Grape Spotlight: Moravian Pálava Using Sonberk as a Benchmark

Pálava tells the story of modern Moravia: a native grape rooted in tradition, yet confident enough to speak to the world. For many Czech wine lovers, Pálava represents a distinctly Moravian style of wine and is often considered one of the country's signature varieties. -- Sonberk Winery **

During an evening at the Czechia Embassy, we tasted two expressions of a local hybrid Pálava - a variety developed in Moravia by Josef Veverka from a crossbreeding Gewürztraminer and Müller-Thurgau. The new grape was named after the Pálava Hills, a UNESCO-protected landscape area in South Moravia renowned for its vineyards, limestone slopes, and centuries-old winemaking tradition. The breeding station where Veverka completed his work was located on the slopes of these hills, making the name a natural tribute to the region. Imagine the aromatics in these wines. First, though, let's step into the terroir. 

Moravia is the Czech Republic's viticultural engine and is responsible for 96% of Czech wine production. The region sits along the 49th parallel, sharing a latitude with Alsace and Champagne. It also resides at the intersection of Pannonian warmth and Central European coolness which helps explain its hallmark style: high‑acid, aromatic wines shaped by warm summers, cool autumns, and slow ripening. Vineyards typically lie between 240–320 meters in elevation and the soil is a mosaic of loess, limestone, sand, and ancient seabed deposits.

Mikulov is a subregion of Moravia and is dominated by the limestone massif of Pálava -- one of Moravia’s most distinctive terroirs. It excels in Welsch Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and the local aromatic cross Pálava. The town of Mikulov is a cultural and wine hub, home to festivals and historic wine presses. 

Pálava is a mid‑ to late‑ripening variety, typically reaching full maturity toward the end of the harvest window in South Moravia. It thrives in warm exposures where it can accumulate flavor precursors without losing acidity. The grape forms medium‑compact clusters with small to medium berries, thick enough in skin to contribute a gentle phenolic grip an advantage over its parents. Yields must be controlled; if overcropped, aromatics flatten and the wine loses its distinctive spice. In the right sites, however, Pálava develops a layered aromatic profile while maintaining enough acidity to avoid heaviness. The result is unmistakable: a wine that marries Traminer’s rose‑petal aromatics with the gentle acidity and orchard‑fruit charm of Müller‑Thurgau.

Sonberk Winery stands on a vineyard site cultivated since at least the 13th century, historically prized for its south‑facing slopes overlooking the Pálava Hills in the Mikulov subregion. Founded in 2003, the modern winery was built in 2008 and is recognized as one of Czechia’s first examples of contemporary wine architecture. Sonberk farms roughly 40–45 hectares on loess soils and produces acclaimed whites - especially Riesling, Pálava, Traminer, and Sauvignon - known for focusing on low yields, hand harvesting, and meticulous vineyard work to highlight the character of Mikulov's limestone terroir. 

"One of Pálava's greatest strengths is its versatility. Few aromatic varieties are capable of expressing themselves so convincingly across different levels of sweetness. In our experience, a near-dry style with around 5–6 g/L of residual sugar offers exceptional harmony at the table, allowing the wine's freshness and aromatics to shine. At the same time, Pálava can achieve extraordinary results in sweeter styles, including traditional straw wines with residual sugar levels approaching 190 g/L, where its floral character and exotic fruit notes gain impressive depth and complexity. **"

The winery's approach to Pálava is deliberately restrained: fermentations are cool, aromatics are preserved, and residual sugar is kept in balance with acidity. The result is a style that feels modern and architectural --aromatic but not exaggerated, textured but never heavy. Sonberk’s Pálava typically shows layers of white peach, lychee, citrus blossom, and ginger, grounded by a mineral line that reflects the vineyard’s limestone base. 

At the Embassy, we started with the 2024 Pálava, their everyday offering that, besides the strong floral aromas, shows tropical notes such as guava and peaches, some ginger, and all within a surprisingly fuller body. Expect minerality racing through the finish. The second expression was the Pálava 2024 VOC which shared similar traits as the previous with additional spice and texture from the oak treatment.  The wine is produced under the VOC (Wine of Original Certification) appellation system, which guarantees the wine's origin and typicity. This wine provides both charm and structure. The winery believes both wines are ready for the international market. I heartily concur. 

