“Pálava carrots reflect the terroir much like wine does,” says winemaker Jaromír Gala
Jaromír, your new project is called Malý pán. What does the name mean?
My wife came up with it, inspired by a book which tells a story similar to ours — about a man who believes he has already achieved everything he ever wanted, but ultimately sets out on a journey after all. During his journey, he discovers the unknown, meets new people, and finds the kind of enrichment that we, too, experience. The title also conveys the message that compared to nature, man is and always will be a “little master,” and if he sets out against it without respect, he has no chance of survival.
I’d say we often overlook this awareness of our fragility and the need for humility in the face of nature’s forces.
I agree. In recent years, however, this has been catching up with us in a very tangible way. One example is the soil, which we are systematically depleting for immediate economic gain, without looking to the future or trying to understand the deeper connections. The soil feeds us! Unfortunately, this reckless approach also affects vineyards and the wine industry, where monocultures have become widespread. These benefit no one and nothing. For this reason, we are breaking up the vineyards into smaller parcels, fields, and orchards, as was done in the past. We practice regenerative farming — we do not prioritise the grapevine, but rather every plant that creates a root system, organic matter, and thus healthy, living soil.
When did your winery begin to evolve into an endeavour that goes beyond wine production?
People are constantly evolving, and at one point we decided to embark on another “adventure.” We’ve been making wine under our own name since 2007. I started with two barrels — that was all I had — and we gradually bought up abandoned historic vineyards and worked patiently until we built the winery to our vision. At that time, my wife and I were thinking about what to do next, and we agreed that it was time to bring to life an idea that had been maturing in our minds. We added a restaurant and food service to the winery — food, which as a basic necessity, has always come first. In a sense, we’re returning to the way of life and natural existence of the people who lived in southern Moravia before us.
What kind of return are we talking about here?
Winemaking in Moravia has never been considered a standalone activity; few winemakers focused exclusively on wine. I myself come from a family of farmers who made wine because grapes thrive in our region, but they primarily grew fruits and vegetables, tilled the fields, and were remarkably self-sufficient. They knew how to stock up for the winter and were able to process everything they harvested in the fields or gathered in the wild. We’re relearning this and want to share it with our guests. The Pálava region has a unique character, just like the plants that have taken root there, so even Pálava carrots reflect the specific terroir much like the wine does. That’s why we’ll be cooking mainly with ingredients from our own farm.
What did you have to do to turn the winery into a hospitality business as well?
We expanded our operations to include dining spaces, a farm, and kitchen facilities, and we found a farmer and a head chef to join us. The human factor plays a crucial role, because we grow some of our vegetables and forage for others in the “wild”—and for that, we need people who are attuned to the landscape and understand what ripens when, and how or at what moment to best harvest the crops. Furthermore, we’re not allowed to forage certain rare plant species, so we have no choice but to grow and propagate them ourselves.
In what other ways does the Pálava landscape inspire you?
We’ve been raising livestock for a long time, and they help us maintain our land. This land was once dependent on grazing and livestock, which supported the local flora by grazing on it. Just for the record — before 1945, our village of Bavory had about 400 residents, and there were roughly 200 cows for every 120 houses. Today, you could count the cows on the fingers of one hand. We’re trying to remedy this and use livestock to restore the cultural landscape, a project we’re involved in in collaboration with the Czech Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection.
What does such restoration entail?
First and foremost, we clear the landscape of self-sown shrubs, blackthorn, dogwood, rosehips, and other non-native shrubs, but we also planting long-forgotten trees and shrubs, such as black elder, dogwood, quince, medlar, European rowan, and service tree. We then cultivate the vegetation and the overall character of the landscape through grazing. We also send the animals to the vineyards, where they graze on the grass and fertilise the soil during the off-season, not to mention the wonderful energy they spread throughout the region. A few times a year, we gratefully harvest meat from them for cooking.
You mentioned the uniqueness of Pálava. What sources help you understand it better? Is it enough just to look around?
