On September 25, 2024, the Czech Embassy in Ljubjana invited the diplomatic corps to the Zlati Grič winery in Slovenske Konjice and in this way celebrated the national holiday of St. Václav, the oldest Czech saint and patron of the Czech lands since the 10th century.
St. Václav is a very popular historical and religious figure in the Czech Republic. The popularity of St. Václav is reflected in the fact that it is probably one of the most common male names (Václav). St. Václav was a great Christian, founder of churches and monasteries and protector of the poor. Among other things, he also established real vineyards, cultivated them himself and thus became the patron of Czech winemakers who still worship him today.
Viticulture has a long tradition in the Czech Republic, as quality wines were exported from the Czech Republic to neighboring Germany as early as the 11th century. In the 14th century, Czech winemaking was given a new impetus by Emperor Karel IV (Charles IV) who as a young man grew up at the French court and there realized that there were some differences in quality between French and Czech wines, and so he tried with all his power to eliminate them. In the 16th and 17th centuries, refugees from the Turks from the territory of today’s Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary brought a completely new quality to Czech winemaking. These refugees mostly settled in the southern part of Moravia, and their viticultural knowledge contributed to the fact that some of today’s Moravian and Czech wines are among the best (both in the country and in Europe).
The Zlati Grič winery is another in a series of excellent Czech investments in Slovenia. The winery was taken over by the Czech company Fidurock, headed by Peter Valent and David Hauerland.
They intend to develop Zlati grič into a recognizable wine, golf and gastronomic destination. Among other things, they are planning to renovate the 15th-century vineyard mansion and other buildings, in which they will provide new accommodation for visitors.
