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July 7th, 2008
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Small pleasures

Good straw wine is worth the wait

By Helena Baker
For The Prague Post
March 5th, 2008 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Grapes and old hay are a match made in ... wine cellars across Europe.
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Unlike ice wine or Sauternes, which use frozen or shriveled-up rotten berries to make excruciatingly pleasurable, sweetly concentrated wines, “straw” varieties use perfectly healthy fruit to achieve the same result.
Instead of being pressed, batches of grapes destined for straw wine are laid out on mats (woven of straw, hence the name) in well-aerated lofts. Over the winter, as resting grapes slowly wither, natural sugars concentrate. Early the following spring, winemakers press and ferment the now-emaciated fruit.  
The result is a lush dessert wine that can have enormous aging potential.
All the best producers of this type of wine subject their grapes to slow and gentle pressing, which usually takes more than a week. Following this, a lengthy fermentation process begins. The wine may not be ready for bottling for at least a year after the vintage.
Naturally, due to the small quantities involved, as well as the time invested in leaving the grapes out doing nothing for their living, prices tend to be on the steep side, and the bottles small.   
Once upon a time, straw wine was widely made in France as vin de paille. More recently, its home has shifted to the Jura region, abutting the Swiss border. Although as Strohwein, it has long been extremely popular in Austria — likewise in some parts of Italy, where it goes under the guise of passito.  
In this country, several winemakers lay claim to producing the first ever slámové víno. But the simple fact is that this immensely profitable tipple first saw the light of day around 1994 in Moravia.  
Winery of the month: Abart s.r.o.     
The winery is set in Velehrad, not far from the metropolitan centre of Uherské Hradiště, in the far northeast of the wine-producing lands. The town is known for its Basilica of the Assumed Virgin Mary and Saints Cyril and Methodius — a longstanding pilgrimage destination in the Czech Republic. Abart is a joint-stock company, making wine with high-quality grapes brought in from all around the Uherské Hradiště wine subregion. Under the guidance of experienced winemaker Antonín Bartošek, bottles have earned prizes at a number of the country’s top wine shows. Most of the production is sold to the gastronomy trade and specialized wine stores. The firm also has its own vinotéka in Zlín. Prices tend toward the lower end for wines of this quality, in the 100–150 Kč ($6–9) range. For more information, check www.vinovelehrad.cz.   
Wines of the month
White: Sauvignon, selection from noble grapes, 2006  
Producer: Sonberk, a.s., Pouzdřany, Mikulov subregion, Moravia     
With an unexpectedly deep color and a nose evoking dried orange peel, this wine has a strong honeyed taste that is balanced by a harmonious acidity — without which the wine would be heavy and cloying. Ideal for desserts, but with foie gras it is seventh heaven. It is no surprise that the French say of such a marriage, “c’est le petit Jésus dans la culotte courte.” As usual from this producer, a five-star experience. (500 Kč)
Red: La Foun Del Bessou, 2002
Producer: Les Vignerons de Lesquerde, Cotes du Roussillon-Villages-Lesquerde, France    
This lovely blend of 50 percent Syrah, 30 percent Carignan and 20 percent Grenache has been vinified traditionally and matured in large oak barrels. Its smooth and velvety texture will delight many a palate (and its price many a pocket). More on this and other delectable wines from this up-and-coming region can be found at www.languedoc.cz. (300 Kč)  
Events diary  
Once the nation’s only wine fair with any international standing, Vinex takes place March 4–7 at the Výstaviště compound in Brno, as part of Salima, a huge gastro-fair. Vinex is a showpiece and meeting place for Moravian winemakers large and small, including much jolly boozing right up to and well beyond the closing bell. The fair has recently come under professional German ownership, and is now held every two years. For more information, check
www.bvv.cz.
Helena Baker’s wine column appears the first Wednesday of each month. She can be reached at
features@praguepost.com


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