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Although the period of sale of half-fermented wine is only from 1 August to 30 November, the Food Inspection Authority will not remit fines for its unauthorised “baptism” with water. During the half-fermented wine season the Inspection Authority took samples of this half-fermented grape must to check whether exogenous water was not added to it. Similarly as in the case of wine, water cannot be added to half-fermented wine because “multiplication” of wine or half-fermented wine is prohibited by law.

Inspectors of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) took 39 samples of half-fermented wine. The samples were taken from sellers, on the whole territory of the Czech Republic. Laboratory analysis confirmed added water in 15 of them (38%). In all positive cases half-fermented wine contained more than 40% of added water. Unbelievable 94% was measured in half-fermented wine sold in a stall in Hradec Králové, and “half-fermented wine” sold at a pull-off of E55 motorway in Planá nad Lužnicí contained even 96% of water.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority has already initiated administrative proceedings against the offenders and will impose fines on them for violating the Wine Act.

Until now, CAFIA had to send samples of half-fermented wine to laboratories abroad to detect exogenous water. This year, however, it disposes of its own equipment (SNIF-NMR and IRMS) that works on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance. It is intended to detect adulterated food. One of the first commodities the CAFIA will examine using this equipment is wine and half-fermented wine.

Table with the results of the inspection of half-fermented wine: 1.8. – 30.11.2005 can be found at www.szpi.gov.cz in the Czech version of the Press Release section.

(CAFIA took samples from sellers (inspected person), therefore, data on the amount of added water do not relate to producers or distributors of half-fermented wine. Information on the producer or distributor is only additional).