"If you want to know what your wine is like, you must not be afraid to go to the market with the skin."
Wine expert Ján Krampl talked about how international wine competitions are held and that the wine from Račiai is truly world-class in an interview with the daily Pravda. You can find the full interview here: https://bit.ly/vinocomadrzinadvodou
Your best wine memory?
The last one. Our iced Frankovka blue, vintage 2018, won the Grand Gold Medal and 93 points at the Vinalies Internationales in Bordeaux in March this year. The Vinalies Internationales, which have always been held in Paris, are considered the world wine championships. However, Bordeaux is the largest wine city in France and the world. Apparently, so that the truly wine-making Bordeaux would not be jealous of the fashionable Paris, or rather to support the position of French wine and draw the world's attention to both great wine cities, the organizers of the Vinalies Internationales came to such a Solomonic solution. We will go down in history by having a grand gold medal from Bordeaux. It is unique in its own way.
But you have one more unique thing, confirming the uniqueness of Rača as the birthplace of wines of extraordinary value.
The fact that Ice Francovka is exceptional was confirmed in April at the Vinalies Mondial du Rosé in Marseille, the world championship of rosé wines. In the heart of Provence, which is famous worldwide for its rosé wines, our rosé won the PALME - Révélation douceur - VINALIES MONDIAL DU ROSÉ 2023 trophy in the sweet wine category (more than 12 grams of residual sugar). The jury consisted of rosé wine specialists and they increased the rating of Ice Francovka even further, awarding it 94 out of 100 possible, beating all competitors.
Are you the competitive type?
And what man, especially a winemaker, is not one? If you want to know what your wine is like, you must not be afraid to go to the market with your skin. We enter both Slovak and international competitions. It is not a cheap affair, everything is more expensive - even the entry fees for wines sent to competitions, but you have to enter the wine ring. One is represented by competitions and the other is the sale of wine on the market. The Villa Vino brand is sold, which means that our wine is good, which is confirmed by both competitions and demand for it.
Which competitions do you attach particular importance to?
We have already mentioned Vinalies Internationales. France is a wine powerhouse in the eyes of not only Slovaks, but indeed the whole world. It is a country with an amazing tradition, wine is judged extremely comprehensively there, starting with the vineyards, the architecture of the château, they have created a culture of wine and gastronomy that is inspiring for the whole world. So when you achieve success in France, you have achieved it in a country that inspires justified respect. It is always a test of strength on the one hand, French wines, and on the other, wines from the rest of the world. If you stand up to it, your wine is really worth something.
