Given the interrupted wine-making tradition and a fairly young audience with affluence and a knack for all things cool and new, Prague has always been a haven for natural wines - if there is one area where Prague has lead rather than followed the world, it must be natural wines.
But the coronavirus pandemic means that most of the drinking has been happening at home over the last year or so, and since the pandemic has been long, and our April of 2021 incredibly cold and unwelcoming, we thought we should have a proper look at natural wine distributors that actually make deliveries to your home.
We mean, we can’t wait for the wine bars to reopen just like the other guys, but we also can’t wait empty-handed, can we? Let’s get right to it.
Veltlin
There is no way around it: Veltlin has single-handedly brought natural wines to the spotlight in the Czech Republic, coining the „autentické“ adjective that has come to designate low-intervention wines in the minds of many, to the point it seemed at one point that Veltlin sucked the air out of the natural wine world for anyone else. That has not happened, luckily, but Veltlin is still the go to place for natural or low-intervention wines from what used to be the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Anything from Czech legends (Mr Osička) to Slovenian/Italian legends (Mr Gravner) and anything in between. Also, check out their online wine tastings - we’ve done a few and they were super fun.
Winegeek
Marko, aka Winegeek (whom we interviewed for our podcast here) was, for many, declared the winner of the covid times (if you can win in that respect), quickly grasping the opportunity and offering things like same-day delivery or, oh gosh you must be thirsty, 60-minute delivery. Marek’s portfolio has steadily grown over the years to include super stars and icons (Matassa, Christian Tschida, Radikon) to fun, cool youngsters. Add to all this fun ciders by Utopia or birch water by Euphoria, and you’ve got a who’s who of the modern cool wine cellar. Great sets, too.
Champagnier
If you love Champagne like we do but like look intervention wines, too, Champagnier will hit both of these boxes. A long-time collaborator with Veltlin (who co-founded the Praha pije víno natural wine festival, and the Autentista wine bar in the Old Town), Champagnier has been importing natural Champagnes forever from the likes of Fleury or Jacques Lassaigne. When we got married, one of the main wedding gifts - a double magnum of a Fleury 1996 champagne - was supplied by Champagnier. We opened it a year later and it was excellent. Great stuff.
Just Wine
Just wine, a Brno-based wine bar that has gone online and has wholesale representation in Prague, too (hi, Majka!), doesn’t focus on natural wines exclusively, but they do have a nice portfolio of them in their online shop. The highlights include Petr Koráb, whose pet nats are great value, and Milan Nestarec, to name the locals, and Claus Preisinger and the Slovenian Matic, to name some of the foreigners. Plus loads of other wines and wine accessories to choose from.
Natural Wine Shop
Well, the name says it all, really, but this Brno-based wine merchant really does focus on natural wines only, and the selection is actually rather large, ranging from local favorites like Dobrá vinice, Syfany, Mr Osička and Nestarec or Herzánovi, to some samples of natural wines from Europe (with nice bottles from Slovakia, too) and as far as Georgia. These guys are fun and the portfolio is expanding! A shop to watch.
Poctivá vína
Again, this little wine shop does not formally focus on natural wines but on what they call „sincere wines“. The main selling points here are Porta Bohemica from Bohemia and Richard Stávek from Moravia, the latter being the prototypical Czech natural winemaker with his wines listed by the likes of Copenhagen’s Noma.
Moravian winemakers
Sure sure, you want your wines fast, but did you know you can get wines from Moravian natural winemakers with next-day delivery? That’s how we’ve been getting our wines for the wine sets and Christmas sets we’ve been selling in our shop. Please be considerate and buy in the multiples of six. Here’s our favorite Moravian natural winemakers that sell online.
Milan Nestarec
When we ate at NYC’s Contra, a Michelin star, guess which Czech winemaker was on the wine list… by glass? Yes, Milan Nestarec, the natural winemaking rock star from Moravia. When we mentioned that we knew him as „Milan“ and were friends, our smug faces received some congratulating nods from the sommelier and staff. Anyway, Milan now has an online shop that is as cool as his wines. Check it out.
Plenér
Dominika Černohorská would probably argue against being classified as a natural winemaker… simply because she believes that thinking in categories just obstructs what’s important - how good the wine is and how honest the winemaker is in what he or she does. A visit to her vineyards on the Pálava hill and in her cellar in Pavlov that manages to be traditional and modern at the same time is one of the highlights of our wine tours (especially if Dominika’s mom is around). And they have a proper online shop too. Worth getting a few bottles.
Petr Kočařík
Sure, you can get Mr Kočařík’s wines through Veltlin or Alifea, but you can also call him and get them shipped overnight directly. And that’s how you start a relationship with one of our favorite winemakers… wait, scrap that… one of our favorite people in Moravia. Mr Kočařík was the first winery we scouted when we were starting our wine tours back in 2011, and we still have a soft spot for a family man who serves fantastic, solid and pensive wines in his home while also designing ovens for some of the world’s most famous bakeries. His Novosady pinot noir is one of our favourite wines, full stop.
Petr Marada
Mr Marada from Slovácká subregion of Moravia has been a follower of a family agricultural tradition, and that’s one of the reasons why his approach to winemaking has always been based on low intervention and respect for the grape and terroir. He is now getting a lot of traction for his sparklings and pet nats, and you should definitely try some. He has a proper online shop and delivers direct.
Krásná hora
We’ve been visiting Mr Vybíral and his family in Starý Poddvorov with our wine tours forever. Krásná hora may not have been known as a bona fide natural winery in the past, but they’ve been moving in that direction forever, and they have arrived in the natural camp a few years back. They have a fairly large portfolio and a proper online shop… with merchandise, too! And the prices are right. Can this get any easier?
Dva duby
You can nearly tear up when you listen to Mr Šebela speak of Dolní Kounice, his town when he makes his wines: he loves the terroir, and the wines it produces, and the rich cultural heritage of the town. His wines are not something you open at a party without thinking: they are pensive, complex and beautiful. The standouts are the Blaufrankisch (frankovka) grapes and Gruner Veltliner (veltlinske zelené), although the best ones bear Latin names.