The Slovak wine producer Chateau Modra announced that, in cooperation with the Chinese firm Xiangyao, it would open in China a production facility expected to generate sales worth €2m. The factory is planning to sell the wine in the 70 million inhabitant Hebei province in China and in the Chinese capital city Beijing. Half of the investment in the new firm will come from Chateau Modra and the remainder from the Chinese partner.

      Bratislava, November 29 (TASR) - Slovak sparkling wine Palffy Extra Dry from Nitra was awarded a gold medal at one of the world's most prestigious competitions of sparkling wines 'Effervescents du Monde 2010' in Dijon, France earlier this month, Vino Nitra production director Jozef Adamovic told TASR on Monday.

Czech and Slovak winemakers say they are seeing a reduction in the grape harvest after some of the worst weather conditions in decades.
Many winemakers in Slovakia and the Czech Republic are counting the cost of extreme weather conditions this year, as they face harvests well-down on their usual yields.
Cold and wet weather during spring and summer, interchanged with very hot days and hailstorms has seen many struggling with rot and other disease.

As summer comes to an end, the grapes begin to sweeten on the vine.  The sweeter the berry, the stronger the wine.  And just like many Americans long for football and all its fanfare, as the air gets chilly many Slovaks around Bratislava get exited for Vinobranie – the celebration of the grape harvest.

Tastes from abroad

The festival traditionally invites a guest country to display its viticultural fare alongside that of the host. This year, however, it was the turn of ethnic Hungarian winemakers from neighbouring countries Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Romania. So we head north, into Slovakia, and the wines of Frigyes Bott, who was named “Newcomer of the Year” in the Hungarian “Winemakers’ Winery” awards last year. He offered up some delightfully fresh whites, including a crisp and pure Zöldveltelini.