The absolute winner is Štěpán Maňák. Gotberg and the Spalk family also scored. The title of Enologist of the Year goes to Roman Fabig.
It's decided. The names of the best domestic winemakers in the categories of small, medium and large wineries were announced at the Winery of the Year 2024 gala evening. Among the small producers, the Špalek family winery in Šaldorf reigned supreme, among the medium-sized ones the Gotberg winery in Popice and among the large ones the Štěpán Maňák winery in Žádovice. The latter were also the absolute winners, with the committee praising their excellent wines and the environment in which they serve them, as well as the gastronomy. This year's Enologist of the Year was Roman Fabig from Hustopeče, known for his Sauvignon wines.
The Winery of the Year competition annually recognizes the best domestic wines and producers who know how to serve themand offer them to customers in an interesting environment and add a great experience to it. "The whole competition is meant to be a showcase of the best of what we do in the industry and what we are really proud of. The award-winning winemakers take great care of the land, create artisanally excellent wines, and do a variety of activities for their customers and their positive experience. They are industry leaders who also motivate other winemakers to follow their lead. In the case of Štěpán Maňák and this year's other winners, this is true without fail," said Martin Chlad, President of the organizing Association of Winemakers of the Czech Republic.
The Maňák couple took over their ancestral vineyards in 1992 and gradually built them into one of the most successful wineries in the Czech Republic. Their philosophy is to combine tradition, honest work and innovation in order to preserve authenticity while pushing ecological approaches and quality. They farm 25 hectares of vineyards, among which they consider Žádovský Fěruňk the most important. They specialise in varieties such as Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and are pioneers in the cultivation of PIWI varieties, i.e. new varieties resistant to fungal diseases.
"It's always hard to create something, to move something, to build something, and it's even harder to make something out of nothing, to patiently come in every day and add a piece of the mosaic, to put together the whole perfect picture. Here we have managed to build a great thing, precise wines and great gastronomy," said Mojmír Baroň, one of the final evaluators. He and his colleagues praised the management of the family winery, its art, the recently built new premises and the fact that the new generation is also involved in the running of the company.'
The category of medium wineries (with a production between 50,001 and 200,000 litres of wine) was won this year by the Gotberg winery in Popice known for the architecture of its premises and the impressive view of the Pálava Mountains, took the top spot. "When you look at the vineyards here, it is clear from the start that they know what they are doing. They leave nothing to chance, they pay absolute attention to the vineyard and this precision and care is then reflected in the bottle and the glass," said Vilém Kraus, another of the evaluators.
Among the smallest producers (up to 50,000 litres of wine per year), the Špalek Family Winery, known for its organic approach, care for the landscape and commitment to the region, reigned supreme. The winery was founded in Nový Šaldorf in the Znojmo region shortly after the revolution by a father and two sons. Today, three generations of family members have worked there. In addition to growing grapes for wine, they also enjoy building viewpoints, hanging swings and erecting menhirs. Their motto is that "It's not about collecting the most medals, it's about having the happiest bees in the vineyard."
"Personally, I really appreciate the cooperation between generations here. The exchange of ideas between the young innovative members of the family and the older ones allows the winery to move forward continuously. I also like how important the customer is to these winemakers, and how they explain the whole terroir to them, and how they have a perfectly developed program in the vineyardsso that everyone can walk around for hours and hours," emphasised Klára Kollárová, national sommelier and chair of the evaluation committee.
At the gala evening of the Winery of the Year, the title of Lomax Enologist of the Year was also awarded to the Hustopece winemaker Roman Fabig, who is known for his precise approach and focus on the Sauvignon variety, which he processes in several forms.
The award for an important wine personality for a lifetime contribution in the field of viticulture or winemaking - the Prof. Vilém Kraus price - was awarded to Josef Vozdecký, who is lifelong associated with Bohemia Sekt and its transformation from a permanenttional enterprise into a commercial company, where he and his colleagues gradually created the largest wine-growing group in the Czech Republic.
The prize of the students of the Faculty of Horticulture at MENDELU was awarded to Štěpán Maňák Winery, which completed the winning hat-trick.
The competition is announced and the title of Winery of the Year is awarded by the Union of Winegrowers of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the National Wine Centre, with significant support from the Wine Fund of the Czech Republic, the South Moravian Region and the City of Brno. The event is organized under the auspices of the Governor Jan Grolich and the Mayor of the Statutory City of Brno Markéta Vaňková. The competition is also supported by the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, the Faculty of Horticulture of Mendel University and the Tourism Centre - South Moravia.
More information can be found at www.vinarstviroku.cz and on the social networks Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the YouTube channel. The annual joust also serves as a promotion of tourism. Travellers can find inspiration for routes and trips on the website jizni-morava.cz, in the GOURMET South Moravia gastronomic guide or on the Instagram profile @tastymoravia.
