Nine Centuries of Wine, Cejkovice, South Bohemia

Nine Centuries of Wine in Čejkovice, South Bohemia

25 August 2026

Architects: Novague

Location: Čejkovice, South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Photos by Václav Novák

The caravan slowly climbs towards the oldest part of the village of Čejkovice. It passes the château and the historic wine granaries, where the road comes to an end. On a grassy plateau with a homely retreat adorned with roses, a panoramic view of the summer landscape opens up. The shimmering heat rises above the red rooftops, alternating with ribbons of greenery embroidered by rows of vines. The vines became part of this landscape long before the name Čejkovice entered history.

The first vineyards here were established by the Knights Templar at the beginning of the 13th century. During their presence in the region, they also built the oldest and most extensive medieval wine cellars in Moravia beneath the Čejkovice fortress. Their cool corridors still preserve not only wine, but also the memory of nine centuries of local winemaking tradition — a tradition shaped over time by ecclesiastical, aristocratic and state administration, but above all passed down from generation to generation as both a craft and an art.

Today, a large share of grapes from the local vineyard sites is processed by the Templářské sklepy Čejkovice wine cooperative. Founded in 1936 as a voluntary association of several dozen winemakers and grape growers, it was renewed in 1992 and now brings together approximately 340 members who collectively ensure the processing of the harvest and the distribution of their wines.

The revitalization of the oldest part of the winery represents another step in the shared effort of local winemakers to preserve their heritage. Beneath the complex, the winding corridors of medieval cellars spread like ancient roots through the underground. Along their walls run wine pipelines — the arteries distributing wine to the individual parts of the winery, whose identity is rooted in these Templar cellars.

Today, 400 metres of the approximately 650 metres of corridors are open to the public, although the original extent of the underground network is believed to have been considerably larger.

Living History Underground
The greatest value of the historic cellars lies in their material and spatial authenticity. The revitalization primarily focused on removing inappropriate modern alterations and unnecessary decorative elements, allowing the understated beauty of the historic underground spaces to emerge.

The overall concept was created by designer Petr Novague. Into the purified space, he introduces a contemporary and clearly legible layer that enhances the unique character of the cellars. In addition to the exhibition and furnishings, he also designed a new bottle shape whose silhouette references the form of the Templar cross.

The generous vaulted spaces built from stone and brick are unified by atmospheric lighting. A subtle musical backdrop accompanies visitors through the history of the site, from Gothic motifs and the Jesuit period to the present day. The quiet atmosphere evokes the continuity of the place and the legacy of the people who have used the cellars for generations to preserve wine.

The cellar corridors are lined with dozens of oak barrels with capacities ranging from approximately 2,000 to 5,000 liters, as well as an exhibition of commemorative barrels. While smaller barrels could be transported into the cellars fully assembled, the largest ones are brought in dismantled and reconstructed on site by coopers using traditional nail-free techniques. The motifs carved into their fronts reflect individual chapters in the history of the wine cooperative.

Among the most valuable are the former largest actively used wine barrel in the Czech Republic, with a capacity of 20,250 liters, and the commemorative barrel marking the cooperative’s first decade, created in 1946. Its carved lid depicts Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech lands, and commemorates the people connected with the foundation of the cooperative. Many of their families remain linked to the winery to this day.

The barrel was made by Eduard Pecka, one of the founders of the original cooperative and an ancestor of today’s cooper Eduard Bařina. The fifth master cooper in his family lineage, Bařina will create his third commemorative cooperative barrel in 2026 during his professional career.

Next to the historic wine archive, guarded by a statue of Saint Urban, a new exhibition titled Rosae et Lux has been created, dedicated to rosé wines. It introduces a softer, symbolically feminine element into the underground spaces.

The exhibition also includes photographs, archival documents, and original labels from the founding period of the wine cooperative as well as from the decades following its nationalization. Due to the high humidity levels, the underground spaces require continuous maintenance. Sensitive exhibits are preserved in custom-designed display cases, while air quality is maintained using ozone generators.

New Layers on Ancient Roots
The new elements are conceived with restraint and respect for the character of the space. The raw materiality of the cellars is complemented by furnishings made from wood, metal and sandstone. Traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary technology, while robust details are paired with expressive minimalism. Polished steel surfaces contrast with solid timber and forged details on the oak tasting tables. Bar stools woven from slender, gleaming steel evoke the structure of medieval chainmail.

The final tasting space is dominated by a sandstone monolith subtly broken into the shape of the Templar cross. The cross motif is echoed by a large rotating logo, a strong wayfinding element that marks the intersection of the corridors and establishes the direction of the tour.

