Prague, July 2008 Hold your glass up to the light and see how the wine sparkles. Draw its bouquet into your nose and take a sip. What's it like? Well, whatever your senses tell you, you'll never be able to find as many nuances as an experienced sommelier. But that's not the most important thing at a wine tasting. Wine is best drunk and discussed with people in whose company you feel good. Wine festivals take place in this friendly atmosphere and can be the cherry on the cake of an autumn visit to the Czech Republic.
In the South Moravian town of Mikulov the locals have a 60-year-long tradition of hosting wine festivals. This year's Pálava wine festival will take place on 12th-14th September. Folklore events will give way to performances by current stars of the music world and visitors can once again look forward to a procession led by King Wenceslas IV accompanied by drummers, buglers and dancers. Those who are drawn to Mikulov primarily for the wine head straight for the wine fair where tastings are held and young wine (burčák) is sold. A special Mikulov Express coach will run to and from Brno during the festival; adult tickets will cost 250 Kč.
The biggest event in South Moravia to celebrate the grape will take place this year on
12th and 13th September in the town of Znojmo. This year's
Znojmo Historical Wine Festival will boast a number of changes to previous years. The popular
historical procession willhave a fresh look but the noble royal couple - John of Luxemburg (+1346) and Eliška Přemyslovna - will lead it as normal. At the historical fair you can try your hand at period handicrafts and the stage will reverberate to the sound of some of the biggest stars on the Czech pop music scene (Lucie Bílá and the group Olympic). The climax of the event will come on Saturday evening when a firework display and laser show will fill the sky. Admission for both days is 220 Kč.
Over the weekend of the 13th and 14th September 2008, the royal town of Uherské Hradiště will come alive with a folk festival involving towns and villages from around the Slovácko region. The Slovácko wine festival combined with an open day at the town's historical sights willcelebrate the history and rich folk traditions of Eastern Moravia. In addition to tasting sessions where you can sample wine from the Slovácko region, there will also be cultural events taking place at the town's attractions, a procession in folk costume and sailings along the Baťa Canal in a special music boat.
On the 27th and 28th September 2008 the much-loved Karlštejn wine festival will take place at Karlštejn, the most visited castle in the Czech Republic a mere 35 km from Prague. From dawn till dusk the area immediately below the castle will witness a superb programme of events. In addition to sampling the local Karlštejn wine, burčák, culinary specialities and a pork feast, visitors can look forward to a medieval fashion show, period dance lessons, a fire show, fakirs court magicians, a grand royal tournament and a medieval fair. The climax to the Karlštejn wine festival will be a historical procession led by Emperor Charles IV which begins at 13.30 near the main car park.
From the
19th to the 21st September 2008 the town of
Mělník will also be holding a three-day wine festival featuring music performances and other interesting events
.
Emperor Charles IV himself will arrive in the town and festivalgoers will have the chance to admire his resplendent entourage. There will also be ample opportunity to sample wine from the Mělník region and one tasting will even take place in a 14th-century wine cellar which can be visited year-round beneath the town's castle.
Did you know?:
The most famous wine producing region in the Czech Republic is South Moravia. Some 1100 km of so-called Moravian wine trails wind their way through this beautiful landscape and link the most interesting tourist sights, places of natural beauty and the centres of wine production. (www.vinarske.stezky.cz). You can find out more about Czech and Moravian wines by logging on to www.wineofczechrepublic.cz.
Markéta Chaloupková
Czech Tourist Authority - CzechTourism
chaloupkova@czechtourism.cz
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: Tourist Portal of the Czech Republic CZeCOT