WINERY
We are a small, progressive winery whose goal and mission is to restore the beauty and charm of Černý kopec in Prague's Troja district. We are reviving the cultivation of vines where they has had a tradition since the reign of Charles IV and we offer wine lovers the opportunity to taste our "boutique" production, mainly the Rhine Riesling variety.
As it was found in the Prague archives, according to Charles IV's decree on the establishment of vineyards, all suitable southern slopes within 3 miles around Prague were to be planted with vines, where the Jabloňka vineyard undoubtedly belonged.
HISTORY
Mr. and Mrs. Vydra, the current owners of the chateau and the winery, had been looking for an unique place to live for a long time until they discovered the dilapidated Jabloňka Chateau for sale around 2007. However, after several years of occupation by squatters and homeless people, it was in a completely devastated state. The land was overgrown, but the view suggested that it would be a truly unique place one day not only for living. The reconstruction of the chateau was difficult and costly, moreover it was carried out under the supervision of historic preservation officials. In the spring of 2011, they moved into the reconstructed chateau and then began to renovate the neglected garden and surroundings. To the west of the house, while clearing overgrown woody vegetation, they came across stone terraces that had certainly served as vineyards in the past. They decided to try to strengthen them and plant vines. Their advisor, Vilém Kraus from Mělník, recommended Riesling and Tramin seedlings, and so in 2013-2014 they started planting their first vines.
The 2017 virgin harvest produced a very decent wine. This gave them the desire and vision to build a family boutique winery that could one day become an icon of Prague's viticulture. Over the next 10 years, they gradually cleared more areas around the chateau, repaired, strengthened and built the walls so that more vines could be planted. They also built a winery building with complete modern technology to produce the finest white wine. They kept sustainability in mind when revitalizing the vineyard, using recycled materials such as marl from demolished buildings or used railway sleepers for stairs, and building a photovoltaic plant to cool and air-condition the cellar in the summer.
PRODUCTION
By producing a small volume of wine, the owners strive to ensure high quality and gentle processing of grapes in combination with the use of modern technologies and photovoltaic energy.
The grapes are picked and harvested exclusively by hand and then processed by gentle pressing on a pneumatic press.
After pressing and sedimentation, the must is gently settled and fermented with a pure culture of varietal yeasts. The controlled fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at 12 °C for approximately two weeks. After the first racking, the young wine is left to rest on fine lees for half a year, followed by the processes of clarification, filtration and bottling.
CHATEAU JABLONKA
The classicist two-storey chateau Jabloňka dates back to the end of the 18th century and towers over Prague's Troja district. The origins of the building's history are unclear. The building stands on the presumed discovery site of 15th century coins and is believed to have housed a wine press. The chateau acquired its present appearance at the end of the First World War, when the Jablonka was owned by the Governor Šafránek.
The building has a rectangular plan and is located on a slope. The front façade is therefore two-storey, the rear façade is ground floor. The hipped roof is equipped with a wooden, metal-covered turret. On the ground floor there is a room with a beamed ceiling, on the first floor there used to be a chapel with a flat roof. The cellar is located outside the building and has a stone vault. Since its construction, the building has been called simply 'the castle'. It was only in the 1970s that the name 'Jablůňka', later 'Jabloňka', was adopted.
FIBONACCI
Another great pride of the Jabloňka winery is the construction of the Fibonacci tasting pavilion designed by Portuguese architect Marco Maio and Radek Krčil, owner of the Manuall studio. This building won the BIG SEE Architecture Grand Prix Award 2023 and even one of the prizes in the Czech Architecture Award 2023 for "elevating an elementary building element to art".
The pavilion is primarily used for guided tastings for visitors to the winery, excursions by customers and wine buyers, and private meetings with friends. A walk through the vineyard to the distant spiral takes you away from everyday duties and creates a relaxing atmosphere. In the Fibonacci space, you are cut off from the big city by a stone wall and you can fully concentrate on meeting over a glass of wine and enjoying the view of the walls and the beautiful vineyard.
TERROIR
The slope of Černý kopec, on which the Jabloňka winery is located, is oriented south above the Vltava River in the northeastern part of Prague.
The southeastern surroundings of the Jabloňka chateau, approximately 1.25 ha, which is not currently used for planting vines, were declared a natural monument in 1968. The area is protected due to the existence of a rock massif formed by slates and quartzites originating from the Ordovician period. It is also an important habitat for rare birds and thermophilic vegetation.
The very existence of the Jabloňka natural monument is proof of the uniqueness of the local terroir.
The vineyard's subsoil consists of sandy and clay deposits, and last but not least, black and grey slate, which provides a strong foundation for the flavour of the local wine.
The altitude of the vineyard is approximately 200-250 m above sea level, the average annual air temperature (of the last 10 years) is approximately 12 ⁰C. The rainfall level during the growing season is below average, so the winery built a drip irrigation system from its own well sources. It is mainly used for watering young, newly planted vines. The local warm microclimate and almost constant air flow helps to fight mould and spring frosts.
VINEYARD
The winery now covers an area of approximately 1 hectare and has 7 500 vines planted, with a maximum capacity of approximately 10 000 vines. The slope below the château is very steep and therefore the work in the vineyard is specific and is carried out almost without mechanisation. Everything is done manually, from hoeing to pruning, spraying, mowing and harvesting. Three varieties of white wine are grown here - Riesling, Red Traminer and Red Riesling. From next year, the vineyard will be included in a new vineyard route called “Jabloňka” and so will be able to produce quality wines with an appellation. The “head” line is mainly used here, which is best suited to the demanding steep terrain; on flatter areas at the top of the hill, a wire Rhine-Hessen line is built.
PEOPLE IN WINERY
Owner Mark Vydra is a developer both by heart and profession. He is filled with the desire to enhance real estate and build beautiful things that will remain here long after we are gone. He is a visionary who is behind the very idea of establishing a vineyard.
Co-owner and wife, Lenka Vydra Šmídová, a former triple Olympian and Olympic silver medallist, manages the winery, marketing and sales. The winery now has 3 seasonal employees. The oenologist is František Běhunek, who has been taking care of the vineyard completely from grape to bottle since 2020, having started here as a consultant a few years earlier. The winery's sommelier is Jiří Beer, who came to Jabloňka Winery through the most renowned restaurants and wine bars in Prague and London. He is in charge of tasting events, sales and marketing. He is also happy to help out in the vineyard during the season.