The coming of the grape, that is, the depiction of new grape shootings, is assumed to date back to mediaeval times and is a tradition preserved to this day. Based on written documents we know for sure that new grape shootings were presented at the re-election of town officials and chief winemakers as early as the 16th century.
According to the Book of the Coming of the Grape, kept since 1740, the new grape shootings were depicted in the book on the day when new town officials were elected.

Today, the depictions of the shooting of the new grape on St George’s Day, the presentation of the drawings handed over to the mayor and the public registering of the depictions into the book is a tradition that all the citizens of Kőszeg wholeheartedly support and wish to keep alive.

During the age of feudalism, St George’s Day (24 April) was regarded as the beginning of the economic and administrative year, and this was when wine communities also had their “justice day”. In Kőszeg, wine community magistrates and chief winemakers were elected on the same day along with the new town officials.
On election day every year, each of the incumbent town magistrates, council members, clerks as well as chief winemakers resigned, and the latter returned from the vineyards with shootings fresh off the vines.

In other words, an important national economic date and a local political event and custom are linked in this local ritual. This local tradition also made it to the list of Hungary’s Intangible National Heritage in 2013, and it was added to the Collection of Hungarian Values.