wooden statue of the saint stands in the vineyards above Čerhov.

June

Around midsummer, Tokaj Unplugged turns the Gazdovské pivnice in Veľká Tŕňa into a night-time tasting with candles, bonfires and acoustic music. Late June usually brings the Tokaj Festival in the grounds of the Borša manor. Across the border, the town of Tokaj in Hungary holds its Tokaj Wine Days in June.

July and August

The warmest months: the average July high is 27.4 °C, and heatwaves go well beyond that (the station's record is 38.2 °C). Take water and a hat into the vineyards, and plan walks for the morning or evening. The Bodrog is at its best for kayaks and boats. The campsite by the Borša manor is open daily in July and August. In mid-August the Hungarian Zemplén Festival fills Sárospatak and towns around it with concerts. On a Saturday in late August the cellar owners of Veľká Tŕňa hold Tokaj Live, a festival of farmers' wines, with tastings directly with the growers. In 2026 tickets cost 28 € in advance and 35 € on the day.

September

The harvest starts and the villages fill up. The Open Tokaj Cellars Day was held on the second Saturday of September in 2025 and 2026. Member wineries of TOKAJ REGNUM open their cellars, each pouring four wines with local dishes, and a free circular bus runs from Čerhov station. In 2026 a ticket cost 35 € and sales were limited to 1,000. The Tokaj Harvest Festival follows on the last Saturday of September in Čerhov, Malá Tŕňa and Veľká Tŕňa, with folklore, crafts, Zemplín food, burčiak (young, still-fermenting wine) and cellars that are normally closed. In 2026 the ticket cost 15 € and included 14 tasting tokens and a glass. If you want festivals, come on one of these two Saturdays; if you want quiet cellars, avoid them.

October

The main harvest continues into October, depending on the weather. Dry days with morning mists favour noble rot, and the botrytised berries (cibéby) used for výber are picked later in autumn. Burčiak is still around. In 2026 the Zemplínske lakocinky food festival took place a week after the harvest festival at Zemplínska šírava, about an hour's drive away. The Borša manor keeps its summer hours until 31 October.

November and December

The vineyards are bare and the days short. Cellars open by arrangement, and the Borša manor returns to winter hours from 1 November. Some villages hold smaller autumn and Advent events. Check the events calendar, as dates are often published late.

What is open when

Wineries and cellars: mostly by arrangement all year. Some offer visits only from spring to autumn; others, such as J & J Ostrožovič and Tokaj Zlatý Strapec, hold tastings all year.
Rákóczi manor, Borša: 1 April to 31 October daily 10:00–18:00; 1 November to 31 March Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–16:00. Last entry is one hour before closing.
Restaurants: hours are short in the villages. Majer Bara serves lunch only (11:00–14:00) from Monday to Thursday. The restaurant in the Borša manor is open daily from 12:00 until 21:00 in summer and 20:00 in winter.
Lookout tower: free, open all year and lit at night.
Tourist information office, Čerhov: open during events, otherwise by phone arrangement.
Kayak rental on the Bodrog: by appointment from May to October.

Booking advice

For festival weekends, book your bed as soon as the date is announced. The 2027 dates had not been confirmed when we last checked.
Buy festival tickets in advance. The Open Cellars Day has a ticket limit, and advance tickets are cheaper for some events.
Outside festivals, book tastings a few days ahead.

When to visit Slovak Tokaj