This pack contains:
3 x Utopia & Visions 750ml
3 x Qvevri Reserva 750ml
Description of beers find bellow.
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Qvevri Reserva 5,2%
One year and half ago I shared with you my first beer aged in a huge Georgian Qvevri that I have buried in my cellar. Now, the new blend takes it to another level! It consists of a blend of spontaneously fermented beers aged in qvevri for 1 year with organic Riesling grapes and further 2 and half years in oak barrels for a maximum refinement. Those organic Riesling grapes from 2020 vintage, come from winemaker Petr Nejedlík from Dobrá vinice winery. Petr sadly passed away last year and was a pioneer of natural winemaking in the Czech Republic, an icon and true character. Petr pioneered the art of making his wines in Georgian qvevris. He was the first one to use qvevri for his wines here in the Czech Republic and I felt compelled to use some of his grapes for the premiere vintage.
For those of you who have never heard of qvevri, Qvevris are huge, handmade earthenware vessels that were traditionally used in Georgia to make and age wine. This method and dying art of winemaking could never be invented in the modern world, and reflects the depth of 8,000 years of winemaking history in Georgia. The qvevris are usually buried in the ground, usually in the same vineyard for the wine they are used for. Same goes for my qvevris. When they arrived from Georgia, I had to bury them into my cellar. I had to dig into the sandstone with a power drill to place those 1000l vessels into the ground. Let me tell you, they are big and heavy :) Each of them weighing roughly half a ton had to be manually put into the ground, just using prehistoric technique of many men and levers to move it and also praying to god it does not break. One of the more crazy things I keep doing to make these unique beers coming from the local environment that are relevant to me. I really wanted to make beers in these vessels and I believe they have a different energy (not flavour!) to them. They are part of “my terroir approach” that goes beyond the flavour. More about energy and how it feels and not what you feel. Something that can not perhaps be described, but surely can be sensed if you pay attention. I love this beer and I am taken away by how it has developed and keeps getting better. Qvevri Reserva drinks nicely now, but will get so much better 6 months to a year from now. The previous qvevri release does! This one is just more refined, deeper. As always the beer is made only from local and organic ingredients, otherwise it would not make sense for me to make.
There are only 500 bottles of this and when it is gone it is gone! If you like soft spoken and classy beer, this one's for you! I personally love the energy, its soft, mineral and unique “je ne sais quoi” character. Enjoy!
Utopia & Visions 5,5%
I am constantly reminded not to lose the playfulness and flexibility we were all born with. Kids are the best teachers of this. So this beer takes it lightly and is about playfulness and playful creative energy vibrating with life! It is like a good “bubbly” friend, you like to have around.
Utopia & Visions is a playful expression and celebration of using only local and seasonal fruits, creating an unexpected dance of unique flavours. This blend consists of spontaneously fermented beers aged in barrels for two and three years, married with local sour cherries I hand picked with my wife and son from a family orchard 30 min drive from Prague. The tart cherries from 2022 were so ripe and dark, it was ridiculous! So juicy! On top of that, juicy and aromatic peaches from another family orchard next door from the cherry orchard and perfumy Pálava grapes from the Eastern part (wine growing region) of the Czech Republic from an iconic local natural winemaker, Milan Nestarec!
The result? A vibrant and fruity summer juice with a touch of rustic charm. It is bright and fruity, but not sour! It is really juicy with a nice structure and as you would expect, with a great drinkability. It drinks like some of my favourite natural wines that are blend of white and red that really fuck with your mind as it is hard to pin where the flavours are coming from:) Summer utopia in a bottle, all made from local grain, fruit and local yeast plus my little magic touch.
I think this one will keep drinking well in a year too and become a little bit more mellow, but it is fun to drink now. So, do not sit on it. Na zdraví!
Jiří