Good Practice - Project
Chateau Grand Bari – Building a wine production facility
Reviving Slovakia’s special wine region of Tokaj.
General information
RDP Priority
- P3. Food chain and risk management
RDP Focus Area
- 3A: Agri-food chain integration & quality
RDP Measure
- M04: Investments in physical assets
Summary
Tokaj is a unique wine-growing region in south eastern Slovakia. It is one of five areas in the world where it is possible to grow the grapevines necessary to produce naturally sweet wines. There are only a few opportunities for economic development in Tokaj and wine tourism and production is one of them.
The Chateau Grand Bari from Tokaj is a new wine company which used CAP funds to co-finance the construction of a new wine production facility and to purchase the necessary equipment. The implementation of this project has significantly contributed to producing a high-quality wine with reduced negative environmental impacts while contributing to a more balanced form of territorial economic development by creating and retaining jobs.
Results
The CAP-funded project was successfully implemented with the following outcomes:
- One new production plant including state-of-the-art technologies and equipment built with a maximum capacity of 350 000 litres.
- The completed project led to increased revenues for the company, along with more jobs created, and higher quality of wine produced that is less harmful to the environment.
Promoter
Chateau Grand Bari s.r.o.
Funding
Total budget 1 950 146 (EUR)
EAFRD 731 305 (EUR)
National/Regional 243 768 (EUR)
Private/Own funds 975 073 (EUR)
Ressources
EU CAP Network - Good Practice - Chateau Grand Bari – Building a wine production facility
(PDF – 623.38 Ko)
Context
The Chateau Grand Bari is a new and rapidly developing wine company operating in the Tokaj region in south eastern Slovakia. Since 2012, it has been gradually acquiring ownership of uncultivated land and is determined to promote the Tokaj wine region as a new, modern face of wine production. Tokaj is one of only five regions worldwide where vines can be grown to produce naturally sweet wines on tufa bedrock. One of the key ambitions was to preserve the cultural traditions while using production techniques that are less harmful to the environment while creating all-new structured white wines.
In addition to producing wine, the Chateau also embraces the wider aim of supporting wine tourism. Together, these activities will create jobs to help combat a high level of long-term unemployment (12%) in the Trebišov district. Wine tourism and production are among the few opportunities for local economic development in the region.
Before the company started the actual production of its wines, a new production facility was required and the necessary equipment had to be purchased to produce, store and dispatch the wine.
Objectives
The project had the following business development and rural economic objectives:
- To build a new production plant for grape processing and wine production.
- To use production techniques and equipment that will help produce a high-quality wine classified under the integrated vine protection regime with minimal use of environmentally harmful chemicals.
- To keep the production of wine in-house to achieve the highest quality wine and to be successful in the Slovak and foreign markets.
Activities
The project involved the following activities:
- Constructing a new modern production plant for grape processing and wine production (production facilities, storage facilities and accessories).
- Equipping the plant with state-of-the-art production technologies consisting of five technological units including: Pressing plant, Stainless steel tanks, Stirrers and filtration, Bottling and labelling line and Laboratory.
Main results
The CAP-funded project was successfully implemented by the company Chateau Grand Bari and CAP funding was matched by the beneficiary’s own funds.
The following project results have been achieved:
- One new production plant, including state-of-the-art technologies and equipment, built with a maximum capacity of 350 000 litres.
- The completed project led to increased revenues for the company, along with more jobs created, and higher quality of wine produced that is less harmful to the environment. In detail:
- The winery currently employs 26 people, including winemakers, sommeliers (wine professionals), administration and sales staff.
- The production plant currently processes the entire production of grapes from its own vineyards.
- A wide range of wines in the structure of classic oxidative Tokaj selections and modern reductive wines are produced.
Key lessons and recommendations
- It was necessary to gain a lot of experience from domestic and foreign wineries in advance to be able to make the right decisions when choosing the most efficient technological equipment for grape processing and wine production.
“The company managed to build a new, modern winery. The high-quality production of Tokaj wine selections and dry, light, fresh mineral wines open a new space for the visibility of the unique Tokaj region.”
Chateau Grand Bari s.r.o.