Czech wine explained: Moravia's four sub-regions and what grows there

Ask a Czech where the country's wine comes from and you will get one word: Morava. The land east of the old Bohemian border produces most of it, and the names of its wine towns, Mikulov, Znojmo, Velké Pavlovice and Hustopeče, mean as much to Czechs as Burgundy villages do to the French. Czech wine is far less known abroad than Czech beer, and most of it is drunk close to where it is made.

Two regions, six sub-regions

Czech wine law divides the country into two vinařské oblasti (wine regions). Bohemia is the smaller one, with two sub-regions: Mělnická, around the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe north of Prague, and Litoměřická, in the Elbe valley further north-west. Moravia is the larger, and it is divided into four sub-regions: Mikulovská, Znojemská, Velkopavlovická and Slovácká. The great majority of vineyards lie in Moravia, and that is where the cellar culture is concentrated.

Climate explains it. South Moravia is warmer and drier than most of Bohemia, with limestone and loess soils and long autumns, and it adjoins Austria's Weinviertel across the border. Vines have grown here for centuries, and the modern industry was reorganised after 1989, when family estates re-emerged in place of the collectivised state farms.

What grows there

White wine is the larger share in Czechia, and the leading varieties will be familiar if you know Austrian wine. Veltlínské zelené (Grüner Veltliner) is the signature white, with a peppery, citrus edge. Müller-Thurgau is widely planted and makes light, fruity wine. Ryzlink rýnský (Riesling), Rulandské bílé (Pinot Blanc), Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Ryzlink vlašský (Welschriesling) all appear on lists. Pálava and Irsai Oliver are aromatic white varieties bred in central Europe.

For reds, the staples are Frankovka (Blaufränkisch), Svatovavřinecké (St Laurent), Modrý Portugal (Blauer Portugieser), Zweigeltrebe and, in warmer corners, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Rulandské modré (Pinot Noir) is also grown. Many names on a Czech wine list are the Czech versions of German-language names, which reflects the shared history of the Habsburg lands.

How wine is graded

Czech wine labels use a classification system that reflects the sugar content of the grapes at harvest, measured in degrees of the normalised wine scale. In ascending order, the main categories are stolní víno (table wine), zemské víno (country wine, a regional wine), jakostní víno (quality wine) and jakostní víno s přívlastkem (quality wine with special attributes). The last category has its own subdivisions, based on ripeness: kabinet, pozdní sběr (late harvest), výběr z hroznů (selection of grapes), výběr z bobulí (selection of berries), výběr z cibéb (selection of dried berries), and the specialities ledové víno (ice wine) and slámové víno (straw wine). The ripeness thresholds are set in regulation, so check the Ministry of Agriculture or the Wine Fund for the current figures (as of 2026).

On top of this sits the VOC (Vína originální certifikace, or wines of certified origin) system, in which a group of winemakers in a locality agrees on the grape varieties and rules for wines that carry the name of their town. Among the best known are VOC Znojmo, VOC Mikulov and VOC Modré Hory. The system began in the late 2000s, and it is voluntary and run by the producers themselves (as of 2026; check the Wine Fund).

The cellar landscape

The most distinctive thing about Moravian wine is how it is drunk. Many villages have a lane of small cellars, sklepy, dug into hillsides or built in rows at the edge of the village. Families store and sell wine in them, and in season they open for tastings. They are often simple: benches, a table, wine, with bread, cheese and cured meats on the side.

Signed cycle routes, the Moravian wine trails, link villages and cellars and are busiest in spring and autumn. Plan the day around trains or a driver: Czechia has a zero-tolerance rule for drivers, and a day of tasting is a poor preparation for a bicycle. The Lednice-Valtice area, a landscaped estate created by the Liechtenstein family and on the UNESCO list, lies within the Mikulov sub-region and is a standard stop.

Bohemia's smaller vineyards

Bohemian wine has a shorter reach but a long pedigree. Tradition credits Charles IV with encouraging vine-growing around Mělník in the fourteenth century, an episode that belongs to the story told in our piece on Charles IV and Prague. Mělník's vineyards still produce, and the town's castle estate is a well-known name. Prague has a few small vineyards of its own, including one at Prague Castle and others on slopes such as Grébovka in Vinohrady, open to visitors on selected days. Bohemian whites, particularly Müller-Thurgau and Pinot varieties, tend to be lighter and more acidic than Moravian ones, because the climate is cooler.

Burčák and the harvest calendar

The harvest begins in late August with the earliest varieties and runs through October. In September you will see signs for burčák, a young, partly fermented grape must that is cloudy, sweet and lightly fizzy. It is a seasonal drink, sold at roadside stalls, markets and festivals, and it continues to ferment, so it should be kept cool and not sealed tightly in a bottle. It is easy to drink and deceptively strong, since sweetness hides alcohol.

Harvest festivals, vinobraní, run through September and October in wine towns, often with folk music and costumes, and Prague holds some too. Dates change each year, so check local listings.

Buying and drinking

Wine is sold in supermarkets, in specialist shops (vinotéky) and directly by producers. Prices run from cheap table wine to single-vineyard bottles, and they change, so we quote none. To find what the region does best, look for the VOC label, a named sub-region, or a producer a local shop recommends. Wines of pozdní sběr grade and above are typically sweeter or richer, and lists mark dryness with suché (dry), polosuché (medium dry), polosladké (medium sweet) and sladké (sweet).

Pubs serve wine by the glass, and in summer a špricer (wine with soda water) is a common order. Svařák, mulled wine, turns up at Christmas markets and winter events. For what to eat alongside, see our guide to traditional Czech food; for the national drink, Czech beer culture.

Frequently asked questions

How many wine regions are there in Czechia?

Two: Bohemia and Moravia. Moravia has four sub-regions and Bohemia two, and the great majority of vineyards are in Moravia.

What is burčák?

A young, partly fermented grape must sold in early autumn. It is cloudy, sweet and lightly fizzy, and it is stronger than it tastes.

What does VOC mean?

Vína originální certifikace, a voluntary system in which producers in a locality agree rules for wines that carry the town's name.

Can I visit a Moravian cellar without a car?

Yes. Many wine villages have railway stations, and there are signed cycle routes that link them.