This year's national wine competition began with the evaluation of products from the Bohemian wine region, where the winner was Riesling classic 2021 from the Bettina Lobkowicz Winery. The CZU Winery's Riesling 2020 won in the quality sparkling wine category. And the winery in Chloumek, which Czech University of Life Sciences runs as a research and study centre, also took home gold for the best collection, with an average of 88.3 points from a total of nine wine samples submitted.
On 1st August, three committees of wine experts evaluated 121 wines from the entire Bohemian wine region at the wine cellar of Czech University of Life Sciences in Chloumek u Mělníka. The wines were awarded a total of 13 grand gold medals, 27 gold medals and three silver medals. 99 wines from the Bohemian wine region were nominated for the national round of the Wine Salon - National Wine Competition. The nominated wines, along with other advancing wines from the Moravian wine region, will compete for a place in the final round and the title of Absolute Champion, as well as a place in the Wine Salon of the Czech Republic, a year-round wine tasting exhibition held in Valtice. It was there that Pinot Blanc 2019 from CZU Winery made its way into the top 100 wines in the country last year.
"Our winery has a long tradition, and the local wines enjoy a great reputation both at home and abroad," says Petr Sklenička, Rector of CZU, and reminds us: "The hall of fame at the Chloumek winery is filled with all kinds of awards, but the most valuable thing is that our students can find here a model worth following. I wish the Chloumek winery every success".
Wine exhibition for the public
The wines awarded in the competition will be available for tasting on Thursday 10th August 2023 in the auditorium of Czech University of Life Sciences in Suchdol from 4 to 9 pm. The presentation of wines made from grapes grown in the Bohemia wine region, including the Champion, the winners of each category and all medal winners, is organised by the Guild of Czech Winemakers and will be presented to the tasters by the winemakers themselves.
The National Wine Competition is the largest and most prestigious wine competition in the Czech Republic. It is held under the auspices of the Union of Winegrowers of the Czech Republic, organised by the National Wine Centre, with the financial support from the Wine Fund and organised in the Bohemia wine region by the Guild of Bohemian Winegrowers. More information can be found in the attached invitation.
CZU Winery
The Centre for Wine and Viticulture belongs to Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and is one of the wine-growing entities of the Mělník wine sub-region, located two kilometres north of the centre of Mělník. The centre produces grapes and fruit on an area of about 20 hectares. The centre where wine production is concentrated is a historical building called the Carthusian Press. Wine production is classical, the grapes are processed as quickly as possible. The wines are aged in our renowned lager cellar. Natural, varietal quality and quality wines are produced with minimal chemical treatment.
CHAMPION AND CATEGORY WINNERS
Category A - dry white wines / Champion and category winner: Riesling classic 2021, Bohemian regional wine – Bettina Lobkowicz Winery
Category B - white semi-dry and semi-sweet wines / Category winner: Pinot Gris 2022, late harvest - Luděk Vondrák Winery
Category D - rosé wines and clarets / Category winner: Pinot Noir Claret 2022, Bohemian regional wine - David Chocholatý Winery
Category E - dry red wines / Category winner: Pinot Noir 2021 VOC Mělník - Luděk Vondrák Winery
Category G - quality sparkling wines / Category winner: Riesling 2020, Bohemian regional wine – Czech University of Life Sciences Prague - CZU Winery
Best Collection: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague - CZU Winery