TRNAVA Archbishop Róbert Bezák blessed a sampling of young wines offered by vintners from Trnava and its vicinity on January 28. This traditional event has become a way to thank those who grow Slovakia's grapes and the winemakers who turn the harvest into wine. It also symbolically opens the new viticulture season.
Klára Ondrušová of Trnava's city council told the SITA newswire that the viticulturists brought about 70 samples of wine and that they traditionally bring three bottles and after the blessing one bottle is taken back to their wine cellars while the other two bottles are offered to their colleagues for degustation.
In addition to tasting the results of their work, the participants heard Tibor Ruman of the Small Carpathians Wine Route (Malokarpatská vínna cesta) present his evaluation of the 2010 season as well as Martin Hrubala, the historian of the Small Carpathian Museum in Pezinok, speak about the viticulture traditions of Trnava. The blessing was open only to professionals but Eduard Krištofovič, the chairman of the Trnava Association of Wine Friends, reminded the public that Víno Tirnavia, the local wine fair, will be held in March.
