Many grape varieties grow in Moravian and Czech vineyards. A number of them have been directly bred in our country and they are of the highest quality. Although these are mostly blue varieties and therefore red or rosé wines, we can also boast two world-class white varieties. These are Pálava and Muscat of Moravia.
Pálava was cultivated by Ing. Josef Veverka by crossing the varieties Gewürztraminer and Müller Thurgau. Pálava is often automatically perceived as a sweet wine, i.e. with a higher residual sugar but this is not always the rule. In the dry version we discover the charm and beauty of this variety.
Pálava is grown mainly in the Mikulov region
Pálava is grown mainly in the Mikulov region, in the following villages: Perná, Pavlov and Bulhary, and also in Lechovice, Popice and Čejkovice. Pálava has quite quickly become one of the most popular varieties, but due to that it is also one of the most counterfeited wine. The area of vineyards planted with this variety is relatively small (3% of the total area of vineyards).
The character of the wine is similar to Traminer wines but its spicy fullness is usually lower. The wine has interesting aroma which is enriched with vanilla notes and fine tannins. With a slightly higher acid content than Traminer, the wines of Pálava have a more delicate harmony and are thus more appealing to many consumers.
Since there was no sufficiently suitable variety with a muscat aroma in wine of our wine-growing regions, Ing. V. Křivánek at the Breeding Station in Polešovice tried to fill this gap by crossing Muscat Ottonel x Prachttraube. His plan succeeded and Moravian Muscat soon became the most widespread new breeder in our country. Despite this, the area of Moravian Muscat vineyards is only about 2.5% of the total area of vineyards in the Czech Republic.
The acidity content of Moravian Muscat is lower and therefore it is necessary to harvest the grapes early to produce dry fruity wines. Where the grapes can be protected from birds, wasps and grey mould, it is possible to achieve interesting tasteful wines. Since 2010, it has also been used to produce St. Martin's wine. The wines are suitable for cuvées and sparkling wines.
This variety is vigorous in growth, has medium-sized leaves and medium to large clusters. The berries are medium-sized, round, greenish-yellow, with a distinct muscat aroma. The berries ripe early. It is a variety suitable for clay soils, which produces fuller wines.