Every good story has a beginning. For STORY4WINE – From Grapes to Stories, that beginning took place in Brno, at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, where partners from across the Visegrad region met for the very first time.
For three intensive autumn days, researchers, project managers, and educators came together to shape a shared narrative: how storytelling can strengthen sustainable and organic wine communication in Central Europe.
Who came together
The kick-off meeting gathered a diverse consortium representing Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary, combining expertise in:
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marketing and consumer behavior
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sustainability and organic production
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social sciences and education
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project coordination and dissemination
Behind every institution stood people who believe that wine is more than a product – it is culture, landscape, memory, and identity. The meeting was not just about roles and tasks, but about aligning perspectives and building trust across borders.
Hybrid participation allowed colleagues who could not travel to Brno to join online, ensuring that all voices were part of the discussion from day one.
Day 1 - Setting the Foundations
The opening day focused on building a common understanding of the project:
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introduction of partner institutions and team members
- clarification of roles, responsibilities, and decision-making
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agreement on communication tools (MS Teams, shared documents, regular online meetings)
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overview of budget rules, reporting duties, and Visegrad Fund requirements
Day 2 - Turning ideas into specific outputs
Partners worked in depth on the project’s key outputs:
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Consumer Insights Report – how to capture what wine consumers really respond to in storytelling
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Interviews with organic wine producers – identifying authentic narratives already used in practice
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Best Practice Guide – transforming real stories into inspiration for others
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Storytelling Toolkit (Moodle course) – an interactive learning space for wine producers, students, and professionals
Day 3 – Looking ahead
The final day focused on the future:
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planning the project website as a central storytelling hub
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agreeing on multilingual communication (EN, CZ, SK, HU)
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summarizing key decisions, deadlines, and next steps