Influence of the Roman Empire
A short history of the vineyard
Viticulture was introduced there by the Celts, and developed in the 3rd century, under the influence of the Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, wine was mostly produced for use by the Church.
The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) and then downy mildew, or the phylloxera crisis, had a terrible impact on Czech vineyards.
But in the 20th century, a revival of viticulture occurred after the reconstruction of the vineyards with new plantations of international grape varieties.
Cool climates grapes
The country produces 2/3 of white wines, and a third of red wines.
There are many German and French grape varieties, adapted to cool climates like Müller-Thurgau, Grüner Veltliner or Riesling in white, and Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon in red…
19,000 ha
The main wine-producing regions are
– Moravia (Morava), which makes up 96% of the vineyard.
– Bohemia (Čechy).
Extent of the vineyard
Located at the same latitude as southern Germany (50th parallel north), the Czech vineyards are among the northernmost vineyards in Europe. There, summers are hot and dry, winters long and cold, and wines have therefore very various styles.
And with more than 19,000 hectares planted today (0.2% of the world’s vineyards), the country’s production is best known for its remarkable white wines.
