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INTRODUCTION

a joint project to the benefit of Czech wine In order to get quality information into the
producers and traders. hands of as many of those for whom it is in-
The vast majority agreed. A few turned their tended, this paper is an e-Book available for
noses up at the idea, others shared interesting various platforms. This allows us to make it
views and then there were the whole essays available for free to anyone who wants to learn

on the subject. My original idea of a single- and fight for their better tomorrow.
-themed handbook started to morph into It‘s worth it, don’t you agree?
a kaleidoscope of fascinating views, experi- Forever we will remember the sorrowful ti-
ences, ideas, and visions which I attempted to mes of 2020, 2021…
merge into a logical whole. The New Normal - Let us go in together;

a special edition for winemakers is the result of And still your ngers on your lips, I pray.

these efforts. How to survive COVID-19 from The time is out of joint!
an economic perspective while holding onto In a disjointed outpouring of disgust, anger,
your dignity and how can this crisis be turned sorrow, and grief, Hamlet (Act 1, Scene 5) ex-
into an opportunity? plains that, without exception, everything in
Three months of intensive work from Octo- his world is either futile or contemptible.
ber to January were enough to complete the But we will also remember the beauty of
paper and provide the publications free of nature that was able to express itself as never
charge to all Czech winemakers. Printed, as before in the lockdown period, demonstrating
well as digital. that a flower always grows under the snow

My foreign colleagues who are contributing and the sun always comes out after the storm.
to the publication and who got it, urged me to And we will be stronger by what the events
continue with an international edition of this around coronavirus have led us to do, which
project. we would otherwise probably not have turned
It didn‘t take me long to be persuaded when to. We all have entered a new era of the wine
they promised me their cooperation. Thus, trade, we are adopting new methods of com-
a small work team was formed with the centre munication, we are growing in ourselves and
of gravity in the triangle between the Hrusice we are developing.
village in the Czech Republic, Strasbourg in That is positive.
France, and Dixon in the hills above Santa Fe The book is a call for wine reciprocity, for
in New Mexico (USA). associating together, a common approach,
A bunch of other friends also joined, and to- and better mutual communication.
gether we approached more than a hundred Find advice on how to go ahead. Read
world experts. Some played like dead beetles, what almost a hundred people from all over
but others eagerly joined the project. Their the world, who are masters of their expertise,
contributions, experiences, opinions, and visi- think about the current problems. Find hope,
ons complemented the original Czech success energy and strength in the book!
stories perfectly. Mention Henry Ford´s quote: „If everyone is
We set for ourselves a deadline of two mon- moving forward together, then success takes
ths. Now you have the result of our work in care of itself.“
your hands or on your screen. Welcome to the NEW NORMAL!
Moving forward, the emerging product is a fre-
ely spread, but only digital publication, oriented
to benefit all small and middle-sized winemakers,

wine producers, traders, sommeliers, and their
customers in all wine-producing countries. Luboš Bárta
Luboš Bárta
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