Moravia Makes Wine : Recap III
There is just something so special about this region, and although I fully realize that I am not Czech, I certainly feel at home here in Brno. This past week has been remarkable, and I am continuing to learn so much about the region, the grapes, and the various wine styles of South Moravia.
I am on a mission to educate the consumers both here and abroad, to help them better understand and appreciate this tiny slice of wine country in the Czech Republic. This is a distinct region unlike any other in the world, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to live here, to explore, to taste the wine, and to listen to the stories of fantastic winemakers.
Taking time away from their vines, their families, and their cellars is certainly not an easy task, and I am grateful for their generosity, openness, and kindness towards me. I am so glad that I can provide a platform for them to share their wines with the world, as they certainly deserve our attention.
There is no better way to start off the week than with sparkling wine. Founded in 2007 by brothers Martin and Kamil Prokeš, Proqin Vinařství is a family run winery located in Velké Nemčice, a village in the subregion of Velké Pavlovice.
The Prokeš family had been making wine for generations, so it is only natural that these ambitious brothers followed in the footsteps of their grandfathers. Today, their motivation is to craft traditional-method, sparkling wine as an homage to the great Champagne producers of France, but with their own Moravian twist, of course.
In the early 2000’s, the Prokeš brothers were both students at the Viticultural School of Mendel University in Lednice. Yet even at that time, they had higher aspirations to produce top quality sparkling wine, using the méthode traditionelle, or champagne method. In the 1990s, the only sparkling wines that were available were very sweet, and not particularly noteworthy. Champagne was slowly becoming available in the Czech market, yet they were expensive and difficult to obtain.
Realizing that South Moravia lies on the 49th latitudinal parallel, like Reims and Alsace, they saw an opportunity to use their geographical and climatic advantages to create something new in the region : Dry, high quality sparkling wine, that both themselves and the public could pop open at any occasion.
I have so much respect for Martin and Kamil Prokeš, as the mere production of sparkling wine can be quite expensive, time consuming, and laborious. As opposed to still wine production, sparkling wine must be matured both in barrel and bottle for extended periods of time, sometimes up to three years, in order to obtain the finesse and complexity that is sought after in high quality sparkling wine. Nevertheless, the Prokeš brothers saw this as their motivating drive, and were determined to forge ahead with their vision.
Today, the Proqin Winery produces a massive range of sparkling wines, from extra brut to demi-sec, using only the best grapes from top vineyards in Velké Pavlovice. Matured and bottled in their cellar in Velké Nemčice, Proqin winery is determined to continue with their sparkling wine production, crafting finessed, expressive wines, with immense cellaring potential. Additionally, you can sample their wines at Venuše Pálavská Galerie Vín in Pavlov, a wine gallery established to share a selection of top Moravian wines with tourists and locals.
Interested in ordering? Head to Proqin’s E-Shop where they are currently offering free shipping, or pick up a range of their sparkling wines in Brno’s city center at Vinotéka U Tří Knižat.
What I Tasted
Vinařství Proqin ‘Matthias’ Brut : The flagship of the winery, Proqin’s Matthias is a fantastic cuvée of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, sourced from their 2012/2013 harvest. Matthias spends approximately 9 months in barrel, with only Chardonnay seeing old oak maturation, while the Pinot varieties are matured in stainless steel. After this primary maturation, the wine is then blended and bottled, spending 24 months on fine lees, allowing the wine to gain further complexity during the secondary bottle fermentation.
The wine offers a classic, pale lemon color, with incredibly fine bubbles and excellent persistence. A gorgeous bouquet of sweet vanilla, lemon, and guava greet the nose, while the palate shows slight hints of black plum, enhanced by foamy bubbles and a creamy texture. Matthias sparkling wine is medium bodied, and with six grams of dosage before bottling, offers a richer mouthfeel and softer, rounded texture.
The Matthias sparkling wine remains dry on the palate, maintaining plenty of crisp, citrusy acidity, easily balancing out any residual sugar from the 6 gram dosage. In 2013, Proqin’s Matthias sparkling wine won ‘Champion of the World’ prize at the International Sparkling Wine Championship in Crimea, a noteworthy award that immediately launched the popularity and attention of Proqin Winery in the Czech Republic. I can only imagine this sparkling wine with a platter of Mediterranean spreads, like lebneh and hummus, and simple grilled shrimp with lemon.
