Wines Off The (REALLY) Beaten Path: Czech Republic

It's super fun to be in Prague today

So here I am writing from my vacation in Prague. I thought I would take a few days off from wine for the lauded Czech beer. (Fact: That beer is damn good.) But in honor of Petra Kvitova and her absolute domination over Maria Sharapova in Wimbledon, I was prodded into trying some Czech wine. This did not seem like a good idea. Here people seem to crinkle their noses at the mention of wine.

And yet the Moravian Cabernet I tried (Glos Jakostni Ves 2007) wasn’t all that bad. It’s a little bland with just the slightest hint of cassis (probably because this is close to a Cabernet Franc variety). Moravia is a very cool climate so it’s fitting that most of the vineyards are located in the region that gets the most sun and is relatively warmer. The dark Red color is startling and admittedly something I wasn’t expecting.

It’s definitely the right wine to warm you up from a brisk walk along the chilly Vltava River. The oak seems to be from Hungary (makes sense) and it’s slightly tannic, if not just a tad bitter. Frankly, it’s a much better Red then I’ve received at some of the cheap parties I’ve gone to in New York.

Perhaps the Czech Republic will take the cues of Austria, their neighbor that twenty years ago was languishing in the wine producing world and really bring a concentrated focus to their wineries and vineyards.

Until then, just clink a glass when a Czech wins a Grand Slam.