Moravian wine has all of the good things that the French wines have, and none of the bad.

Ask any Moravian when they had their first glass of wine, and they won't be able to tell you. I think they were weaned on the stuff.

Alla Stella Nera Wine Bar and Restaurant (Seminarska 6, Prague 1, 110 000, +420 222 220 743, Metro: Staromestska (Green Line) Trams: 3, 6, 9, 17, 18, 22, 23)

A quiet place right near the Old Town square is very much what you would expect from a traditional vinarna, except the prices are much lower than you would expect to see in a place in this location. Perhaps no one has told them that tourists have a lot of money and no brains to use it with, or perhaps they just want to keep their well mannered, Czech clientele.

The walls are a soft cream color, and decorated sparingly and in good taste; the wine is cheap at 18 crowns for 2 dcl, and straight from the barrel; the menu is Czech and at Czech prices. This place is a real find for a quiet glass.

Reason to go: to relax after getting mangled by the crowd at Orloj.

Kavarna Sudicka (Nitranska 7, Praha 3, Vinohrady, Tel.: +420 222 520 672, Tel.: +420 222 520 672, www.sudicka.cz, Mon-Sun 17.00-24.00)

Low vaulted brick ceilings, heavy, hanging smoke, and a steady flow of Aerosmith love ballads give this barely noticeable wine bar the feel of a medieval junior-high dance, which while unfamiliar, is not altogether unpleasant.

The homey feel is increased by the "grandma's cupboard" (if grandma was a raging alcoholic) style bar, and the friendly bar staff. They carry a small selection, but quality wines at very affordable prices, and I can personally recommend the Svatovavrinecke. The second bottle really completes the fuzzy buzz.

Reason to go: in case you call the girl you met at Solidni.

Vinárna U Sudu (Vodi?kova 10, Prague 1, Tel: +420 222 232 207, Tram: Lazarská, Open: 12:00 - 02:00 Mon - Fri; 14:00 - 02:00 Sat - Sun, www.usudu.cz)

This is one wine bar where you check the snooty attitude at the door. It doesn't look like much at first, but the secret lies further in, each door revealing a new twisting cellar, more rooms, more people, more smoke and further, further, further down. After having the distinct "Goodfellas kitchen sequence" feeling, you finally reach the end point which you thought would never come.

A back room even smokier than the other ten you just passed through, injected with lively modern music, and peopled by Czechs who appreciate creative lighting and a festive atmosphere more than a cold and cheap beer. The wine here is decent, but the real attraction is the labyrinthine structure.

Reason to go: to try and find your way out.

Other Fine Wine Shops:

WINE SHOP UNGELT: Tyn 5, Prague 1, Old Town Square, Tel: +420 2 2482 7501 Metro: Namesti Republiky

MONARCH: Na Perstyne 15, Prague 1, Tel: +420 2 2423 9603 Metro: Mustek

KOGO WINE SHOP: Havelska 27, Prague 1, Tel: +420 2 2422 2479 Metro: Mustek