Vinařství Proqin ‘Single Vineyard’ Pinot Noir Extra Brut : Proqin’s sparkling rosé should be on everyone’s wine shopping list this spring. Sourced from one single plot in Ebenberg, located in Kurdějov, this sparkling Pinot Noir is an homage to the great sparkling wines of Champagne.
The high density vines in this single vineyard site, roughly 12,800 vines per hectare, were planted with the intention of only crafting top quality sparkling wine from the harvested grapes. For sparkling wine production, typically the grapes are harvested earlier in the season than for still wine, allowing for higher acidity levels. Yet the balancing act falls to the winemaker, in taming that acidity by allowing for long, steady maturation times on fine lees in bottle.
The Single Vineyard Pinot Noir has a pale salmon color with slight orange reflections, and pronounced aromas of red cherry, strawberry, pink grapefruit, and red currant. The palate was a bit leaner than Matthias, with lingering acidity and persistent bubbles. With a slightly lower dosage of under 2 grams, this wine is dry, with a refreshing, yet long finish, and would be the perfect pairing to pan seared salmon.
Vinařství Proqin Riesling Extra Reserve Brut : This sparkling Riesling certainly stole my heart. Riesling is quite an aromatic, high acid grape, that shows both floral and fruity aromatics, so it is only natural that producers would aim to craft high quality sparkling wine from this noble grape variety.
Proqin’s Sparkling Riesling is crafted from their 2012/2013 vintage, and after spending 36 months on the lees in bottle after the secondary fermentation, the end result is absolutely stunning. A delightful nose shows well-defined aromas of peach, apricot, lemon, pear, and honeysuckle, while the palate displays flavors of tart, green apple, accented by a weighty, textured mouthfeel.
Although the wine spent an extensive time on the lees, there were only slight, autolytic characters on the palate, allowing for an enhanced, refreshing version of Riesling, pure and simple. Martin recommends cellaring this wine for the next 7-10 years, to permit the slight petrol character to further develop in the bottle. But if you are like me, and want to bust this wine open, pair it up with a classic schnitzel and potato salad.
I am so relieved to know that high quality Moravian wine has made it back to the United States, thanks to Ahtel Wine Importers. Ahtel Wines started almost by accident, by two friends, Amanda Wilson and Heidi Wettach, who simply had a desire to travel and explore the world together.
These entrepreneurs started off as coworkers who had met in the Boston area, as they were both working for high tech marketing and software companies. They quickly formed a bond over travel, often referring to each other as ‘passport buddies.’
A few years back, Amanda and her friend planned a casual trip from Prague to Vienna, a typical route for American tourists visiting the region. After a few days of enjoying the local beers at pubs in the country’s capital, Amanda ordered a house white wine, and she was immediately stunned by the quality and flavors in the glass. Although Amanda did not have any formal wine training at that time, this one taste of simple house white wine sparked her curiosity about the wines of the region, and she was determined to know more.
Driving through South Moravia one sunny afternoon on their trip, they decided to make a pit stop at a winery. Unbeknownst to them, it was harvest time, and although they did not have an appointment or any prior communications with the winemakers in the region, they simply knocked on the door of Krásná Hora Winery, and were greeted by Marek Vybíral. He welcomed them in their winery, and after tasting sample after sample, Amanda knew that she had found her style of wine.
After returning to the states and contacting their local retailers in hopes of finding Moravian wine, they were shocked to find that no Moravian wine was available in their market. This put them on a mission, and for the past three years, Ahtel Wines have been both importing these delicious Moravian wines that they enjoyed on their trip, while also changing the perception of Moravian wine in the American market.
Starting an import business takes time and dedication, particularly when faced with a region that no one knows about. After spending a few years of conducting market research, traveling back to the Czech Republic, and navigating through the complicated three tier American Distribution system, in 2017, Ahtel Wines was established. Their current portfolio features three major brands here in South Moravia : Gala Winery, Volařik Winery, and Krásná Hora Winery.
