Samuel Tinon was born in Bordeaux in 1969 and grew up on the family estate in Sainte-Croix du Mont, France. He graduated in viticulture and oenology in 1989 travelling the world as a flying winemaker in Australia, Texas, Chile, Italy… In 1991, Samuel was the first French man to settle in Tokaj, just after the political changes and prior to the start of the privatization of the vineyards.
After working for different companies during the 1990’s, he started his own production in 2000. His first wine was launched in 2005.
The Tinon family settled down in a lovely little village along the Bodrog river, Olaszliszka, in the middle of Tokaj-Hegyalja. “In Tokaj, with have to rethink everything in every detail, to use the existing heritage without being to nostalgic. The Golden Ages of Tokaj are behind AND before us!”
Samuel Tinon in 10 dates
1969 – Birth in Floirac, next to Bordeaux (France).
1991 – Samuel arrives in Tokaj-Hegyalja.
1993 – Samuel meets Mathilde Hulot, a French journalist who came from Paris to write a story on Tokaj Wines.
1998 – Settling in Olaszliszka : Samuel buys a cellar with a house covering it.
1999 – Samuel et Mathilde’s wedding, in Sainte-Croix-du-Mont (France).
2000 – First Tokaji Aszú Samuel Tinon. The vintage is auspicious, full of Aszú berries, and it’s the perfect time to start a new winery.
2005 – First sale of Tokaji Aszú in the Cinq, the restaurant of the hôtel Georges V, in Paris.
2006 – Building of 4 typical aging cellars in Olaszliszka.
2012 – First Botrytis Free harvested, a Szent Tamás Furmint. The wine is sold at the First Great Tokaj Wine Auction, during the Tokaj Spring, in April 2013.
2016 – Launching of the Sans Botrytis range.
2020 – Focus on the exclusive Dry Szamorodni, the most important dry wine in Tokaj. A lot of projects and ideas coming out from this wonderful wine, the only dry wine made with botrytis !