These wines are available through Wine of Czech Republic.

** Thank you to Kristína Eibl, Head of Marketing & Events at Sonberk Winery for most of the information about Pálava and the vineyard photos. 

Grape Spotlight: Moravian (Slovácko) Cabernet Cortis Courtesy of Vinařství Spěvák

Cabernet Cortis is a dark-skinned grape variety developed in 1982 by breeder Norbert Becker at the State Wine Institute in Freiburg, Germany. It is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon (the mother vine) and Solaris (the father vine). Solaris, itself, is a complex hybrid involving Merzling, Zarya Severa, and Muskat Ottonel.  The grape variety was designed for cooler climates with the intention to combine vinifera character with improved disease resistance. The grape ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, maintains acidity in warm years, and delivers a flavor profile that leans toward blackcurrant, forest berries, herbal spice, and cocoa.

The grape has found a home in South Moravia, the Czech Republic's viticultural engine responsible for the majority of Czech wine production (96%) where the soil is a mosaic of loess, limestone, sand, and ancient seabed deposits. The region sits at the intersection of Pannonian warmth and Central European coolness, creating ideal conditions for aromatic whites and structured, cool‑climate reds. Cabernet Cortis thrives in the region’s warm summer days followed by cool autumn nights and offer growers reliable ripening without sacrificing character. 

Drilling into Moravia's subregions, the Slovácko sub-region lies in the south-east of Moravia, nestled between Austria and Slovakia, and is endowed with very diverse natural conditions. The southern part of Slovácko is taken up by the land of Podluží. Most of the wine villages lie along the Morava River which is cooled by north-westerly breezes. As a cool continental wine growing-region, it is located along the same latitude as Alsace in France, Baden in Germany or Weinviertel in Austria. 

"The micro-climate conditions within the close proximity of Dubnany are quite unique: the rolling hills (referred to as Moravian Toscany and sought after by acclaimed photographers) at a low altitude of no more than 200 meters [600 ft] above sea level, situated in the valley of Morava River, provide slope and aspect to the vineyards. The light black soils intensify the temperatures during hot and dry summers, moderated by the north-east winds, and help extend the growing season well into late October. Some vineyards are located atop a dead mud volcano, giving the terroir a mineral to ashy undertone. Others are abundant with heavy clay which helps with water retention during the hot summer months." -- Vinařství Spěvák

Located in Dubňany, Vinařství Spěvák is a family‑run estate known for expressive, fruit‑forward wines crafted using both classic Moravian varieties and a selection of modern crossings such as Cabernet Cortis. The winery originated behind the Iron Curtain as a family vineyard for Frantisek and Marie Spěvák while Frantisek worked as a head agronomist at a large co-op.  As a bonus, he was fortunate enough to study under Professor Vilem Kraus, an educator, expert and published author on viticulture at Mendel University in Brno. Following the Velvet Revolution (1989) and the legalization of private business establishment (1990), Vinařství Spěvák became fully licensed and official the same year as the dissolution of Czechoslovakia -- 1993. Over the next 20+ years, two sons David and Frantisek Jr., graduated from the Vocational Viniculture School in Valtice and returned to help manage the winery's operations. 

Spěvák operates several vineyards within Slovácko, most situated in the Lower Morava Valley, with a diverse planting of over 30 grape varieties. They have been growing Cabernet Cortis for quite awhile and leverage the  the grape’s natural structure: medium body, ripe tannins, and a flavor profile that moves from blackcurrant and forest berries to cocoa and subtle spice. Their bottlings age well, benefiting from both barrel and bottle maturation - an attribute the family winemakers themselves emphasize as central to their craft. Case in point the Moravian Red Cabernet Cortis 2017 should be a cult classic. It is very concentrated for a medium‑bodied wine with layers of black forest fruit coated in dark chocolate, and firm yet approachable tannins. Plus vibrant acidity. All in a wine that is almost a decade old. A fantastic offering. 

Spěvák wines are available through Wills International.