One of the most exciting part to me about owning Uncorked Ventures is the opportunities it gives me to find new and exciting wines. My business partner Matt and I have discussed the possibility of setting up an import side to the business. There is some obvious benefit to this, especially once we're set up on the export side. To be honest, this is probably quite a ways off, but it is something we've discussed and it made for an interesting conversation with a group of wine distributors from the Czech Republic.
I'm sure most of you reading this, are thinking the exact same thing: They make wine in the Czech Republic? I've included a small map since I realize that a lot of people may not even realize where the country is located.
To start, part of the reason I was interested in speaking with the wine distributor from the Czech Republic was that my wife and I went to Prague for our honeymoon.
Prague is a beautiful city and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The people were incredibly nice, it was a great experience to be in a place that, at the time, was just being opened up to capitalism (The Czech's gained their independence in 1989). I won't spend the time to go into the history of the country here, but the Czech Republic was perhaps the country in the former Soviet block that provided the most resistance against communist rule.
So a quick word about the food. They are very steak and potato heavy as well as being quite famous for their beers: of which there are two choices which we can sometimes find in the States, that is really as good as any beer I've ever had... anywhere.
Given the tradition of creating world class alcoholic beverages, I was interested in trying the wine. I also thought that, having ridden through the countryside on the way to Karlovy Vary (the original Carlsbad) we had seen a few vines growing. The Czech Republic is also at a geographical location (and therefore temperature profile) that could produce some outstanding white wines, much in the same style of German Riesling.
Ok, so about the wine. To start it was a Pinot Gris, which is something I'm usually not a huge fan of in the states.
Overall the four of us that tried the wine all thought it was pretty good. It was sweeter then I was planning on, but compared with some of the other white's we've tried recently I would say it was easily a better bottle then what we've found at Costco. It didn't have a lot of easily identifiable flavors, it was simply a bottle that makes you say... pretty good.
The bottom line for me: I think the Czech winemakers could export their wine (of this quality) into the U.S. market today... of course if the price and marketing approach was right. My suggestion to them would be to position themselves much as the Chilean wineries have in California. Sell their wine at entry level prices and try to make the reputation that although not necessarily great in every bottle, each and every wine from the country is good... and affordable. I think there is some real room for that in the market, especially here in California where we tend to get overly oaky Chardonnay... or French whites which seem to be living off a reputation earned 50+ years ago.
I'd say to go pick up a bottle... however unless you're planning a trip to Central Europe that won't be possible!
We do have a second bottle of Riesling from a different winemaker that I'll be opening on my next trip to Napa with my business partner.
Lastly, full disclosure both bottles of wine were sent to me as samples and therefore were free. I will never post a good review if I haven't tried the wine and I wouldn't purchase it on some level for my own wine clubs.
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Moldova Wine Club party at Club Dance Planet
