By Veronika Wills
Have you ever heard of a grape variety called Rivaner? And better yet, have you ever tried it before? Moravian White Rivaner 100% is a great example of how Rivaners are styled in the beautiful corner of Central Europe, waiting for your discovery – South Moravia, Czech Republic.
Moravian Rivaner 2020 by Spevak Winery is a perfect choice for those who like Riesling expressions but who prefer less striking acidity. Rivaner will provide you with the perfect compromise between acidity, citrusy and grapey extract underscored by subtle layers of Muscat spices. And again, as per Spevak's signature, aroma carries into the flavors and then extends into a nice finish.
Did you know that an alternative name for Rivaner, often used in Germany, is Müller-Thurgau? It is a crossing of two Vitis vinifera species – Riesling and Madeline Royale. It was bred by Dr. Hermann Müller of Thurgau (thus the name) in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. The intention was to combine the intensity of Riesling with the ability to ripen earlier in the fall which is an attribute of Silvaner. The fusion of the two names gives us the name Rivaner.
Today, Rivaner is the most widely planted new breed of vines around the world spanning from Canada and Northeast US through Europe (mainly in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic) and even across to Australia.
Rivaner has a long-standing tradition in former Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic (or Czechia) where it is currently the second most widely planted grape (right after Grünner Veltliner).
There are a couple of reasons for that – Rivaner vines are less demanding to grow than Rieslings and have a tendency for high yields. For Frantisek Spevak, Rivaner was actually one of the first varieties that he learned to work within his family’s vineyard and later as a young student at the Vocational school for Viticulture in Valtice.
An alternative name for Rivaner is Müller-Thurgau.
Back then – in the early 70s, the wine produced from Rivaner was to be made in large quantity as a table wine. Many Czech ex-pats may still remember Muller-Thurgau being sold in bright green 1-liter bottles and even larger volumes as table white wines. This high-quantity focus turned away from quality and Rivaner was suddenly frowned upon.
Frantisek Spevak realized that the true strength of Rivaner lies in its parentage.
But Frantisek Spevak realized that the true strength of Rivaner lies in its parentage – when properly handled in the vineyard, the vines will reward us with grapes of just the right balance of acidity, sweetness, and fruity extract that can be skillfully turned into a refreshingly clean wine. Healthy and ripe grapes are absolutely essential for the production of a high-quality Rivaner.
Depending on the vintage, Frantisek achieves this through a combination of many strategies during the initial vineyard design, e.g careful consideration of the right clone for the right terroir, shoot positioning, drainage, and then year after year tedious canopy management, support of a unique ecosystem consisting of rich soil, natural flora, and fauna which in turn creates natural protection of the vineyards against disease pressures and which ultimately cuts back on the need for applied protective interventions.
In addition, Frantisek practices green harvesting of Rivaner, removing bunches of grapes if they are too abundant on each vine. Doing so at the right time, shortly after veraison or even later in the season, this approach lowers the yield per vine and thus allows concentrating the sugars and flavors within the grapes.
Frantisek Spevak, the founder of Spevak winery in his typical work attire, tired after a long day of hand-harvesting is proudly showing a freshly harvested Rivaner grape.
Sustainable wine farming runs deep in our veins & vines.
Sustainably-grown vines mean sustainably-produced wines. How did Frantisek make this lovely wine? Considered an aromatic grape variety, the Rivaner harvest was processed as freshly hand-picked grapes immediately after their arrival in the winery, while still cold. Following crushing and pressing, the resulting juice was gently clarified before fermentation to prevent the formation of by-products that would affect the aromas. The focused reductive fermentation process in stainless steel under low controlled temperature was carefully monitored in order to achieve the desired balance of alcohol, sugar, and acidity levels while capturing the primary fruity aromas.
Town of Cejkovice, in the center of South Moravia, Czech Republic, is surrounded by rolling hills dotted with vineyards where Rivaner is still grown.
The resulting Rivaner 2020 vintage is a perfect choice for those who like Riesling-type wines but who prefer less striking acidity. This off-dry wine, with medium alcohol, medium acidity, and a medium body with a round feel to it is a refreshing and easy-to-enjoy wine for any day. Note this vintage is limited batch size.
Discover Moravian Rivaner, discover South Moravia! Paths Less Travelled can help you with that!
Na zdravi!
Technical data:
11.5% ABV, acidity 5.8 g/L, residual sugar 18.1 g/L