Each brand fits a particular niche in their portfolio, showcasing the vast range of local, indigenous grapes that Moravia has to offer. Although they find that it is a challenge for the American consumer to understand this obscure wine region, with its sometimes difficult pronunciations, they have discovered joy in educating others and altering the perspective of Czech wine in the United States. Ahtel Wines finds that once the American consumer tries their first sip, they are hooked, as South Moravia offers a completely different take on classically grown grape varieties, like Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.
I had been in touch with Ahtel Wines for the past two months, as Amanda had seen a few of my video wine reviews, and she was pleased to find an American talking about wine in Brno. After exchanging a few emails, I am thrilled that she agreed to be interviewed, as we both feel that this area deserves more attention, both for the wines and the generosity of the wine community.
Currently, Ahtel Wines is selling Moravian wines in New Hampshire, New York, Florida, and Washington D.C., at various independent retail shops, hotels, and restaurants. Contact Ahtel Wines for more information.
What I Tasted
Vinařství Volařík’s ‘Purmice’ Ryzlink Rýnský 2016 : Founded by Miroslav Volařík in 2007, Vinařství Volařík farms over 80 hectares in the Mikulov region, focusing primarily in white grape cultivars that are able to express the terroir of this famed wine region, known for its limestone bedrock. This gorgeous Riesling from Volařík winery is sourced from their Purmice vineyard site.
Their Purmice Riesling has a deep, golden yellow color, with pronounced aromas of golden apple, lemon curd, white pepper, and lemon curd. With a fairly plump texture on the palate, this wine has well defined flavors of nectarine, yellow grapefruit, spice, and apricot, balanced with a fresh backbone of acidity and a silky, long finish. With only 6,540 bottles produced, this is a must-have for any Riesling lover.
Pick up yours on their online e-shop or Vinotéka U Tří Knižat.
Farming over 8 hectares of land in Nosislav, Velké Pavlovice, Vinařství Válka is a small, family run, certified organic winery that focuses on terroir driven styles of wine.
Founded in 1991 by family patriarch Ing. Karel Válka and his wife, Milada Válková, the family was one of the first private, commercial wine producers that entered the market after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Since 2012, the family has obtained organic certification of their vineyards, and produces an enormous range of top quality wines.
Hand harvesting, small batch production, gentle handling of the grapes, and quality control are of the utmost importance in this family run winery, and it certainly is reflected in their wines.
The Válka family prides themselves on producing wines from a wide range of local grape cultivars, offering everything from dry, crisp rosé to barrel aged whites and reds. Their youngest son, Vojtěch Válka, is set to take over operations in the winery, and is forging ahead to establish themselves even further in the market. Their wines show a grace and finesse that comes from years of tradition and knowledge of their vines, further highlighting the intricacies of each particular grape variety.
I first discovered Vinařství Válka’s wines quite unexpectedly, as a bottle of their Orange Pálava was recommended by the owner of Vinotéka U Tří Knížat. I sampled this wine a few months ago, and was astounded by its complexity, aromatics, and structure. I immediately returned to the Vinotéka, and after purchasing a few of their other wines, I knew that this was a winery who focused on quality and regional expression of local grapes.
Each bottle of wine is hand labeled with a unique watercolor print, painted by Karel Válka, representing the serene, peaceful atmosphere in the vineyards. Karel’s inspiration comes from nature, and he has constantly been aiming to incorporate the beauty of art and nature into his wine. In addition to their exceptional, varietally driven wines, the family also produces juices and homemade jams, which offer the perfect gift for family and friends.
For me, the Válka family represents everything that I love about South Moravia : A combined, family effort to produce fantastic wines at affordable prices, showcasing the complex geographical character that sets this region apart.
Interested in ordering? Head to their website’s e-shop, or check out a selected variety at Vinotéka U Tří Knížat.
What I Tasted
Muškát Moravský 2019 Polosuché
Muškát Moravský is a crossed grape variety, bred in the mid 20th century from parent grapes Muskat Ottonel and Prachttraube, with the intention of creating a local version of Muscat that could offer the classic, floral aromatics of this ancient grape, with a slightly higher resistance to fungal and mildew diseases in the vineyards.
