It all started in Ratíškovice, with Nácestky, my grandfather’s old original vineyard
Which we expanded by adding a neighbouring plot to a whole 0.22 hectares, which was a considerable size for us at the time,” Marek Vybíral Sr. recalls. Immediately afterwards, we had the opportunity to plant another 0.22 hectares in Ratíškovice on Díly, which is, to be honest, a less exciting vineyard. For a long time, we considered getting rid of the plot, but we finally made peace with it. We also have 0.11 ha in Hrubé pole, which is the „Grand Cru“ of Ratíškovice, and another 0.09 ha in Nácestky. All these plots are planted with Riesling and Sauvignon, two grapes that do well on poor sandy soils.
Krásná hora in Starý Poddvorov is a whole different story
It’s a south-oriented slope with awesome loess soil at the top of the hill, first planted by Cistercian monks in the 13th century. We’ve gradually planted seven vineyards here, mostly on neglected land. Today, our estate here totals 5.5 hectares of classic varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lužice
I fell in love with this plot the very first time I pulled up above the vineyards and looked across the hillside towards the Pálava hills. My dream was to have all our vineyards here; today we farm 10% of its surface and, due to its popularity, it’s quite clear that it’s rather impossible to get that many extra vineyards in this location. This is why we also farm on 2 hectares of sandy soil in long-term lease in nearby Lužice. The old Riesling vines here produce few but very interesting grapes.
Babušák
Our most recently acquired vineyard – a 7-hectare vineyard located on the borders of three winemaking villages. We’re still learning how to make ourselves at home there. The sun starts to shine in the early morning and the wind blows practically all the time on this peculiar, east-facing loess slope. A small forest at the very top of the hill does what it can to slow down the wind. Not all of the varieties currently planted here suit us, so we’ll gradually renew it to make sure every part of the puzzle fits together as it should.