There is probably no person who does not look forward to fairs or grape harvests filled with young wine. After the young wine season, which is a celebration of harvests, comes the turn of young wine, which simply reminds us of summer. Read what young wine is and why it is worth tasting.
Wine that is only a few weeks old
Young wines can be called all wines whose grapes are harvested and the product bottled in the same year. They are not produced for archival storage, but rather are intended for quick consumption. The best young wines are made from Muscat varieties. At PD Vinohrady we have three such varieties - Irsai Oliver, Muscat Ottonel and Müller Thurgau. They are sold bottled and in barrels, while the barrel can be offered almost immediately after harvest.
The French started it all. After all, who doesn't know the legendary Beaujolias (read: Beaujolais), which wineries in Burgundy start offering one minute after midnight on the third Thursday in November. Crowds of eager wine lovers gather at wineries across the region on the eve of this unique event, eagerly waiting for midnight to taste this unique drink.
The Spaniards are not left behind either, who label young wines as Joven or Roble. The Italians also offer their young wines under the name Novello from 00:01 on November 11th. Our neighbors across the Morava River offer St. Martin's wines from 11:00 on November 11th.
Bottled young wines can be sold in Slovakia on Monday, November 1, which is the deadline set by law. This time ensures that you will not end up with artificial young wine. Even though the grapes are harvested at the end of August, they also need to rest for a while. Some growers want to sell young wines as soon as possible and therefore have to artificially accelerate processes such as fermentation and maturation. Of course, it is possible, but accelerating this process unfortunately affects the quality of the young wine. And so the headaches arise.
What can we expect from a young wine?
Very aromatic taste, freshness, fruity aroma and lighter color. It is very good for immediate drinking, because over time it loses its quality - it loses its aroma and juiciness. Early red varieties are suitable for the production of young rosé wines. When making red wine, the emphasis is on the character and earthiness of the wines, tannins, tannins and flavors of dark fruit. We do not make red young wine because of the longer process. By harvesting early and speeding up the production process, we would lose all that is essential.
The grape varieties from which young wines are made bloom earlier, put on clusters and leaves earlier and the crop is ready for harvest much faster than other varieties. They are bred so that they can be harvested as early as possible while preserving the aromatics of ripe grapes. However, it may not always be possible to grow early varieties. While Riesling begins to sprout after frost, in mid-May, Irsai can already have 10-centimeter shoots at the same time. These freeze and the harvest is over. Each grape variety has its own ideal time for harvesting and consumption. Riesling, for example, is harvested in mid-October and winemakers will only discover its true, full flavor in a few years.
We managed to collect and prepare our young wines on time. We can't wait for you to come and taste them. We look forward to seeing you in our store on November 4th and we are curious about your impressions. We look forward to a toast.