Czech WIne

We were a bit surprised to learn that the Czech Republic makes well-regarded wines. Although, obviously better-known for its beer, wine grapes have been grown in the area since the Romans did so in the 2nd century C.E. Although the communists essentially destroyed the industry after taking control post-WWII, the industry has come back strong in the almost 30 years since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Most of the grapes are grown in Southern Moravia in the very south of the country, which is not near Prague. But, of course, where there is wine, there is wine tourism. The first thing we found when planning our trip was a small evening wine cruise along the Vltava River, which flows through the center of Prague. Taking this hour-long cruise on our first night allowed us to sample some Czech wine and see the city from the river at night. It was beautiful.

Here is the Prague Castle as seen from the river:

This shot is from a small area of canals that is known as the Venice of Prague:

We also got a bit of the history of the city including, of course, the Charles Bridge, whose construction began in 1537:

As you can see, the views were amazing and we were able to maneuver through and under some tight spots in the little boat:

Oh, and the wine was really good. We tried a number of wines that were made with Czech-specific grapes we had never heard of, but also tried a very good pinot noir. After this introduction, we made sure to try more wine at a number of the wine bars around the city, and continued to be favorably impressed. Just one of the many great things we experienced in Prague. More about our adventures there soon.

Hasta Pronto,

Jeff and Shana