Czech wines: beautiful, refreshing, and ideal for pairings
by Susan Montgomery
It was a beautiful, warm late August day when we headed to Seal Beach—no, not for the beauty of the beaches but for the beauty of some luscious wines from the Czech Republic. Other members of our Wine Review Council came from various Southern California settings for this unique wine tasting. We had all prepared dishes to accompany our assigned wines, but most of us had not tasted Czech wines before so we weren’t sure what to expect. We soon discovered that these wines were excellent when matched with a variety of dishes.
We were graciously hosted by Vojtech Kacerovsky and Barbora Skokanova from Czech Tourism in Los Angeles who provided lovely wines imported through Vino z Czech. We learned that these wines came from southeast Moravia, a quiet, picturesque area of rolling hills, away from the bustle of Prague and close to the winemaking region in Austria. Moravia’s wine making history dates back to ancient Rome and the area now has about 50,000 acres of vineyards. Moravian wines are starting to attract attention around the world and we would soon discover why.
Wine can provide a wonderful introduction to a country's culture and we actually felt like we were experiencing a bit of Moravia through the wines we tasted. We were happy to learn that these wines were generally reasonably priced for their high quality and that most are available online through links on the Vino z Czech website or at www.getwineonline.com. They are also available at about 100 retail outlets and restaurants, mostly in the Northeast.
The wines were primarily white with distinctive variations in flavor, acidity and texture. Here is a brief description of each of the wines we tasted:
Gruner Veltliner Michlovsky 2011: This refreshing, dry white had an enticing fruity nose and subtle apple, citrus and even celery flavors on the palate with a nice dose of minerality. It matched beautifully with the cheeses we tasted and also with a delicious, chili spiced crab salad. A great buy at $16.
Welschriesling Spielberg 2011: Some of the reviewers in our group described this wine as “meadow in a glass” and I agreed. This was one of our favorites of the tasting with its stone fruit and earthy nose that led to grassy, floral tastes reminiscent of running through breezy meadows barefoot. Because it was fuller than the first wine, it went well with some of the richer dishes, such as a delicious caramelized onion and bacon tart and even with the rich Baklava. $23.
Pinot Blanc Vyskocil 2009: The favorite wine of the tasting, this wine’s bouquet has whispers of guava and mango that carry through with creamy vanilla on the palate, enhanced by the cheese, tangy sushi and zesty crab salad. This wine was well-balanced and smooth with a long, satisfying finish. $23.
Pinot Blanc Spielberg 2009: This soft, supple wine had rose petal aromas and light honey, cantaloupe and floral tastes. It was especially nice with the ginger cookies and cheese, and really brought out the savory flavors of the sushi. $34.
Riesling Michlovsky 2011: Fairly intense nose with peach, pear and honey while the palate tastes were strong with lemon-lime citrus, walnuts, more honey and deep minerality. As a contrast, the rice and vegetable stuffed grape leaves with mint yogurt worked very well. It also beautifully complemented the tangy Thai chicken wings. $19.
Rivaner Valtice 2011: Light, subtle nose with aromas of pear and peach. Honeysuckle, grapefruit and pear tastes. Its juiciness, good acidity and long finish made it really wonderful with the tantalizing array of sushi we sampled. Another great buy at $16.
Rouci Stapleton Springer 2007: Made primarily from Pinot Noir, this was the only Czech red wine we tasted. Its earthy, berry aromas and flavors held up well with the sweet, nutty Baklava and also really enhanced the spicy Sriracha Chicken wings. $40.
Modry Portugal 2012: Concluding our tasting, our hosts presented this “surprise” wine, which we really enjoyed. Its dark berry and heavy floral overtones again matched the sweet Baklava well.
Not only were these wines delicious, but their artistic labels depicting lovely women were exquisite, inviting us to taste and savor the beauty of the wines. The label art was created by the famous Czech artist, Alphonse Mucha from the early 1900s. After this wonderful tasting experience, we were sure we wanted to visit Moravia someday so we could experience the rich culture and history firsthand—along with the wines of course.
Photos by Todd Montgomery and Roger Paige.