Since its initial creation, Muškát Moravský has soared in popularity, covering close to 900 hectares of plantings under vine in the Czech Republic. The Muškát Moravský from Vinařství Válka offers a fragrant, perfumed wine that showcases the finest attributes of this wildly aromatic grape. The wine has a translucent, pale color, but do not be deceived by the pale color! The pronounced, youthful aromatics of papaya, pineapple, tangerine, and mango are balanced by a slight sweetness on the palate. The wine has a light body, complimented by just a hint of residual sugar, accentuating notable primary fruit flavors of tropical fruit and ripe peaches. A perfect pairing for spicy sushi rolls.
Cuvée Bellus 2017 White Blend Premium; Polosuché
Every year, this impressive white blend from Vinařství Válka consistently wins awards both in the Czech Republic and abroad. Their Bellus cuvée is a blend of hand harvested grapes from Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer, and offers a slightly richer, concentrated white wine, that sees some barrel maturation.
Their Bellus cuvée has a pale, lemon color, with well defined aromas of honey, lemon, green pear, and green apple. The wine does spend approximately six months in older oak barrels, varying in size from 500L to 1000L, thus picking up additional notes of spice, shaved almond and fresh vanilla bean on the lengthy finish. This is a slightly stronger, more full bodied wine, that has approximately 12 grams of residual sugar, but is balanced by almost 7 grams of acidity.
This would offer an ideal accompaniment to Peruvian style rotisserie chicken or spice rubbed pork ribs.
Cuvée La Guerre Rosé 2019 Suche
Springtime calls for dry rosé. And luckily, Vinařství Válka crafts a gorgeous, dry style of rose, produced from Frankovka and Cabernet Moravia. The name, La Guerre, plays reference to the meaning of their family name Válka, which in Czech, means war. Frankovka, or as its more widely known, Blaufränkisch, is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the region. Cabernet Moravia, a crossed grape variety from parent plants Cabernet Franc and Zweigelt, offers deeply colored wines with notes of cassis and black currant. Blended together, the wine shows a lovely balance between crisp red fruit and lingering acidity.
The La Guerre Rosé has a lovely pale salmon color, and offers perfumed, medium intensity aromas of strawberry yogurt, raspberry, and pink grapefruit. The wine avoids the typical bubble gum flavors of young rose, and instead offers lusciously ripe red forest fruit on the palate, with pleasant, thirst quenching acidity and a medium finish. This is a rosé meant to be shared on a sunny, spring afternoon, accompanied with olives and charcuterie.
Vinařství Válka’s Frankovka Reserve 2017
The Frankovka, or Blaufränkisch as it is more widely known, shows the fascinating complexity of this grape variety, particularly when matured in oak. Unlike some of the light, easy drinking versions of Frankovka that you may find in a supermarket that are produced in mass in the country, Válka decides to mature their Frankovka in large, old oak barrels, with certain barrels often reaching ages of up to forty years.
Apart from the Czech Republic and Burgenland, Austria, Frankovka is not widely planted worldwide, yet is quite popular here in Central Europe. The grape can certainly produce wines in vast quantity, as it is fairly easy to grow and offers a pleasant, easy drinking red table wine. Yet the Válka family believes that by maturing their Frankovka wine in oak barrels, it enhances and strengthens the tannins and structure, without imparting any overly intense spiced or oaky notes.
Vinařství Válka’s Frankovka offers a medium, ruby color with slight flecks of violet. Aromas of kirsch cherry, blackberry, chocolate, and black plum are accented by hints of black pepper and spice. A sip of this wine imparts medium intensity flavors of black tea, black cherry, with slight tones of licorice, and offers medium, fine grained tannins and a lengthy, solid finish. This is a wine that can easily be matched up with a traditional beef stew, or a classic Portobello mushroom veggie burger.
It is the graciousness and generosity of winemakers that continues to astound me in this region. A few weeks ago, I received a message from Lenka Machovská, who is the wife of winemaker František Machovský. She reached out to let me know that she had seen some of my interviews and videos, and very much appreciated my mission to share Moravian wines with the world. After a quick chat by phone, I knew immediately that I wanted to bring Lenka and František on for an interview, as their heartfelt story was worth sharing.
