« My Istanbul Istanbul »
Bratislava by the Bottle
Words by Andrew Catchpole
Sample some of Bratislava’s finest wines at the Day of Open Cellars, then take a tour through the beautiful Small Carpathians
There are plenty of reasons to take a trip to the Small Carpathians. You can hike in the hills, soak up the sights of ruined castles and historic towns, or just potter around enjoying the pace of life. Best of all though, it’s the ideal region to sample Slovak wine. As vine-covered slopes are harvested and the new vintage ferments away in the cellars, this sleepy region comes to life.
Shortly after the harvest, geese are dispatched, roasted and served with lokša (thin potato pancakes) and bur?iak, a special drink made from still fermenting grapes, which provides a tangy, prickly, fresh accompaniment to wash it all down. Thousands of Slovaks in holiday spirit descend on the region’s bars and taverns to indulge, creating a party atmosphere, culminating in the Day of Open Cellars in mid-November, when wine cellars along the 40km route from Bratislava to Trnava throw open their doors.
It’s a good-humoured frenzy of sampling and quaffing as visitors clutching wine maps and tasting glasses dart about the countryside trying the new vintage, all for a modest outlay of 800 Slovak Crowns. But even if you miss the Day of Open Cellars (on 14-15 November this year), it’s still well worth taking the time to explore the wineries of the Small Carpathians. The region is only an hour east of Vienna, a short hop from Bratislava and easily reached on a longer driving tour from Prague. Many of the 80 odd wineries on the well mapped out route are very welcoming, ranging from very small family operations to a few larger, more commercial concerns. There’s a concentration of better producers around the small towns of Modra and Pezinok, where a plethora of vinaren (wine bars) also make excellent pit stops for tasting, and the wine route map and relating website (www.mvc.sk; map available at tourist offices in Modra and Bratislava) also give plenty of information about where to eat the hearty local food and find accommodation.
The wine route begins in the historic heart of Bratislava’s Old Town, where the Museum of Viticulture (part of the Bratislava City Museum; www.muzeum. bratislava.sk) traces the history of vine-growing back to the time of the Romans. From here, the vineyards begin on the outskirts of the city, carpeting the folding hills all the way to Slovakia’s oldest town of Trnava, which still boasts an almost complete 13th-Century town wall and a jumble of interesting architecture. En route are Cerveny Kamen castle and the beautifully preserved town of Svätý Jur, plus a wealth of cellar doors to tempt you off the road.
By European standards, Slovakia is a tiny producer of wine and while a few good quality producers such as Gbelce, Hurbanovo, Masaryk, Borik, Karpatská Perla and the state-run Nitra are known beyond its borders, most of what is produced sates only home-grown thirst. But this makes delving into the cellars and wine bars all the more exciting, because it’s possible to find some excellent local wines that are unknown to the outside world.
Aromatic whites dominate the order of the day and slip down exceedingly well with the ubiquitous bryndzove halusky (sheep’s cheese and bacon topped dumplings), potato salads, sauerkraut and pork dishes, that are a staple in the taverns. Look out for perfumed Irsay Oliver, fresh Riesling (Ryzlink Rynsky) and Grüner Veltliner, that nearby Austria has turned into an international star.
Grüner Veltliner is a variety that also works surprisingly well with goulash, roast pork and the rich beef and sour cream stews. But Slovakia also produces some very decent reds of its own and it’s well worth giving these a whirl. The juicy St Laurence is best known and slips down well with or without food. But don’t hesitate to sample the fruity Frankovka reds, very local Leanka and originally Hungarian Ezerjó wines, which can also be very pleasant, if uncomplicated wines.
And if the prospect of pitching up at small, family-run cellars seems a little daunting, don’t worry. The Slovaks are an incredibly hospitable bunch and someone will invariably speak English. And if there is one word that will always bring a cheer to the room, then it must be Na zdravie!
Pages: 1 2
Bookmark This Post 
Print This Post
Email This Post
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.