The cellars are not an exhibition of the past, but a living part of the winery — a place where craft traditions and contemporary design meet in service of the art of living.

Nine Centuries of Wine in South Bohemia, Czech Republic – Building Information

Architects: Novague – https://www.novague.com/

Author: Petr Novague
Contact E-mail: petr(at)novague.com

Social media: www.instagram.com/novague
Studio address: Truhlářská 1108, 110 00 Prague, Czech Republic

Project location: Na Bařině 945, Čejkovice, Czech Republic

Project year: 2025
Completion year: 2026
Dimensions: 400 m, underground corridors
Cost: 485 000 €

Client: Templářské Sklepy Čejkovice, wine cooperative
Client’s e-mail: valihrachova(at)templarske-sklepy.cz
Client’s website: www.templarske-sklepy.cz

Photographer: Václav Novák, www.vaclavnovak.com, vaclav(at)vaclavnovak.com

Collaborators and suppliers Carpentry, woodcarving and cooperage: Bednářství Bařina (Eduard Bařina), www.bednarstvi.webnode.cz

Materials

solid oak – tables
steel – tasting area
black steel – wine archive shelving
terracotta tiles – visitor route flooring

Products and Brands
custom-designed furniture — Novague\www.novague.com
chairs — Vitra\www.vitra.com

Additional information

Templářské Sklepy Čejkovice, wine cooperative, CZ

The world of the 12th and 13th centuries was shaped by the Crusades, which gave rise to the mysterious order of the Knights Templar — both religious order and warrior brotherhood. The first written record of their presence in Čejkovice dates from the 1230s. They built a fortress here as well as wine cellars of a scale previously unseen in the Czech lands. With the Templars began a new era of grape growing in the region.

After the order was dissolved at the beginning of the 14th century, the estates in Čejkovice gradually passed into the hands of, among others, the Lords of Lipá, the Vítkovci, the Jesuits and the Habsburgs.

In 1936, the first wine and fruit-growing cooperative was established, bringing together dozens of local vineyard owners. Its aim was to provide growers with shared facilities for processing their harvest and to facilitate the sale of their grapes.

Wine production continued even during the period when the vineyards and winery were operated as a state farm. Wine continued to be produced here, and part of today’s production facilities was built during this period. Production, however, reflected the priorities of the time, with an emphasis primarily on quantity. Wine was matured in steel tanks and bottled mainly in one-litre bottles, while varietal character and higher quality were not priorities. The cellars nevertheless remained in operation and continued to offer guided tours.

Since 1992, the company Templářské sklepy Čejkovice, wine cooperative, has continued the tradition of the voluntary cooperative established during the First Czechoslovak Republic. Its membership has gradually been rebuilt and now numbers approximately 340 members.

The company continues to operate in the historic cellars, with oak and batik-decorated barrels and an extensive archive of bottle-aged wines. A further capacity of six million litres is provided by the industrial buildings and historic granaries in Čejkovice.

As recently as the 1990s, the winery operated under the name Vinařské družstvo Čejkovice. The Templar motif appeared only on selected wines at the time. It was not until 2006 that the winery’s oldest history became fully integrated into the identity of the brand.

studio Novague

studio Novague is an independent design studio founded by Petr Novague, a graduate of Product and Transportation Design at the prestigious Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM). An important milestone in his career was an internship at a university in Essen, Germany, where he developed a keen sense for technical precision and functional aesthetics.

The philosophy of NOVAGUE is built on these foundations. The studio aims to bring a high level of aesthetic value to products, brands, and spaces. Its approach combines artistic vision with a deep understanding of functionality, technology, and user experience. The resulting designs not only look exceptional but also enhance everyday life and strengthen the identity of each brand.

To ensure the highest quality and consistency in design services, NOVAGUE has developed a unique methodology for product development that reduces mistakes and avoids random decisions. This structured approach allows creativity to be translated into measurable results. The outcome is design that captivates visually and provides tangible economic value, helping clients increase profits and achieve long-term success through well-executed design.

Petr Novague is a product designer and recipient of numerous prestigious Red Dot Awards and German Design Awards. He studied Product and Transportation Design at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM). In 2008, he founded Novague Design Studio.

His portfolio includes, among others, the Edge chair, the HN R200 car, the Porsche 911n concept car, the Favorit bicycle, Sapeli doors, the Spokar toothbrush and, most recently, the bottle designed for Templářské sklepy.

Photography by Václav Novák

Winery building designs

Nine Centuries of Wine, Čejkovice, South Bohemia images / information received 250826 from Architects Novague

Location: Čejkovice, South Bohemia, Czech Republic, central eastern Europe.