While in 1989 the overall acreage of Slovak vineyards was 24 thousand hectares, ten years later this acreage has dropped to 17 thousand hectares. The falling trend was recorded also in the wine consumption, having dropped from 14,8 litres per person in 1989 to the present consumption of 12,5 litres. The diminishing agricultural acreage is ascribed by the professionals to the reduction of state subsidies and the subsequent shortage of investments to protect and restore the vineyards. Another reason is the restitution of agricultural land and a loss of interest in wine grape production due to low buying price. This has resulted not only in the acreage identical with the statistical 1945 level, but also in low production not exceeding 5 tons pre hectare. For comparison - the Italian production yields 2 to 3,5 times the Slovak average. Although there is a 55 thousand hectare potential to build new vineyards in the Slovak Republic, it is dependent on imports. It is more advantageous to import matured wine than to export grape lees or grape must.

In 1997 Slovakia imported according to the accessible statistic data 399 thousand kg of must, 290 thousand of which of Italian origin. Italy with its 2500 years of wine production history and 77 mil. hectolitres of annual wine production, i.e. 33 per cent of the European and 25 per cent of the world production, is the world largest wine producer. The wine-growing and wine-dealing laws passed in Italy in the early seventies allowed a soaring growth of hectare yield, at the cost of shifting the wine grape production from the high quality hilly vineyards into the fertile lowlands, at a remarkable wine quality loss. This is why in addition to the wine sales Italy also set off for a search for new must sales areas. In Slovak conditions acceptance to such solution is convenient not only from the better price point of view but also in light of the consumer demand. Slovak wine consumption preference is focused on sweeter and average wine brands rather than dry high quality variety wines. Lower raw material quality is thus justifiable for their production and combination.

Slovak Trade FORUM