GG_N50_FR

CZECH REPUBLIC
DISCOVERY
rily for pleasure and therefore it is not compelled to make unwanted compromises and
give into the pressure of business results. Thus, despite the relatively large production
volume by national standards, the local wines will not be found in supermarket chains,
but exclusively in places where they are generally well taken care of and where the sellers
know how to present them properly. Although still a young business, B\V Winery’s wines
have been successful in international competitions for a long time.
CZECH WINEMAKING IN THE NEAR FUTURE:
IDEALS AND IDEAS
As 2022 transitions into 2023, the Czech Republic Union of Winegrowers, the largest
industry body representing the majority of growers, is in the process of developing a
long-term blueprint that will help winegrowers and winemakers face future challenges
in a stronger, more coordinated and profitable way for at least the next 10 years.
Winemaking, but especially viticulture, is a very long haul. A major part of vineyards in the
Czech Republic is still designed for historical farming practices and their varietal range, to a
large extent, continues to cater to consumer tastes of the past. Newly planted vineyards are
also about efficiency – the sites need to be adapted to new technologies. Vine spacing, for
instance, was historically designed to be extremely wide and suited to machines used in the
last millennium. Changing densities will of course have a significant impact on yields and
the production of high quality wines will increase despite the reduction in crops. Vineyard
acreage itself is unlikely to grow apace due to planting quotas.
WARM DAYS AND COLD NIGHTS DURING GRAPE RIPENING ARE THE SPICE OF CZECH WINES
72 WINTER 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE