Twenty years after

At the time of the Velvet Revolution, Czech beer was still top-notch, the food was so-so and the wine, well ? The state of wine production was hardly on anybody's list of priorities, as it was pretty wretched.  

The larger cooperatives were churning out hectoliters of mostly dreadful stuff, full of sulphites, sorbic acid and added sugar that gave the wines a longer shelf-life but had some rather unpleasant consequences. Many people believed the massive headache that followed a night out was part and parcel of the experience; the worse it was, the more you had enjoyed yourself.

But Czech wine is no mere afterthought. Peasant winemaking is a tradition in this country that goes back centuries, with almost every family in south Moravia having its own little vineyard, press house and cellar. This practice continued under the communist regime, with wine production permitted tax-free, purportedly only for personal consumption, which was predictably gargantuan.

It would have been rash to predict anything other than a critical meltdown for the winemaking business back in the early 1990s. Bankruptcies and downsizing were expected, leaving a few successful boutique producers and a sort of theme-park production of rustic wines and burčák, pitched as tourist attractions in areas such as the Pálava hills or the historic cellar settlement of Plže near Strážnice.  

In fact, that's not what happened. What did is astounding in many ways. True, the two biggest players - Bohemia Sekt and Soare - are now German-owned. But money has flowed into the country to the extent that wine has become a respectable way to invest some of the huge fortunes made elsewhere. State-of-the-art, architect-designed facilities have sprung up across the south Moravian landscape, selling their fancy products for prices the neighboring Germans and Austrians can hardly believe. And smallish winemakers have prospered, too, finding plenty of ready cash available for investment in new technology.

And where do these wines go? Not abroad. Although their quality has improved and they win all sorts of medals in international competitions, this by no means translates into export sales, which are negligible. The global perception of this country's product is still nonexistent, if not downright negative. Even good wines are unlikely to find a niche at the top end of the market, and are so highly priced they can't find a place on entry-level global supermarket shelves as the trendiest thing since Peruvian Chardonnay.

The great advantage, as in Switzerland and Slovenia, is that patriotic drinkers still abound. For the time being, then, wine-lovers in the Czech Republic can happily continue consuming almost its entire production, unhindered by worldly concerns such as consumer trends and competitive pricing.    

Winery of the month: Salabka-Troja

Next time you visit Prague Zoo, take a short walk up the hill to the Salabka vineyard above Trója Chateau. This is one of the oldest Prague vineyards, receiving its first written mention in 1228, and the name Salabka has been in use since 1796. Today, the operation is run by Moravian Lubomír Bilík, who makes wine from Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Neronet and Pinot Noir grapes in the cellar right in the vineyard. Currently, there are 3 hectares under vine, with another 2 hectares planned. The original cellar dates from the 17th century, where there is plenty of space for hospitality and tasting. For an appointment, write lubos.bilik@seznam.cz.

Wines of the month  

White: "Cuvée Jérémy" Riesling Sélection des Grains Nobles, Grand Cru Pfersigberg. Date of harvest: The very special day of Nov.17, 1989

Producer: Kuentz Bas, Husseren-les-Chateaux, Alsace, France

Yes, the grapes were actually picked on the cold night of Nov. 17, 1989, when the rattling of keys on Wenceslas Square became so persistent that the communist regime soon collapsed. This exquisite 20-year-old wine, made from selected botrytised noble berries of Gewurztraminer, is a wonder to be cherished. Color of deep gold, with a very intense nose redolent with lychees, dried apricots, sultanas, honey and orange-peel notes. Lush concentrated palate with a never-ending finish. For a wine of this age, absolutely faultless (Very limited number of bottles available. For more information, see www.bakerwine.cz.)

Red: Cabernet Sauvignon 1989 Reserva  

Producer: Jean León, Penedes, Spain

From a cult producer who left the Basque country for Paris at 19 with only a packed suitcase and went on to become restaurateur to the Hollywood stars in the 1950s. When León set up a winery in Penedes in 1963, he soon caught the interest of neighbor Miguel Torres, who was fascinated by this new arrival with a French name making wines using nontraditional grape varieties at a time when this was not the status quo. Time has passed, and the house of Torres now owns the winery, though keeps it as an independent unit. Cabernet Sauvignon (one of those then-unconventional varieties) gives one of the best examples of the house style, deep garnet to the eye, with a nose full of vigor after 20 years, brimming with blackcurrants and other berry fruit. Well-structured palate with tannins that are still extremely firm. A really big wine; more of a Bordeaux than a Penedes, in fact. And still plenty of life ahead. (2,500 Kč)

Events diary

Nov. 11 is St. Martin's Day, when the country's wines of the latest vintage - Svatomartinské víno - traditionally make their first public appearance in bars and restaurants throughout the country. On the 19th, there is a Beaujolais Nouveau/Svatomartinské encounter organized by the Franco-Czech Chamber of Commerce at Mamaison Prague Pachtův Palác (Karolíny Světlé 34, Prague 1). Corks will begin to pop at 6.30 p.m. Admission is 450 Kč for members, 650 Kč for nonmembers. For reservations, contact j.kratochvilova@ccft-fcok.cz.

Helena Baker can be reached at
features@praguepost.com