Although the vintners of Southern Moravia like to maintain that Noah planted the very first vine after the Flood (and thereafter drank wine for 300 years, thus providing incontestable proof of wine's beneficial effect of health), it seems likely that grapevines were brought to Moravia by the ancient Romans. By the time of the Kingdom of Great Moravia, wine was certainly produced in the region, for excavations of settlements dating from this period have revealed evidence of grapes. Wine production in Moravia must therefore be at least 1,100 years old.
The wine-growing regions of Southern Moravia extend over an area of more than 65,000 acres (26,000 hectares). They lie at the northern limits of the wine-growing region of Central Europe. Moravia has neither the intense sunshine of Dalmatia nor the tranquil and humid climate of
the Moselle or Rhine valleys. For this reason vines are grown only on south-facing slopes in hilly districts protected from frost and wind, and predominantly on dry, sandy soils. Despite all this, Southern Moravia produces light wines which are often sweeter than those from the famous wine-producing areas of France.
Among the Southern Moravian vintners, a deeply rooted tradition of professional integrity and diligence are passed on from generation to generation. During the first weeks after the grape harvest, the cellarmen supervise the process of maturation until the burcak, the new wine, is ready. It is allowed the "cook", as this process is known, for only a couple of hours before the vintners themselves drink a good liter of it each, on the pretext that it will cleanse their blood and provide them with the life-giving energy of the soil and the sun.
Months will pass by before the wine has settled in the barrels
and it is time to taste it. Unless a vintner decides to treat a novice to his "three-man wine" - when one person actually drinks the brew while the other two hold him firmly to stop him from shuddering violently and falling to the ground a wine tasting is a dignified procedure.
"Remember it's not water"! scold the vintners when visitors quaff the brew too quickly. Before taking the first little sip one should take in the color and savor the bouquet. After the first reaction to the unexpected sharpness, let the full taste slowly develop on the tongue. The entire procedure is repeated several times standing in front of a number of barrels, until the preferred wine is determined.
Two of the oldest and most famous wine cellars are Valtice and Primetice, near Znojmo. Both were established during the baroque era and boast magnificent cross vaulting. The arches were built so wide that the lord of the manor could drive in his coach and even turn round. Another impressive cellar is in Satov, also near Znojmo, its walls are adorned with amusing frescoes.
During the 16
th century the Archbishop of Olomouc received his supplies of
red wine from the village of Pavlov near Mikulov. And for many years the wine served in the Town Hall cellars in Vienna came from the community of Satov. Jan Amos Komensky was a guest in Blatnice, and even Napoleon was a fan of the wine of Archlebov; he celebrated his famous victory at Austerlitz with a Southern Moravian vintage.
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