Burčák season comes early in 2020: signs advertising the young wine have popped up in Moravia

Burčák is widely available from late August to early November for a fleeting season. The beverage cannot legally be sold before August 1.

The young wine is made by partly fermenting the first pressing of grapes, which results in a cloudy beverage with about 4–6% alcohol. The name burčák only refers to the young wine made from local, Czech grapes.

In Prague, Burčák can be found at various wine bars, farmers markets and local wine festivals when in season.

But the freshest burčák is normally found in Moravia, where they have festivals that celebrate the wine harvest. The first signs of burčák have started to pop up around Moravia this week, signaling the start of the season.

Experts caution that burčák should still have active carbon bubbles visible and even audible, as the yeast should still be live. Burčák from white wine should be golden yellow in color, and not brownish.

It should also be stored in a chilled environment, and not out in the sun as heat speeds the fermentation too much.

It is seldom sold in stores since it requires special handling. If you buy some to take home in a plastic bottle, you should remember to loosen the cap every few hours to let the gas from fermentation escape.

Under Czech law, aside from the August 1 release date, there are some other rules. It must be made only from grapes harvested and processed in the Czech Republic during the current calendar year. It cannot be diluted or have added colors to mask poor quality. It cannot be sold after November 1.

Information on the location of origin and producer has to be posted by the vendor. It must have at least 1 percent alcohol under the law, otherwise, it is simply grape juice.

Foreign products can be sold, but must be called something else, such as partially fermented grape must (částečně zkvašený hroznový mošt). It is known as burčiak in Slovkia, and Federweisser, Suser, Sauser, Neuer Süßer, Sturm or Junger Wein across German-speaking regions. It can also be found in France, Hungary, Albania, Romania and Georgia, among other countries with a wine tradition.