The wines
of the Czech Republic are not well known in international wine
circles, but the wine producers of Moravia and Bohemia are working
hard to change that.
The high quality,
award winning wines, both white and red, are winning support outside
the Czech borders. The Danube, in southeast Moravia, provides
the warmth and moisture that add up to an excellent grape wine
crop on the more than 11000 hectares under vine. In Bohemia, north
of Prague, protected slopes along the rivers Labe, Vltava and
Berounka tributaries of the Elbe river, provide a base for a smaller
region comprised of only 400 hectares of vineyards.
White wines
produced from from Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Wälsch,
Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner and Neuburger
grapes make up a little over 74 percent of the wines. Pinot Gris,
Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner or Chardonnay are also grown, but these
grapes account for a very small portion of the Czech whites. The
white wines are light, aromatic and usually dry and there are
some very good sparkling wines available.
Red wines
are produced from grapes such as Frankovka (Blaufränkisch),
Vavrinecké (Saint-Laurent), Blauer Portugieser and Pinot
Noir. A later addition, Cabernet Sauvignon, is quickly becoming
more popular both with the wine makers and the wine drinkers.