Deep freeze

Ice wines are made from frozen grapes and are much coveted for their remarkable sweetness. No, not that cloying lemonade sugariness of many semi-sweet supermarket offerings, but an exquisite nectar with a vibrant acidity that balances out the sweetness and typically exhibits a palate of lychees, candied orange peel and honey, along with a range of other tropical fruit, which give this type of wine its noble quality.

The most famous examples come from Germany, where wine has been made from frozen grapes since the 19th century.

The discovery of ice wine reputedly came about when a sudden cold snap caught vintners by surprise. No doubt spurred by the fear of massive financial losses, they harvested anyway. The lush concentration of the resulting elixir came as another surprise.

The process remained exclusive to Germany until the 1960s, when the commercial potential of ice wine began to be realized and other countries with bitterly cold winters began to imitate the phenomenon. Canada is now the largest and most famous producer of ice wine, with very strict criteria for its production.

Meanwhile, ice wine in the Czech Republic first came into being after the Velvet Revolution.

Grapes in the coldest parts of the vineyard are left at harvest time to freeze in the depths of winter. However, leaving grapes on the vine well into December (and often beyond) is not without risk. Birds, beasts, continuing mild weather and the possibility of rot, not to mention thieves, all play their role in keeping the winemaker nervous - especially if the delay is prolonged, as it has been here recently, with two relatively mild winters in a row.

Czech wine laws dictate that grapes may only be harvested once the temperature has reached -7 C. Hard as stones, these are picked by hand. The work crew is summoned at virtually no notice from their beds in the coldest hours of the night once the winemaker decides the time is right.

The bunches have to be pressed immediately so as to isolate the frozen water, which remains in the skins to be discarded, leaving a thick, highly concentrated must of natural sugars, acids and aromatic substances to flow off. The amount of resulting juice is as little as one-fifth of a normal grape pressing.

No wonder, then, that prices for these liquid gems often reach stratospheric levels. In neighboring Germany you can still get a bottle of Eiswein for as little as 25 euros, or for as much as 2,500 euros for a 0.75 L bottle. Prices for the local offerings seldom drop below 500 Kč, usually for optically illusive bottle sizes of around 0.2 L.

Winery of the month: Víno Miloš Pálek

Miloš Pálek first began making wine in 1982, and, at the time, he says, "It wasn't bad." With the regime change, he began turning his hobby into a business, renting 6 hectares of vineyard and vinifying in a water mill in Úvaly on the eastern edges of Prague.

Nowadays, in the old house he has reconstructed to include a modern winery, he produces a range of wines, mostly from white grapes, which he sources from reputable vine-grower Jan Matoušek near Slaný, northwest of Prague. This at least allows him to label his bottles as Czech (Bohemian), in accordance with the latest in a long list of wine laws.

Red grapes come from the south Moravian vineyards of his acknowledged mentor Lubomír Glos. The resulting wine is labeled zemské víno (land wine).

The always-jovial Pálek has no employees, getting by with a little help from his son, and working to preserve the true varietal character of his wines.  

Wines and tastings are available by arrangement for small groups at his cellar in Úvaly, or at his brother's restaurant/wine bar at na Příkopě 29 in central Prague.

Prices of ex-cellars range between 80 and 100 Kč, and are well worth a try. For more information, check Vinnydvuruvaly.cz.

Wines of the month

White: Cuvée Blue Orange 2006  

Producer: František Mádl, Velké Bílovice, Velké Pavlovice sub-region, Moravia

    This unusual blend features a mix of 70 percent Pinot Gris and 30 percent Pinot Noir, originally made for a private customer.  It has a darker-than-expected golden hue, a rich and complex nose of dried orange peel with a dash of vanilla, a touch of cinnamon and cloves, stewed peaches and cream, with a full and harmonious palate, plus a lovely long finish ending on citrus fruit. Another fine example from this gifted winemaker, and simply delicious! (300 Kč)

Red: Teran 2007

Producer: Zigante, Istria, Croatia  

Teran is a native grape variety found only straddling the Croatian-Slovenian border, where it is also known as Kraški Teran. This wine is a hefty deep purple and very youthful looking. Very fruity nose reminiscent of dark stone fruit, while on the palate it comes over as cherry-like, with a crisp acidity typical of this cultivar. Structure is good, almost chewy, with firm tannins that makes it especially food-friendly. Available from Casa Istriana at Soukenická 8, Prague 1. (350 Kč)

March events diary

A range of wine tastings (not only from Moravia) take place this month at the Viniční Altán restaurant in Gröbovka park of Vinohrady's Havlíčkovy sady. On March 6, the excellent Spielberg winery from Archlebov presents its wares. March 9: Moravské Vinařské Závody Bzenec. March 11: Fairview Estate from South Africa. March 16: Mikrosvín Mikulov. March 18: Importers Kupmeto with their range from Mendoza, the most important Argentinian wine region. March 23: Vinařství Jan Lekavý of Dolní Bojanovice. March 25: Vinařství Hlinecký from Čejkovice. Finally, March 30, a selection from Bodegas Valonga, based in Huesca in northeast Spain. For more information, check Vinicni-altan.cz.

Helena Baker can be reached at
features@praguepost.com