It was really good to see such a large number of members and some new to
the Upton Wine Club come along to the village hall for a presentation on
wines across the Czech Republic. Known perhaps more for its consumption
of beer, it was good to hear Alzbeta (Betty) Sutera from Wines of Bohemia
take us all through a fascinating tour of some excellent wines that we may
not have thought of trying.
We started the evening, as we sometimes do, with a sparkling wine called
Chateau Radyne. Made with Welshriesling and Gruner Veltliner grapes,
using the traditional method (second fermentation in the bottle – just like
champagne), this wonderful wine was a great opener for the evening. Dry
and crisp, it is a great alternative from perhaps your normal go to sparkling
wines.
Our first white, from the Cech Winery, was called Veltlinske Zelene. Made
from 100% Gruner Veltniner, a grape variety mostly grown in Austria. It
came with some wonderful fresh green apple, peppery flavours that would
make it a great summer wine.
The next wine was a white from a winery called Svoboda. They had
produced a wine from a variety called Welshriesling, not to be confused
with the more common Riesling grown worldwide. The same grape as used
in the sparkling wine produced a lovely wine tasting of gooseberry and
clean minerality, created by the chalk soils where the vines are grown.
Our last white divided the audience, which was great! Some thought it was
the best wine of the evening, whilst others found it a little too powerful!
The Castle Winery and vineyards have produced a wine from the Palava
variety grape called Herbium. The result was a complex wine with hints of
rose petal and lychee. A great wine to try for your next curry, rather than
perhaps the usual Riesling?
Our first red of the evening was called Rulandske Modre and came again
from the Castle Winery and Vineyards producer (ZVB). As soon as it was
poured, it looked and smelt like a Pinot Noir. We were not disappointed,
with very familiar flavours of strawberry and cherry jam. It was a light
Pinot Noir and those wanting the more complex deeper flavours of a
Burgundy may be disappointed. However, for the price, it could not be
beaten and was a firm favourite across all members.
Our next red was a Neronet grape from the Cech Winery. It was great to
try some different grapes and again this one did not disappoint. Neronet is
a cross-bred grape from several dark grapes, producing a rich dark red fruit
wine, rich in sour cherries and cassis flavours. Definitely worth a try if you
want to have something different.
Our next red was produced by the Horak Winery and named
Svatovavrinecke. The grape, St Laurent, is the most popular grape grown
across the Czech and is from the Pinot family. The wine was a lovely deep
red, which had been aged in oak barrels for 24 months.
Our final wine for the evening, was Frankovka, produced by Tanzberg
winery. A wonderful deep red with notes of forest fruit and plenty of
depth. Definitely one that goes better with food and a great wine for a
special with friends.
There was plenty of interest and on this occasion, orders, from our
members. If you are interested in any of the above wines, check out Betty
on www.bohemiawine.com.
For May, we will be bringing some high-end wines for our members to try
and asking – “are they worth the extra ££££?”
For further information, please see our website: www.uptonwineclub.com