The Baloun Family Winery is one of the most respected names in Moravian viticulture, where multi-generational tradition harmoniously blends with a modern approach to winemaking. In the heart of Velké Pavlovice, they craft wines that reflect the true character of the ‘Blue Mountains’ – elegant, authentic, and with a steadfast commitment to the quality of every single bottle.
🖊 redakce | archiv Radek Baloun
The 2025 edition marked the 24th year of the competition. It is a highly specialised event, open exclusively to Cabernet, Merlot, or their blends. In terms of these specific varieties, it is arguably the most significant competition in the world. While it isn’t particularly well-known here – the Czech Republic tends to find more success with white wines, and few local producers are eager to enter the red wine fray – the scale in Bergamo is truly global. Both the wines and the judges represented 27 countries across five continents. It is also exceptional due to the rigour of the judging process. Each jury consists of 11 panellists, whereas elsewhere you might only find five, or sometimes just three. The significance of competitions lies not in the prestige of venues such as Paris, but in the quality and number of judges, as well as the overall level of difficulty.
Your winery boasts an unusually diverse range of varietal wines. Could you tell us more about that?
Every variety was created to find its place in the sun, perhaps one day becoming the most widely planted in the world. They all have their own historical evolution. For instance, the origins of the Burgundian varieties date back nearly two thousand years. Pinot gris, a member of that family, emerged a few centuries later through a natural bud mutation, entirely without human intervention. Naturally, it is more difficult for varieties bred only a few decades ago, or for older, lesser-known grapes, to find their footing.
In connection with global warming, there is talk that growing white varieties here will slowly end as they become less suitable, only to be replaced by reds. What is your take on that?
When our temperatures match those of Australia, where white wines are still successfully produced, what will the temperatures be in Australia then? I believe if that situation ever arose, wine would be the last thing on anyone’s mind. In warmer climates, white varieties must be harvested earlier while they still retain sufficient acidity, ensuring the resulting wines do not have high alcohol or excessive residual sugar. Winemakers must have greater processing capacity to handle the harvest in a short time frame. Black grape varieties take their time to ripen, though that may soon change.
Histamine has recently been discussed in relation to wine, allegedly causing headaches or other adverse reactions. What do you say to that?
Only certain people have a histamine intolerance, depending on the content in food. I found an online article discussing how adverse reactions to wine might not only be caused by sulphur, but by histamine as well. As is often the case, people took this their own way, and today histamine is blamed for everything. Bananas, avocados and pineapples have a higher content. Fermented vegetables, such as the cabbage served with roast pork, have even more. The highest histamine levels are found in fish and fish products. For example, the standard value for salmon or certain canned fish is 200 to 300 mg/kg. In wine, 10 mg/litre is regarded as elevated content. This means that headaches and flushed skin being caused by histamine in wine simply isn’t true.
