Czech and Moravian Wines Will Be Presented Together on The ProWein Fair

The grapevine grows now on approximately 19 000 hectares of Czech soil. Cca 800 of these hectares lies in Bohemia, the rest of vineyards can we found in Moravia. The Czech Republic is divided into two viticultural areas, Bohemia and Moravia. The Bohemian are is further divided into 2 subareas („mělnická“ and „litoměřická“), the second one is divided into four sub-areas „mikulovská“, „slovácká“, „velkopavlovická“ and „znojemská“). In the Czech republic is is grown up to 600 000 hectoliters of vine and consumed app. 1.65 million hectoliters. The wine consumption has been steadily growing in the last eight years. Czechs and Moravians are drinking cca 16.5 liter of wine per person.

The major part of homegrown vine comes from the Moravian area; 28 % origins in the sub-area „velkopavlovická“, 25 % in „slovácká“ and „mikulovská“ sub-areas. Nearly one fifth of the wine production is based in sub-area „znojemská“. The two Czech sub areas hold only 3 percent share of the total production.

Approximately half of the Czech and Moravian wines come from the quality wine production, up to 40 % are table wines and 12 % are quality wine with special attributes. The structure of the wine cultures net is mostly made by small enterprises, husbanding an area from 0,1 hectare to 1 hectar. The majority of production is made by white varieties, the share of blue grapes production is 33 %. The most common varieties are whites: Veltlínské zelené /Grüner Veltliner/ (11 %), Ryzlink vlašský /Welschriesling/ (8,4 %), Ryzlink rýnský /Riesling/ (7,1 %) a Rulandské bílé /Pinot Blanc/ (4,7 %). Svatovavřinecké (Saint Laurent/ (9 %) and Frankovka /Lemberger/ (7 %) prevail in blue varieties.
The Czech Republic is an European northern wine cultural area. Conditions for vine production are rather rough, but this is the feature that gives the Czech and Moravian wines attractive and interesting characteristics. The prominence of wines from the Czech Republic lies in expressive smell, fruity and flowery character, fresh acids. The unique, distinctive characteristics can be found above all among whites and in a recently revived category of rose wines, which draw attention especially abroad. The red wines of highest quality are those from vintages from years with sufficient number of sunny days.
The National Wine Centre, introducing itself during the fair and holding the supervision of the Czech and Moravian presentation in Düsseldorf, was found five years ago. Its main task is, above all, organization of seminars and trainings for wine-growers and merchants, publishing of specialized publications and cooperation in marketing activities and promotion of Czech and Moravian viniculture.

One of the activities of the National Wine Centre is the maintaince of the Wine salon of wines of the Czech Republic. Both institutions reside in the art of the reconstructed castle in the sout Moravian town Valtice. The renewal of the historic landmark was funded by donations from the Ministry of Culture and the European Union (through the PHARE fund). The vine-growers have been given more than a representative and attractive quarters, as the Valtice castle is a part of a tourism centre the zone Lednice–Valtice area which had been included onto the UNESCO list of monuments in 1996.

Exhibitors´ profiles:

Bohemia Sekt, a. s.
The Bohemia Sekt Group is one of the top vine producers and sellers on the Czech market. The group annually sells app. 35 million bottles of vine. Controlling more than 70 % of the home trade, it is a leading producer of sparkling wine in the Czech Republic.

VINIUM a. s.
VINIUM is a recently founded, dynamic company, continuing a historical tradition of wine-growing and producing in southern Moravia. The roots of the company date back to year 1936, to a viticultural cooperative VINOPA founded in the village Velké Pavlovice. VINIUM is farming on 466 hectares, and it purchases grapevine from several business partners who cultivate grapevine on an area of more than 2000 hectares.

PATRIA Kobylí, a. s.
The company is one of the traditional vine-growers and producers of quality vines based in southern Moravia. Farming on 152 hectares, PATRIA Kobylí supplies the market with more than 1 million litres of vine per year. Its vine assortment offers 14 whites and 6 blue types of wine. The company focuses on vines designated for gastronomy and distribution to selected specialized wine-merchants.

The Mělník Castle and vine cellars of Jiří Lobkowicz, s. r. o.
The Mělník Castle and vineyards owned by Jiří Lobkowicz are located above the junction of the two biggest Czech rivers, Labe and Vltava. The historical city of Mělník bears the tradition of wine-growing for more than 1000 years. Although the noble family of Jiří Lobkowicz continues in this tradition, it uses the most modern, advanced technologies to produce its vines from the traditional types of wine.