I visited the Wine museum inside the Mikulov castle in the Southern region of Moravia located in the former Czech Republic, now known as Czechia. A small space, but well worth visiting for anyone who enjoys wine. In pictures, my photo story highlights the long tradition of fermenting grapes from vitis vinifera in the heart of Europe. A Bohemian king brought vine cuttings in the ninth century from Burgundy, France to plant them near the Prague Castle. The hillside vineyard still exists. It was replanted in the 1990s after the fall of the Communist regime.

Giant wooden barrel - over 101 000 l of wine can fit inside!

The historic presses and other tools used in wine making, storing and maturing wine are displayed comprehensively at the Wine museum inside the Baroque Mikulov castle.
Old wine press
Wooden wine press

Today, there a few wine producing regions across the country, but the Southernmost Moravia bordering Austria had the best climate for producing both white and red wine. Sweet, late harvest, wines used to be very popular, but today dry wines of superb quality surprise many well-trained palates with their longevity, balance and complexity.

The Wine museum in Mikulov is one of the most well preserved repositories of wine making tools in Czechia. The town itself is beautiful and there are plenty of wineries in the region worth stopping by for tasting.

Address: Zámek 1, 692 15 Mikulov, Czechia