Moravian merlot wins top prize at US festival, dispels myths about Czech reds

Czech whites have long been considered superior to reds, a trend that is changing

Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas

Written by Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas Published on 29.07.2020 09:00:38 (updated on 29.07.2020) Reading time: 1 minute

Earlier this year at the prestigious annual Chardonnay du Monde, a French competition recognizing the world’s best Chardonnay wines, Josef Valihrach 2013 Chardonnay from the Moravian village of Krumvíř took home gold-medal honors, competing among 658 wines from 37 countries.

Now a Moravian red is getting worldwide recognition. Chateau Valtice has been named a winner in the red wine category at a wine competition held annually in Rochester, NY.

Chateau Valtice brought home a total of 13 awards from the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition but won top honors in the category for Merlot wine made from a selection of 2017 grapes from the winery’s Premium Collection.

David Šťastný, director of the winery said of the win, “This year’s success is all the more valuable for our family winery because it is a champion in the category of red wines, and especially for the variety that is grown in all major wine-growing countries. So the competition is really huge.”

He adds that the 100-year-old family winery has been happy to dispel myths that world-class red wines cannot be produced in Moravia.

“Results from anonymous tasting competitions around the world are clear evidence that we know great wines in Moravia, even red ones,” said Šťastný.

This year, more than two thousand wines from almost twenty countries around the world took part in the competition which donates 100 percent of its proceeds to children with cancer and their families by sending kids to summer camp free of charge.

Overall Czech wines had a strong showing at the competition though many of the Double Gold winners were white wines and ice wines.

For anyone looking to explore the winemaking regions of Moravia this summer, see our article here.

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