I’ve lived in Bavory for over thirty years, and I still know very little about it. Pálava is part of the Sudetenland, and after the war, nearly all of its German natives were expelled. Only Czech families remained. I was fortunate enough to interview several eyewitnesses, but we get most of our information from preserved maps and chronicles. We’re also in touch with conservationists from the Protected Landscape Area and with Ms. Žďárská, who taught at Mendel University in Brno and knows Pálava inside and out. And then, of course, we simply walk through the landscape and study it firsthand in the field. It’s a lifelong learning process.
To what extent is it meaningful to build on the past?
I think we should look back at history, but we must act within the context of today’s changing world, even though certain principles remain valid. People in the past were incredibly clever and connected to their surroundings. We couldn’t help but be amazed when we looked at aerial photos of the cleared area in the protected landscape area. In them, we saw terraces roughly 300 years old and a landscape feature that acted as a roof, channeling water toward a spring. This provided water for livestock, but what’s more, drinking water flowed from there all the way to Dolní Dunajovice. Brilliant! Our ancestors cared for every patch of land, which is why the word “gardens” appears repeatedly on maps instead of “plots of land.” It was only the war — and later, large-scale farming, which persists to this day — that ravaged Pálava.
How do your experiences with wine and landscape design translate into the gastronomy you’re establishing in Bavory?
We’ve come to believe that, as a society, we need to return to simplicity — to a simple way of life and eating — since our diet significantly affects our health. This, too, is a theme we’re presenting to people. We want them to experience and believe that fresh, local food benefits us the most, especially when it’s artfully arranged on the plate. In our practice, “simple” means that we pay close attention to the raw ingredients, which are the be-all and end-all of everything. Preparing food is like making wine — when we harvest the grapes, we process them in a way that highlights their quality without human intervention limiting it. Then the ingredients retain their essence and showcase the character of Pálava. Simplicity is not the same as ease! It requires craftsmanship — a union of mind and hand.
What led up to the moment when you finalised the concept for the dishes and the entire menu?
Together with our head chef, Vítek Bayer, we searched for and tested various recipes — including family recipes — for pickled cucumbers, sauerkraut, and plum jam. We did a lot of canning, fermented vegetables, and figured out how to prepare food with a longer shelf life without compromising on flavour or quality. We’re also planning to sell products for home use. At the same time, we’re working on juices and non-alcoholic beverages, since we’re interested in good alcohol-free drinks, and I find that non-alcoholic wine seems to have lost its soul.
You’ve been a winemaker practically since high school. Has your perspective on wine changed since then?
Over the years, I’ve only become more convinced of the role wine plays in the world. The human body can function without wine, but we’d miss the camaraderie around the table. You sit down with friends and share emotions, opinions, and feelings with one another. Wine used to be valued precisely because of its social significance. It strengthens interpersonal relationships, motivates us to talk to one another, and helps us perceive each other. For us at the winery, it serves as a way to publicly remind people how important it is to take care of “what is ours” and to see ourselves as part of a whole. We want to take our guests on a walk around the farm, immerse them in the landscape, and offer them guidance on how to cultivate even the smallest patch of land.
Perhaps we all long to leave something behind. Do you share that same intention?
I feel a certain sense of responsibility, but first and foremost, I want our way of life here and now to bring joy and benefit both us and future generations. We’ve been planning this entire project — both the landscape and the culinary aspects — for a very long time. Dreams don’t come true on their own — you have to work toward them with willpower and concrete actions. In addition, we applied for EU funding, because I couldn’t have financed something like this from the winery alone. In the end, though, you’re probably right. I’m honestly glad that a sort of monument made of hedgerows, built into the Pálava landscape, will remain after me — or rather, after my family.
The Gala's winery in Bavory supplies the Czech gastronomy scene, including Ambiente restaurants, with still and sparkling wines, and offers accommodation in the former sparkling wine production facility for those wishing to discover the enchanting Pálava region. This year, they’ll be adding refreshments made from their own homegrown harvest and culinary events tied to the experience of the surrounding landscape, into which the couple are bringing a sustainable and eco-logical approach to winemaking and agriculture, as well as to dining and hospitality.
