'Lyra' and 'Cassiopeia' reigned the winter 2025/2026 tastings

This year’s apple tasting season in the Czech Republic brought outstanding recognition for our varieties. Across three prestigious events in Lysice, Horní Bečva, and Holovousy, our apples demonstrated clear leadership in inner fruit quality, flavour, and overall appeal.

Lysice: Czech varieties in the spotlight

In Lysice, a tasting organized by Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture focused almost exclusively on Czech-bred apples. The event took place on 26 November 2025. Fourty varieties in total were evaluated, making it a true showcase of domestic breeding.

Our new variety 'Lyra' took first place, confirming its reputation as a modern apple with excellent fruit quality. 'Admiral' followed closely in second place and 'UEB 6481' (Orange Crisp®) shared fourth to fifth position.

Horní Bečva: 'Cassiopeia' wins against international competition

Another major tasting was organized by the company Fruit Research Station OVS-Beskydy Ekosfera s.r.o. in Horní Bečva on 10 January 2026. Here, 39 varieties were evaluated, representing all important Czech breeding programs. Importantly, several globally recognised cultivars - such as 'SQ159' (Natyra®), 'Ladina', Envy™, Pink Lady®, 'Fuji', Kanzi®, and Cameo® - were included for direct comparison.

In this highly competitive environment, our variety 'Cassiopeia' won hands down. It immediately attracted attention with its striking appearance. However, it was the eating experience that set it apart: a firm, crisp texture combined with a full, aromatic flavour that impressed the professionals. Its performance confirmed that Czech breeding can stand confidently alongside the world’s most famous apple varieties.

Even more encouraging, four additional varieties or advanced selections from our breeding program placed within the top ten, demonstrating both depth and future potential in our portfolio.

Holovousy: Tradition and success

The traditional winter tasting in Holovousy, a respected event in Czech pomology, took place on 6 January 2026 and once again highlighted top-quality apples. This time, our variety 'Admiral' secured an excellent third place. The overall winner was 'Rubín', a variety bred by the cofounder of our breeding station.

These results show that our varieties combine attractive appearance, outstanding texture, and rich flavour capable of excelling even in international comparison. They are also a testament to the long-term expertise of Czech apple breeding.

Photos from the Horní Bečva tasting, source: rajce.idnes.cz