Engineers by trade, Lenka and František both hail from winemaking families, and for generations, their parents and grandparents had small plots of land in Vrbice, located in Velké Pavlovice. For years, their family considered themselves ‘hobby winemakers,’ often producing just enough wine for their close friends and family, often selling surplus grapes to other neighboring producers. Yet it was during their honeymoon, over ten years ago, that catapulted this couple into the commercial wine industry.
In 2010, Lenka and František spent their honeymoon in Egypt, where they found the wines to be of tragically poor quality. Inspired to create something different, they were anxious to return home and establish a winery that would represent both their personalities and the region where they live. Currently, they farm over sixty hectares in the region, both for their own production while also selling their fruit to other local producers.
Since releasing their first vintage in 2013 under the Baraque name, František and their family have worked tirelessly in the vineyards, aiming for the highest quality fruit on their vines. The couple’s motivation of establishing a small family winery that featured wines for every occasion and for every palate has been extremely successful, and they now offer cellar tours, private tastings, and company events in their wine cellars in Bořetice.
They market their wines for the everyday consumer, often using fun, whimsical names to define their styles of wine. Currently, they produce three levels of wine, including their Intensive Line, which are intended to be fun, refreshing, easy to drink wines, their Lifestyle wines, which are aged in barrique and offer more complexity, and their Punk Line, which offers extended skin maceration and barrel maturation.
Interested in ordering? Check out their e-shop or head to Moje Lahve’s online e-shop.
What I Tasted
Tramín Punk Orange Wine 2018 - This is a totally different take on your classic Gewürztraminer. With only two barrels of this wine produced in 2018, it was a sort of ‘experiment’ for František Machovský, who wanted to push the boundaries of typical wine production, and craft something uniquely their own.
Their 2018 Gewürztraminer is both fermented and macerated on skins for approximately 9-10 weeks, allowing for a deeper orange hue in the wine. After fermentation, the wine sees about 2-3 weeks of settling in tank, and was then immediately racked by gravity into oak barrels, avoiding the use of any pumps, and allowing for a slow maturation and slight micro oxygenation while in barrel.
Bottled without filtration and with only a small dose of sulphur, this wine shows the classic Gewürztraminer aromas of rose and lychee, balanced by notes of tangerine. without being overly perfumed. As it is an orange wine, there are slightly bitter, nutty notes of shaved walnut on the palate, yet it is complimented by plenty of citrus and stone fruit flavors. This is a serious orange wine, and one to be paired with Vietnamese take out or spicy chana masala.
André Životní Styl 2015- André is a grape variety indigenous to Velké Pavlovice, and is a crossing of Saint Laurent and Blaufränkisch. The grape was scientifically engineered to withstand botrytis bunch rot and winter frosts. Since its creation, it has soared in popularity in the region. For me, Vinařství Baraque’s wine is the classic representative of André, and one that shows that velvety, fruity, medium bodied red wines that certainly have a strong reputation in South Moravia.
Vinařství Baraque’s André 2015 is part of their Lifestyle Line (Životní Styl), which does see barrel maturation and is made in a traditional red wine method, using techniques that František learned from his father. In addition, the oak for the barrel maturation actually comes from a forest in the neighboring village, so this wine is 100% Moravian!
The juice is fermented in open tanks with punch downs, with an extended skin maceration of 4 to 5 weeks, allowing for deeper color extraction and broader texture from the skin contact. After a settling of 2-3 weeks and gentle pressing, the wine is separated into five different barrels, one of which is a 500 L acacia oak barrel, where the separate components are further matured on fine lees for 18 months. The wine is then blended and bottled, unfined and unfiltered, with only a small dose of sulphur at bottling.
Vinařství Baraque’s André 2015 shows a ruby color, with medium concentration. Aromas of raspberry, red currant, and chocolate are balanced by slight hints of blackberry and black cherry. The wine has integrated acidity and a medium body, with slight hints of tobacco and spice. This is a serious red wine, with velvety tannins and a dry finish, perfect for a rustic sausage casserole or glazed spare ribs.
