Hungary – the volcanic rocks of Tokaj

Stand in any of the cru vineyards of Tokaj and you’ll be standing at the foothills of the Zemplén Mountains on an old volcano – one of the 400 that make up a wine region revered for nearly 400 years for its golden sweet wines.

The rocks of these soils, pictured above and below, are 7.5 million years old.

You can see for miles: small red-roofed villages, the neat geometry of vineyards scattering out and up the...