The Deliciously Unknown Wines of The Czech Republic

A couple recently came into The Barrel Room asking for a “nice, crisp white” to serve as a pre-sushi dinner aperitif. I suggested a new addition to our menu: a Czech Republic Müller-Thurgau. They looked at one another nervously and said, “how about the California Pinot Gris…” 

I would say this is a common response to Czech wines here in the US, but I can’t. I can’t because there are hardly any Czech wines imported, and therefore there are few opportunities to gauge consumer response in a setting such as a wine bar. This is, in my opinion, quite a shame: the few Czech wines I have tasted were absolutely delicious, and two of them found a well-deserved home on our wine list.

The Czech Republic has been producing wine for at least 1,800 years. Grüner Veltliner and Welschreisling are thought to have been brought to the Moravian region by the Romans after the Roman Emporer Marcus Aurelius Probus abolished the edict prohibiting the planting of grapes north of the Alps. Viticulture has been practiced in the area continuously to this day. 

a vineyard in the rolling hills of Moravia

Moravia was the initial home of wine production in the Czech Republic. Then in 875, a gift of a barrel of wine was sent by Moravian Prince Svatopluk to Bohemian Prince Bořivoj. Bořivoj’s wife offered a sacrifice of some of the wine to the goddess of the harvest to pray for rain (which was lacking in 875); this plea which was met with rain in abundance. The first Bohemian vineyards were planted in response. Wine grapes have been cultivated in Bohemia ever since.

Prince Borivoj, the progenitor of Bohemian wine

A few hurdles have presented themselves to the Czech wine industry over the years.  The Thirty Years’ War, wine production regulation to reduce competition (enacted by the Austrians), and phylloxera in 1890 all resulted in vineyard area dropping significantly. Vineyards were replanted more carefully, with appropriate varietals and modern viticultural techniques in mind. Now the Czech Republic produces elegant, pure, terroir-driven wines that are remarkably easy to drink alone or pair with many different foods. These wines are currently winning quite a few awards and medals in competitive tastings worldwide, including in San Francisco at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Petr Skoupil's wines from Velké Bílovice took the Medaille d'Or at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2008

Moravia is still the hub of wine production in the Czech Republic. The dominant varietals are Müller-Thurgau and Grüner Veltliner for whites, Saint Laurent and Blaufränkish for reds. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet are also grown in good amounts. The harvests are typically accompanied by large festivals, especially in the towns of Znojmo (pronounced “ZNOY-moe”), Mikulov (“mee-KOO-loff”), Brno (pronounced with a rolling “r”), and Mělník (“mnyell-NEEK”). Hundreds of local wines are sampled along with local cuisine, and music and dancing abound.

a day in the harvest festival

Back to the couple at the bar… I responded by bringing a small taste of the Pinot Gris and the Vinné Sklepy Lechovice Müller-Thurgau side by side with no indication as to which was which. I was not surprised in the slightest when they unanimously chose the Czech wine and proceeded to drink two glasses each. They left with a bottle to drink at home.

If you’d like to try some Czech wines for yourself, we have the aforementioned Müller-Thurgau as well as a delicious Blaufränkish available by the glass at The Barrel Room right now. Check out the list here.

Cheers, and na zdraví (“nahz-dra-VEE”)!

- Sarah