Vinarstvi Porta Bohemica sro

Porta Bohemica is a natural winery founded in the village of Velké Žernoseky, Czech Republic in 2010, which focuses on dry naturally fermented wines from the Bohemian Central Mountains. We grow our grapes on a mixture of volcanic and marl subsoil in a specific microclimatic environment above the river Elbe. The tradition of viticulture in the village of Velké Žernoseky dates back to the middle of the 13th century, but wine has been grown in the vicinity of Litoměřice since the time of Prince Spytihněv II, ie since 1057. The name of the winery, Porta Bohemica - Czech Gate, is inspired by a natural geological formation, which has a beautiful view from our vineyards. We share our passion for wine across the whole family. However, all of us have other occupations. I am chemical scientist working in Germany, where I lead a research group working at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, my wife Simona is teacher of art and our son Jonas is working at Czech National Film Archive. So all we do at winery we do it in our free time. Handwork in the vineyard is the most important step on the way to natural wines. When growing vines, we try to reduce the use of sprays to the minimum necessary. The grapes are harvested by hand, crushed and mash then lie on the skins for several days. The obtained must is fermented spontaneously. We leave the wine in the cellar in oak barrels and stainless steel containers over the winter, where it matures without further intervention. This gives the wine a free path to manifest its variety and place of origin. The aim is to prepare harmonious wines with juicy acid, so characteristic of our area. The main variety is Müller-Thurgau. We also grow Frühroter Veltliner, Tramin, Riesling, St. Lawrence and Pinot Noir.