DoVinic.cz and UV Boosting Inspire Other Winemakers

Key facts:

• At the end of January, BOHEMIA SEKT hosted a round table for Moravian and Slovak winemaking colleagues, focused on sustainable technologies and practices.
• The main attraction was UV Boosting, a chemical-free technology that strengthens grapevine immunity using ultraviolet light, which BOHEMIA SEKT began testing in May 2023 – the first trial of its kind in Central Europe.
• Testing will continue in 2024, with the goal of further reducing the use of plant protection products, which in Czech agriculture are already among the lowest in the EU.

At the end of January, we hosted a round table for our Moravian and Slovak winemaking colleagues. The meeting focused on sustainable technologies and practices in winemaking. The winemakers paid particular attention to UV Boosting, a technology that strengthens the immunity of grapevines without the use of any chemicals.

"We have long been dedicated to increasing the efficiency and sustainability of viticulture, and as the category leader we consider it our duty to share these findings and valuable information with anyone who is interested in them," said Ondřej Beránek, Director of BOHEMIA SEKT, in his opening remarks.

The most eagerly awaited item on the programme was the presentation of UV Boosting, an innovative use of ultraviolet radiation in the care of grapevines. At BOHEMIA SEKT, we began testing it in May 2023. "This is the first test of this technology in Central Europe, which understandably caused a stir in winemaking circles and ultimately led to today's meeting, where we presented our colleagues from the wine industry with the results of the pilot year as well as our further plans for 2024," said Petr Ptáček, Director of the Habánské sklepy winery.

François Sement of UV Boosting also spoke online at the meeting, sharing experience from abroad, along with Jakub Filip, who talked about the possibilities of using vermicompost. Among the guests were representatives of Zámecké vinařství Bzenec, Château Valtice – Vinné sklepy Valtice and the Slovak company Vinařské závody Topoľčianky.

The Programme Continues in 2024
The testing of UV Boosting will continue in 2024. "If it were proven that the technology works in our conditions as well as it does abroad, it could pave the way to a further reduction in the plant protection products used in vineyards," Ptáček explained. The amount of plant protection products used in Czech agriculture is already among the lowest in the EU. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, a Belgian farmer, for example, uses four times more products per hectare of arable land than a Czech one. The Czech Republic also ranks below Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Finland and Ireland.