Pivnica Radošina: Winery with a royal tradition
Our Radošina Klevner was delivered to the English royal court, served during the last visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Slovakia and was also on the tables during the last visit of Pope John Paul II to Slovakia.
Pivnica Radošina Winery is a respected wine company and our intention is to develop the tradition of producing quality wines from Radošina. Since our establishment in 2004, we have been enriching the market with original wines and we are proud to continue and build on the traditional production in a region with a spectacular winemaking history.
We produce wines mainly from our own vineyard, which extends directly above the wine cellar on an area of 33 hectares. Reduced yields and careful vine management in an integrated production system are an integral part for us. The southern orientation of our vineyards and the limestone-dolomitic subsoil make the Burgundian grape varieties stand out. In addition to Pinot noir and Pinot blanc, Pinot gris is particularly successful here. From which we produce our most famous wine – Radošinský Klevner – which has been delivered to the English Royal Court and has been awarded a certificate. Radošinský Klevner made its comeback in the English royal family during the last visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Slovakia. The wine was also on the tables during the last visit of Pope John Paul II to Slovakia.
Our wines from the Radošina cellar are typical for their unique character in aroma and taste, they have won the favour of consumers, as well as several important awards during multiple world exhibitions. Nowadays, we supply our wines to a network of hotels and restaurants and bars, specialized wine shops, gift shops and various social events. The wines can also be purchased directly in our shop in Radošina or via our e-shop.
How Radošinský Klevner got to the English royal table
In 1946, the English ambassador tasted and liked Radošinský Klevner so much that 500 litres of the wine went to the English royal wedding, where it was served on 20 November 1947.
In the second half of the 1940s, something like a reception was to be held at the Bishop’s Office in Nitra, where the English envoy was also present. The served wine was a 1945 vintage of exceptional quality, which was very popular with the guests. The English guest expressed his wish that he would like to receive this excellent wine for the Queen’s wedding, which took place on 20.11.1947. And so 500 litres of the Radošina Klevner in wooden barrels went to the royal court. Bouzek, a wholesaler, bought Klevner from Belžík, a businessman from Hlohovec, and then through the English ambassador in Prague the wine reached the court. The wine had a great success, and a written thank-you letter arrived in Radošina. It was not served as a toast, because according to the etiquette of the royal court one must toast with French wine on such an occasion. However, this document was burnt by the communist authorities in the mid-1950s.
In the mid-1980s, the communist politician Vasil Biľak visited the cellar in Radošina and was told the story of the wine and the fate of the letter from England by the locals at the cocktail party. Biľak arranged copy of the letter to be made through the Czechoslovak Embassy in London. Unfortunately, after the regime change in 1989, many people left the vineyard and the letters were lost with them.
Pivnica Radošina – Basic information about the location
Wine-growing area: Nitra
Viticultural district: Radošina
Vineyard municipality: Radošina
Hunt: Nad vinohradmi
Altitude: 237 – 260 m above sea level at the foot of the Považský Inovec Mountains
Orientation of slopes: south – southeast, slopes 3° to 7°
Climate: warm, slightly humid with mild winter, average annual temperature 9,05 °C
Soil: brown earth, clay loam on loamy loams with a skeletal admixture on
limestone-dolomitic bedrock with interspersed variegated shales
