EP Business in Hospitality Issue 53 - April 2015

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Czech wine | International MORAVIA, THE WINE REGION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC It may come as a surprise that a country so well known for its beer also has a little-known but upcoming trendy wine region Moravia covers the south-eastern part of the Czech Republic and is nearer to Vienna than Prague. The main city of the Moravian wine region is Brno, directly connected with regular flights from Stansted and Luton. It is also easily accessible by road and rail. Wine was introduced to the region by the Romans and was further developed during the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century and later by monks. In the 13th century, the Liechtenstein family played a significant role in Moravia and took over most of the most fertile areas. Development of Moravian wine was helped by the nobility banning imported wine. Average annual consumption was estimated at around 56 litres per person in those days comparing today’s 20 litres. The wine region continued to flourish until after the Napoleonic wars when a growing preference for cheap beer and brandies led to grain growing becoming more profitable than vineyards. In addition, an outbreak of disease seriously harmed the vines, which led to a massive reduction in the vineyards. However, there has been a recent revival of the wine industry. The Moravian wine region covers approximately 19,200 hectares, producing in excess of 350,000 hectolitres of wine annually. Over 50 varieties of grape are planted in this small area. The white grapes include Sauvignon Blanc, Muller-Thurgau, Riesling and Chardonnay while the reds include St Laurent and Pinot Noir. In addition, Moravia also produces lesser known but no less beautiful rosé wines, traditionally fermented sparkling wines, fortified wines and sweet iced wines. The soil type diversity over a small area means the same type of wine can have a completely different character. Chardonnay from clay vineyards has a crispy mineral taste and greenish tones while Chardonnay from sandy and gravel vineyards in a dry Right Olomouc is Moravia’s second city and is dominated by the Holy Trinity Column, which stands 35m high weather year promises fruity aromas of pineapple, banana or yellow melon. The vines are grown in a traditional and nature-friendly way coupled with modern controlled fermentation processes. Moravian wines are not widely distributed outside the Czech Republic. 40 | EP Magazine | April 2015
Czech wine | International “ Here, you can choose from a kaleidoscope of cultural events… be buoyed along by the peaceful rhythm of the life and find your own inspiration in local folklore ” iStockphoto.com, Thinkstockphotos.com Moravian wine production accounts for only 40% of domestic wine consumption. The best wines are mainly distributed to hotels and restaurants. In the summer, one can visit more than 100 winemakers during the Open Wine Cellar season followed by September’s wine festivals and taste young fermented wine juice called Burcak. Brno is the main city of Moravia and the second largest city in the Czech Republic. The most visited sights of the city include the Spilberk castle and the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul on Petrov hill, medieval buildings that overlook the town and are often depicted as its traditional symbols. Winston Churchill was a regular visitor – including on his honeymoon – to Castle Veveri, which overlooks the reservoir. Brno built up a reputation in the 1920s for its modern architecture in the Bauhaus styles. The best example of this is Villa Tugendhat, a family villa designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1930 with futuristic layout, Above The historic Chateau Lednice Left The diversity of soil types ensures a range of wine varieties furniture and technology. Near Brno is the historic battlefield of Austerlitz, the site of Napoleon’s most famous victory in the Battle of the Three Emperors. It is now an attractive location with its chateaux, sculptures, Peace Memorial and Prace Hill Museum. Each year, a spectacular battle re-enactment gives a dramatic reminder of this history-changing event. Chateau Austerlitz represents an excellent example of Baroque architecture with the Kaunitz family art gallery. It all overlooks rambling gardens connected to an 18-hole golf course. Head south from Brno and the wine region starts to open up with its historic towns and chateaux. The neo-Gothic Chateau Lednice has a design comparable to the Houses of Parliament and a vast greenhouse of tropical plants. The gardens are a mixture of French style and extensive English-landscaped parkland. Just few minutes along the road and you arrive at Chateau Valtice, once the main seat of the Liechtenstein family. Together with many monuments, churches and small romantic structures, the chateau is part of the Lednice-Valtice Complex owned by the family for more than 600 years. Olomouc is Moravia’s second city and has played an important role in Czech history. It was here in 1306 that King Wenceslas III was murdered and, much later, where Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph I was crowned in 1848. The centre is dominated by one of the baroque wonders of central Europe, the 18th century Holy Trinity Column that rises 35m in height. A tour of the nearby town hall includes its Gothic interior and a climb up the town hall tower for dramatic views of the Holy Trinity Column. This article was written with the assistance of Daria Harrison, one of the region’s enthusiasts and a connoisseur of its wine, and it is appropriate to end it with her views on Moravia: “Living here means being surrounded by interesting history, varied architecture including chateaux, cycle routes and golf courses with beautiful nature and sunny vineyards. Here, you can choose from a kaleidoscope of cultural events throughout the year, be buoyed along by the peaceful rhythm of the life and find your own inspiration in local folklore. The people, places and wine are so inspiring.” epmagazine.co.uk | 41
Page 1 and 2: April 2015 | £5.00 epmagazine.co.u
Page 3 and 4: Chris Sheppardson | Welcome BUSINES
Page 5 and 6: 16 30 Inside this issue | Contents
Page 7 and 8: Traditional values | Feature BREAKI
Page 9 and 10: Catherine Roe | Business A QUIET TR
Page 11 and 12: Andrew Williamson | Opinion Employe
Page 13 and 14: Danny Pecorelli | People Nick Dawe
Page 16 and 17: Dominic Lake | Entrepreneurs CHAMPI
Page 18 and 19: David Simms | Business A HANDS-ON A
Page 20 and 21: British hospitality | Feature THE R
Page 22 and 23: British hospitality | Feature MORE
Page 24 and 25: Events sector | Business COVERING A
Page 26 and 27: French cuisine | International WHER
Page 28 and 29: Colin Bailey | Business WHEN CULTUR
Page 30 and 31: Double Dutch | Entrepreneurs MIXING
Page 32 and 33: CHECK IN THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO TH
Page 34 and 35: Thomas Franks | Business MORE TO TH
Page 36 and 37: Leadership | Management LEADING FRO
Page 38 and 39: Exclusive supplier of Moravian wine
Page 42 and 43: Networking | Management THE CRAFT O
Page 44 and 45: Food waste | Campaign WASTE NOT, WA
Page 46 and 47: Peer advisory groups | Management N
Page 48 and 49: Le Cordon Bleu | Feature CELEBRATIN
Page 50: Hamish Cook | Opinion The right stu

EP Business in Hospitality Issue 53 - April 2015

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?