Czech wines

Still wines

In the Czech Republic, similar to in Austria and Germany, the so-called Germanic system for classifying wines according to the minimum sugar content present in the grape juice at harvest is used. 

Wine with protected geographical denomination

Land wine

Land wine is produced solely from grapes whose origin is the Czech Republic. These go under the titles "Moravian Land Wine" or "Bohemian Land Wine" and may moreover be labelled with the vintage and name of the grape variety. Must-weight level at harvest must reach a minimum 14°NM.   

Wine with protected denominatíon of origin 

Quality wine 

For the production of quality wine only local grapes of varieties listed in the State Register of Grape Varieties or else grapes permitted in any of the member states of the European Union, originating from vineyards suitable for the production of quality wine from a single wine region. The production of the wine must take place in the same wine region in which the grapes were harvested. Must-weight level of the grapes must reach a minimum 15°NM.

Quality wine with special attributes (Wein mit Prädikat) 

Grapes for its production must fulfil all the requirements for the production of quality wine. Furthermore they must originate from one single wine sub-region and the origin of the grapes, their sugar level, weight, grape variety or blend of varieties must be verified by the State Agricultural and Food Inspectorate. The must-weight levels of a quality wine with special attributes must not be enriched.

Types of individual attributes

Kabinet wine

The category of wines produced from grapes having a must-weight of a minimum 19°NM. These are lighter, dry, pleasantly drinkable wines. 

Late harvest

Wines whose grapes achieved a minimum must-weight level at harvest of 21°NM. These are full, extractive, dry or semi-dry wines.

Special selection of grapes

Wines produced from grapes which ripened to a minimum of 24°NM. These are wines which are full, extractive, with a higher alcohol content, sometimes with a higher content of residual sugar. 

Special selection of berries 

Wines produced from grapes that ripened over a very long period on the vine and whose must-weight level had achieved at least 27°NM. These are very round, extractive, semi-sweet or sweet wines. 

Ice wine 

Made from grapes frozen on the vine picked at a maximum temperature of  -7°C. The must-weight levels must achieve at least 27°NM. Grapes must not defrost during the pressing process, thus a part of the water remains unpressed in the grapes in the form of ice crystals and during the pressing the must becomes highly concentrated. Ice wines are highly extractive and sweet.

Straw wine

Wines made of grapes that were dried for at least three months on straw mats or reed beds or else hung in a well-ventilated space. In this way part of the water evaporates and so concentrates the content of extractive substances. The resulting must-weight levels must be of at least 27°NM. Pressing of grapes may already take place after two months provided that the must-weight levels have reached 32°NM. Straw wines are very extractive and sweet.  

Special selection of botrytised berries

Wines produced from selected berries that have been attacked by noble rot or from overripe berries that reached a minimum must-weight level of 32 °NM. Thanks to the extremely long ripening time the majority of these berries turn into raisins. They give very extractive and sweet wines.   

Categories of still wines according to the content of residual sugar 

Dry

A wine which fermented to dryness and its residual sugar content is not exceeding:

max. 4 g residual sugar per litre or

max. 9 g residual sugar per litre should the difference in residual sugar and the total acidity content converted into tartaric acid be 2 grams or less.

Semi-dry

To be labelled as a semi-dry wine it must contain: 

max. 12 g residual sugar per litre or

max. 18 g residual sugar per litre should the difference in residual sugar and the total acidity content converted into tartaric acid be 10 grams or less.

Semi-sweet

The residual-sugar content in the wine is greater that the highest value stipulated for semi-dry wines, but reaches a maximum of 45 g per 1 litre. 

Sweet

According to the legislative regulations this is a wine with a residual-sugar content of at least 45 g per litre.  

Saint Martin's Wine

Saint Martin's wines are the first wines of the vintage, which are consumed and, according to the tradition, one can make a toast with for the first time on the feast day of St Martin, 11th November. These wines are refreshing and fruity and, although that they have only matured for a few weeks, they manage to achieve their distinctive character. 

