Taste of Moravia: Znojmo wine festival is heading to Prague for the first time

Wine festivals usually take place in the fall, but last year most had to be canceled. Now that restrictions have relaxed somewhat, a wine fest will take place on Thursday, June 17, at Havlíčkovy sady and Villa Grébovka in Prague 2. The association VOC Znojmo will bring not only wine from South Moravia, but also cuisine and culture.

He added that there will also be the 13th annual festival in Znojmo in September.

VOC Znojmo certifies three types of wine from the Znojmo district – Sauvignon, Ryzlink rýnský (Riesling) and Veltlínské zelené (Grüner Veltliner). The certification shows that the wines actually come from the district and also meet certain quality standards for a typical taste profile.

There will be 42 newly certified wines of the 2020 season from 20 winemakers from the Znojmo wine-growing sub-region that are part of the VOC Znojmo association. There will also be certified wines from previous years, and the offer will be complemented by other white, rosé and red wines from the production of individual wineries.

A typical feature of wine harvest festivals will be absent. Burčák, the partly fermented first pressing of newly harvested grapes, can only be made in the fall at the start of the harvest season, which is still some months away.

On June 17 from 10 am to 8 pm at Villa Grébovka and the adjacent Havlíčkovy sady in Prague 2–Vinohrady, people can see how wine, folklore and cuisine blend in Moravia. Admission to the festival is free, and blocks can be purchased for tastings.

The venue is a fitting location, as the Vinohrady district long ago was covered in royal vineyards. In recent years, wine culture has made a comeback there with part of the hill under Villa Grébovka now covered in grape vines.

"In Prague, VOC Znojmo wines are definitely not unknown, you will come across them in wine shops and restaurants. More and more Praguers are interested in wine, attending our events and coming to us in the Znojmo region for tastings,” Koudela said.

Dulcimer music from Jožka Šmukař will help to create an authentic Moravian musical atmosphere, and regional culinary specialties will be prepared for gourmets.

The event will take place according to the current epidemiological measures valid on the date of the festival. For more information, follow the VOC Znojmo website and the Facebook event page.