Sklepní uličky

The cellar alley

Titlovo, Hluchý žleb, Žejdlíky, Podkovné, but mainly Nechory and Vrchní Nechory – these are the names of vineyards where mainly white aromatic varieties of grapes are grown. Grapes are processed in wine cellars in Nechory. At the present time there are some 410 cellars, some of them decorated with painted entry. As from 2000 this is the route of a wine cycling track used by cyclists from close and distant surroundings.

The well-known wine hill Nechory gave its name to the colony of cellars at the edge of vineyards, approximately one kilometre from the village of Nechory – but this is not thee original cellar lane in the village. In the past time, the wine cellars were dug out of the village, close to the road to Čejkovice. At that time, the nearest church was in the village of Čejkovice and the people of Prušánky (mainly men) frequently did not come to the Sunday church service. So as to avoid the „pagan church service in cellars” the owners torn down the cellars and provided allotments for construction of cellars in Nechory. And just to be sure, they built a brand new church directly in Prušánky.

The unusual name of the cellar village (Ne chory = Not ill), having even its guardian spirit Ochechula, is explained by a legend of a drunk wine maker laying at the road. The people going by asked him „Are you ill?“ and he responded: „Not ill (Ne chorý), just drunk.“ Another explanation is that people drinking wine from Prušánky cellars are never ill. Up to now, Nechory is an important social centre where wine makers meet on business days as well as on Sundays.

The wine buildings in Nechory were sometimes destroyed by fire – usually caused by careless firing of casks with sulphur. Even the ravages of time affected the appearance of the complex. Valuable buildings from the turn of the 18^th and 19^th centuries, declared a cultural monument, had to be re-built. Copies of re-built shelters number 9 and 11 can be seen in the Museum of South – East Moravia in Strážnice. One-floor press houses built in the 20^th century make a complex line. The rooms under roofs are used for social purposes or for accommodation.

The most important folk feasts are the feasts in garbs. They are held in front of the municipality building at the beginning of August and the entertainment lasts for three days. The people from the village maintain even traditional wine habits, vineyards closing and vintage – all the events are held in the beautiful environment of wine cellars in Nechory.

Attraction:

Political meetings were frequently held in shelters before WWII. The construction of press houses and cellars allowed wiretapping of political opponents at small windows. The period chronicler recorded it as follows: „people drunk a lot before elections, but even more after them. The winners drank to joy, the losers drank to anger. But those without any vineyards drunk the most. It was all the same to them – winning or losing. They drank with winners and losers as well.“

Information sources – wine village Prušánky:

www.nechory.cz, www.otevrenesklepy.nechory.cz  – web sites of the association ZO ČZS Prušánky, organising wine events (in Czech).

Contact person:

Ing. Luděk Košut, Chairman of ZO ČZS Prušánky

Tel.: 728 676 326

E-mail: ludek@kosutnet

Events

K Nechorám do sklepa 23.6.-23.6.2018 ( 23.06.2018 )
Nechorský košt vín 14.4.-14.4.2018 ( 14.04.2018 )
FESTIVAL OTEVŘENÝCH SKLEPŮ - JARO NA PODLUŽÍ ( 27.04.2019 - 28.04.2019 )