Wines which are sold under the collective designation (the logo of Saint Martin on his white horse on the label), must comply with the required criteria and their release on the market has to be approved each year by the specialised committee. Bottles are also required to have the collectively used cork stoppers with capsules or screw-top closures bearing the trade-mark "Svatomartinské". 

Only the following early-ripening varieties are permitted for the production under the SVATOMARTINSKÉ trademark: 

Whíte wine: Müller-Thurgau, Frühroter Veltliner, Moravian Muscat 

Red wine: Blauer Portugieser and Saint Laurent

Rosé and blancs de noirs: Blauer Portugieser, Zweigeltrebe and Saint Laurent

It is recommended to consume these wines by the following spring, after which time the wine may lose its expressive taste and freshness.

The history of Saint Martin's wines

The tradition of Saint Martin's wines stretches as far back as the court of Emperor Josef II, when it first became customary to toast the feast day of Saint Martin with the season’s new wine.  On this day the vineyard workers who worked for larger landowners finished their seasonal duties, the continuation of which was usually negotiated with the first glass of ready-made wine from the autumn harvest accompanied by opulent dishes of roast goose, duck and pies. 

The traditional Saint Martin's celebrations as an occasion for good food and drink have lasted well until today.

VOC

Wines of Original Certification (VOC) are specific in that the grapes from which the wines are produced originate exclusively from vineyards that lie on approved sites of a given region. It is the winemakers alone who make the selection of vineyard tracts most suitable for the production of VOC wines. This strict selection of sites with a suitable soil composition is what gives to the wine its unique properties. Grape varieties most typical of the given region are included in the VOC system. Vintners assess the wines on their own through their proper associations, verifying the origin of the grapes and character of the wines to be selected for inclusion in VOC.

The VOC designation concurs with the so-called Germanic system for classifying wines into categories: quality, quality with special attributes, etc. The VOC trademark is the analogue of the appellation system used in other wine-producing countries, such as France (AOC/AOP), Italy (DOC/DOP) and Austria (DAC). Whereas the Germanic system determines the quality of the wine from the sugar levels in the grapes at harvest, the appellation (Roman/Latin) system concentrates on the presentation of the greatest number of possibilities of a given grape variety in the specific place of its cultivation.

What does the VOC labelling mean? 

Wines from varieties typical to a given wine region. 

Grapes come exclusively from carefully selected sites (individual single vineyards). 

The wines will reflect the terroir of the region from which the grapes originate. 

The assessment of wines is undertaken by the winemakers themselves (members of the authorised VOC association), who decide whether a wine complies with the VOC  characteristics. 

What is special about VOC? 

This is predominantly down to the specific natural conditions, unique soil compositions and declared origin of the grapes. All this, supported by the skills, care and sensitivity of the local winemakers, gives the VOC wine its specific and original character, which will not alter from bottle to bottle. The customer especially appreciates the fact that every year the VOC will be just as he expected. Wines of VOC manifest a typical nose and palate of the variety for any given wine region.  

Rosé

Rosé wine is produced using the black grape varieties, most commonly by the method of an abbreviated red wine vinification, with crushed grapes being macerated for a short period of time. They say that rosé starts life as a red wine, and then lives its life like a white wine. The grapes are usually left macerating for between 4 to 6 hours so that the juice only absorbs a small amount of the colour from the grape skins. Then the skins are separated from the juice and this latter is treated in the same manner as if it were a white wine. Such a production process imparts the required youthful esprit to a rosé wine. The zingy character we expect from rosé requires the necessary balancing acidity.

The winemakers in the Czech Republic generally produce crisp wines with a lighter character and distinctive taste and with a wide spectrum of shades of colour. Rosé shows you the sweetness of raspberry tones, delicate salmon or orange or even darker onion-skin hues, and this all depends on the grape variety chosen and the technology used in its vinification.   

Rosé wine is generally drunk young, ideally during its first year. It has to refresh and to make a light impression, which with the passage of time may gradually fade away, although there are some exceptions.   

Rosé wine is served chilled at a temperature between 8 and 12 degrees, though it may be served directly on ice or else in a cocktail. Be careful, though – rosé loses its special appeal  when over-chilled.  

Sturm

In the Czech lands, as also in neighbouring Austria and Slovakia, the consumer, at the time of the wine harvest, loves nothing more than to consume the still-fermenting grape juice. The partially fermented grape juice is a product gained by the fermentation of the grape must to a real alcohol content of more than 1% alc. by vol. and less than three-fifths of the total alcohol content in a percentage by volume.  

The partly fermented grape juice must only be offered for sale under the banner "burčák" between 1st August and 30th November, provided that the juice has fermented and the grapes came solely from vineyards in the Czech Republic.

Burčák contains large amounts of yeasts and vitamins, especially vitamins of the B group. One of these is thiamin, otherwise known as vitamin B1, which supports cardiac activity. Another highly positive effect is its cleansing effect on the digestive system.  

Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is made through primary or secondary alcoholic fermentation of grape juice or wine. Upon opening the vessel sparkling wine is characterised by the escape of the carbon dioxide created exclusively through the process of fermentation. 

Quality sparkling wine - sekt

For the production of the cuvée only grapes corresponding to the definition of quality wine production or quality wine itself have been used.

Quality sparkling wine from a designated region - sekt s.o. 

For the production of the cuvée only the grapes grown in the same wine region from vineyards suitable for quality wine production from a designated region were used. The vinification process took place in the same wine region in which the grapes were harvested and the maximum permitted yields per hectare were not exceeded.

Growers‘ sekt

Sparkling wine that fulfils specific conditions, e.g. that the production was undertaken on the premises of the same grape grower whose grapes were used for the production of the sekt. 

Aromatic quality sparkling wine 

In its production only a primary fermentation was undergone. The cuvée is made from the grape varieties corresponding to the specified regulations and the wine complies with the quality requirements. 

Aromatic quality sparkling wine from a designated region – aromatic sekt s.o.

For the production of the cuvée only grapes grown in the same wine region from vineyards suitable for quality wine production from a designated region were used. The vinification process took place in the same wine region in which the grapes were harvested, the maximum permitted yields per hectare were not exceeded and the wine fulfils the quality criteria requirements. In its production only a primary fermentation was undergone.

Semi-sparkling wine

A product which was made from wine, quality wine or from products suited to the production of table wine or quality wine, provided that those wines or products show a total minimum alcohol content of 9% alc. by vol. and show a minimum real alcohol content of 7% alc. by vol. 

Semi-sparkling wine made by carbonation

A product which is made from wine, quality wine s.o. or from products suited to producing table wines or quality wines s.o, which shows a total minimum alcohol content of 7% alc. by vol. and show a minimum real alcohol content of 9% alc. by vol.

Quality semi-sparkling wine

Is produced from grapes harvested in the same wine region from vineyards suitable for the production of quality wine of the designated region, the vinification took place in the wine region in which the grapes were harvested, the maximum permitted yields per hectare were not exceeded and the wine fulfils the quality criteria requirements.

The classification of sparkling and semi-sparkling wines by residual sugar

"brut nature": fewer than 3 g of sugar/litre (sugar was not added after the secondary fermentation)

"extra brut": sugar content between 0 and 6 g/litre

"brut": sugar content lower than 12 g/litre 

"extra dry" –"extra sec": sugar content between 12 and 17 g /litre

"sec" - "dry": sugar content between 17 and 32 g/litre

"demi-sec" – "medium-sec": sugar content between 32 and 50 g/litre

"doux" – "sweet": sugar content higher than 50 g/litre  

Liqueur wine

Liqueur wine is a product which shows a real alcohol content of 15% to 22% alc. by vol. and a total minimum alcohol content of 17.5% alc. by vol. It has to have been attained from partly fermented grape juice and/or from wine to which grape spirit has been added or from products made from the grapevine and grape must “süssreserve“. 

Quality liqueur wine

Liqueur wine made from grapes harvested in the same wine region from a vineyard suitable for quality wine production in the designated region, the vinification took place in the wine region in which the grapes were harvested, the maximum permitted yields per hectare were not exceeded and the wine fulfils the quality criteria requirements.