Moravia, a region of vine-covered hills, grand châteaux and picturesque villages, is the beating heart of Czech viticulture: over 90% of the nation’s highly regarded wine is produced here. Bordering Austria and Slovakia to the south, and centred on the culture-packed capital, Brno (part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network), Moravia has a history of winemaking dating back to the Roman era.
Like the famed French and German wine regions of Champagne, Mosel and Alsace, it is situated at the 49th parallel, and its continental climate is particularly well suited to the production of aromatic white wines including Grüner Veltliner, Pálava, Riesling and Sauvignon.
Alzbeta Novotna, aka Betty, is the CEO and founder of Wines of Bohemia. She was born in South-East Moravia in the region of Slovácko in the Czech Republic. In her youth, she was surrounded by the local folklore and Moravian traditions, and her family trips around Pálava developed an even bigger love for the picturesque Moravian Tuscany.
Betty always had a passion for wine but she initially oriented her career towards social studies. In 2013 she finished her Bachelor’s degree in Social Pathology and Prevention. She then started studying Winery and Viticulture but she never finished due to moving to the United Kingdom.
Looking for more family-friendly working hours, Betty gave up her career path and decided to concentrate more on her kids. A family visit in 2020 to the Czech Republic gave her the idea to put enriched Moravian wines on the British market.
Due to Brexit and the multiple lockdowns, it took nearly a year to obtain all of the permissions and other requirements but finally she is able to share the magic and uniqueness of Moravian wines with the wider public.
Wine is one of the oldest drinks humanity has ever concocted. Going back as far as pre-historic times, its influenced on culture and society is titanic. Here we provide a brief timeline of wines place in the history of Bohemia and the Czech Republic.
Emperor Probus ordered vines to be planted in Roman colonies beyond the Alps. Mostly they were planted in Austria, but some vines were planted near Pálava.
Monasteries established large scale vineyards where they planted varieties from France and Germany and copied local winery techniques in cultivation and breeding.
Charles IV King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Made made a proclamation about establishing vineyards in towns.
Charles IV ordered that his citizens must establish vineyards on every mountain around Prague where the Sun shines at a three miles distance around the capital.
At the beginning of the 15th Century, the Hussite war damaged most of the vineyards and nearly destroyed the entire wine market. By the end of this century, however, the wine market was at its peak.
Winemaking begins losing attractivity as people are becoming more interested in brewing and importing foreign wines.
However, as the population dropped down, People started to open winery schools to encourage people to have an interest in this sector again.
In the last 20 years, Czech Republic has had a boom with new mostly boutique and family run winemaking.
From limited-edition wines to wholesale options for restaurants and companies, Wines of Bohemia has a selection of the best Czech wines for all occasions. Let us know your requirements and we will find you the best bottles.
