Hospoda, a unique restaurant located on the Upper East Side, pairs seasonal contemporary dishes with Czech pilsner, beers, and wines. The stylish restaurant hosted a wine tasting dinner to introduce their newest selection of wines, produced in Moravia, a region in the southeast Czech Republic. Each wine, all imported by Czech Wine Imports, was perfectly paired with great Central European cuisine. Check out the great wines below!
Czech Wine Tasting Notes, courtesy sommelier Steven Rhea
Vinařství Galant Welschriesling 2011
Light and citrus-driven, with some apple, orange, and a refreshing mineral structure. High acid gives it a real lift. You could drink it all day.
Additional Welschriesling: It is not related to Riesling, though it does have quite a few similarities, which isn’t really all that surprising given the similar terroirs.
Vinařství Spielberg Pinot Blanc 2009
Oak hits you right up front on the nose, with a bit of unripe peach. This is very reminiscent of a top tier Alsace Pinot Blanc. Rich fruit, well integrated oak, a dash of citrus, and a splash of cantaloupe. A bit more of a food wine. You could definitely sit down with a roasted chicken with this one.
Stapleton & Springer Rouci 2007
This is primarily Pinot Noir, but there is some St. Laurent. Being primarily Pinot Noir, it has those typical notes: cherries, a bit of mushrooms, aromas from a barnyard, hearty oak, and a little bit of spice on the end. It’s perhaps the most elegant of the reds I tasted from the region in that it tasted like it was supposed to. The Pinot is very well-constructed, and while it has the elements of a new world style, there is definitely some old-world elegance to it.
Vinselekt Michlovsky Ryzlink Vlassky 2010
A strange style of Riesling, with an incredible mineral flavor, but with subtle fruit flavors. It has really impressive bitter grapefruit up front, with a hint of floral aroma. Impeccable structure, and a nice, slightly sweet finish. This is some of the best I’ve tasted from Moravia.
We recommend heading to Hospoda and trying them all out!
