Communism created terrible wine. I realize that a tolerance for plonk does not usually make it into history’s grand indictment of Stalin and his offspring, but I am just superficial enough to view it as a first-class tragedy. I’m especially moved after returning from a trip to the Czech Republic, where wineries are still finding their feet after decades in the totalitarian mud.
Under the influence of the Soviet Union, collectivism and central planning dominated wine-making all over eastern Europe. The politburo had no interest in handcrafting wines that expressed the unique individuality of a parcel of perfect land. It wanted massive tractors to machine-harvest the fruit and industrial-scale fermentation. Wildly different grapes were tossed into the same vat to create homogenized bottles of crud. My theory is that wine was an ideological victim of communism. Wine appreciation appeals to elites and intellectuals. Revolutionaries don’t mind drinking Shiraz out of a box…
In preparation for joining the EU in 2004, the Czech Republic embarked on a massive overhaul of its wine industry and the wine laws which shape that industry. The Czech’s used Austria as their legal role-model, since it also is a small, cool-climate producer that is building a reputation for cheap but high quality wines.
One of the perils about trying Czech wines is that the Canadian palate will encounter a number of central European grapes that don’t usually make it over to North America. If you find yourself thirsty in Prague, here are my tips for what to look out for:
- Frankovka (aka Lemberger) is one of the most popular red grape varietals in the Czech republic. It creates a pale, feather-weight wine that reminds me of a poor man’s Pinot Noir: the tart cherry flavour is refreshing, but it lack’s Pinot’s satisfying harmonies. A good choice if you like Nouveau Beaujolais, or simply want a cheap buzz.
- Pinot Noir is enjoying the same sort of success in the Czech region Moravia that it is in Southern Ontario. The Czech Pinots that I tried were outrageously complex, with attractive notes of clover honey, menthol, herbs, and black liquorice. Definitely worth extended cross-cultural “research”.
- Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety common in central European domestic markets but rare as an export. This is because it is often insipid trash. However, with the right amount of care, it can produce an aromatic and diaphanous white wine that’s perfect with a salad or seafood. Expect a heavily scented nose – similar to walking by the perfume counter in a department store.
- Chardonnay makes some of the Czech Republic’s best white wines. When I dined at the Francouzska Restaurace, I tried the 2006 Plesingr Late Harvest Chardonnay Barrique. It was gorgeous: buttery and intense, but also vivacious and light. It’s a true, hand-crafted wine. It tasted like a velvet revolution.
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He writes a weekly blog entry here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca