🗺️ Czech wine

Czech wine is the wine of Czechia, a country in the centre of Europe. Under the law on viticulture and winemaking, the country has two wine regions: Moravia in the south-east and Čechy, that is Bohemia. Since 2006 both have been EU protected designations of origin.

The ÚKZÚZ vineyard register as of 31 December 2025 counts 16,945 ha of vines in the country, 395 wine communes and 1,333 vineyard sites. Almost all of it is in Moravia, 16,241 ha, while Bohemia has only 680 ha. There are 76 grapes approved for wine: 44 white and 32 red.

The law sets seven levels of predicate wines according to the sugar content of the grapes: from kabinetní víno (at least 19 °NM) and late harvest (21 °NM) to ice wine and straw wine (27 °NM). For ice wine the grapes are picked at −7 °C or below, and for straw wine they are dried on straw or reeds for at least 3 months. A separate category is VOC, wine of original certification: it is granted by producer associations authorised by the ministry.

An autumn speciality of the country is burčák, partly fermented grape juice. The name “burčák” may only be used for a drink from grapes harvested and processed in Czechia, and it may be sold from 1 August to 30 November of the harvest year, while it is still fermenting.

Why it matters to you. The words kabinetní víno, pozdní sběr or výběr z hroznů on a label show the minimum sugar content of the grapes, not necessarily a sweet wine. Look for burčák only at the end of summer and in autumn: outside this season it cannot be sold. White wines are served at 4–10 °C, reds at 15–18 °C.