Without an exporting tradition, the wines of the Czech Republic are little known outside of its borders. Many Czech wine producers are trying to change this situation. A wide variety of wines is currently being produced and annual production is around a million hectoliters.

Vineyards in the Czech Republic are situated in two main regions. Moravia, located in the southeast and watered by the Danube, is the larger of the two, containing approximately 11,000 hectares of vineyards. Bohemia, situated to the north of Prague along the Elbe river, is a smaller region comprised of only 400 hectares of vineyards but one which has always been an important wine producing region. In the 9th century, Saint Ludmila, Queen of Bohemia, ordered the first vines to be planted around Melník for the production of mass wine. In the 14th century, Emperor Charles IV, who had been educated in the French court, began importing Burgundy grapes from France. By doing so, he turned Prague into a prosperous center of viticulture.

White wine represents 75 percent of all Czech wine production. The principal grape varieties are Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Wälsch or Laski Rizlink (locally known as Vlašský Ryzlink), Pinot Blanc (Rulandské bílé), Tramín (know elsewhere as Gewürztraminer) and the ubiquitous Austrian varieties such as Grüner Veltliner and Neuburger. Apart from these principal varieties, one can also find international favorites such as Pinot Gris (Rulandské šedé), Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner and even Chardonnay. These wines are fresh, light, aromatic and usually dry. A notable quantity of sparkling wine is also produced, made either by a second fermentation in bottles (the traditional method), tanks (the Charmat method) or a combination of both (the transfer method).

Red wines are produced from grapes such as Frankovka (known in the German-speaking countries as Blaufränkisch or Lemberger), Vavrinecké (Saint-Laurent), Modrý Portugal (Blauer Portugieser), Rulandské cervené (Pinot Noir) and the increasingly popular Cabernet Sauvignon, all of which are fruity, full-bodied and of good quality.

If you wish to know more about these wines, the Prague Wine Society regularly holds wine tastings for groups of about 20 people at Café Amadeus (Staromestské námestí 18). For more information, contact Jaroslav Krejcík at 24 21 20 26 or Helena Baker at 0311 685 747/0602 208 366.

Do you want the traditional Moravian wine experience without travelling outside of Prague? Try the new Moravian wine bar, The Mouse Trap, tucked away underneath the James Joyce at Liliová 10.

Helena Baker