Off to a late start: Burčák season in Czechia is two weeks behind schedule

Burčák won’t be available until about two weeks later than usual. The weather has slowed down the ripening of the grape vines in the south of Moravia, and the first burčak of the year will be ready for tasting in the week after next.

Vintners in Moravia haven't started the harvest yet. The delay is attributed to a combination of the cooler spring weather, causing the vines to bloom late, and the recent rainy and cold week, which is not conducive to grape ripening.

Pavel Pavloušek from the Institute of Viticulture and Viticulture at the Mendel University Faculty of Horticulture told ČTK that the hot July also played a significant role. "Ripening slows down once daytime temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius, especially when warm temperatures persist even at night," he explained.

The delay is confirmed by David Šťastný from the winery Chateau Valtice (Vinné sklepy Valtice). They cultivate a rare grape variety called Augustovskij in one area of their vineyards in the Břeclav district. This grape typically ripens earlier than others. Last year, the grapes were already ripe at the beginning of August.

With higher temperatures and more sunshine expected by the end of this week, if the weather improves, they can begin harvesting the first grapes on Aug. 15 or 16. "We could have fresh burčak at our wine stand in Valtice on the weekend of Aug. 19–20," he noted. On the other hand, vintners were fortunate to avoid both spring frosts and hail, making the harvest look very promising.

Traditionally, burčák flows at wine festivals taking place throughout the country in September. In Prague, the first of these festivals will be held at náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad on Sep. 8–9, and at the Royal Gardens of Prague Castle on Sep. 9–10. One of the largest festivals will be hosted at Grébovka on Sep. 22–23.