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Towards the end of 2003, Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) conducted inspections focused on quality of half-fermented and young wines. The inspections were directed entirely on producers to find out in what extent they break the Act on Viticulture and Wine Making and to avoid any disputes whether adulteration is caused by sellers or producers.

CAFIA took samples of half-fermented and young wines from 20 producers, both big and small ones. The inspections were carried out in two different dates and the second inspection clearly caught the producers by surprise. The first term identified only two producers with added water in half-fermented wines, the second inspection revealed 7 unsatisfactory results out of 10. In total, 6 wine-makers whose products were tested (9 non-compliance samples out of 20, 45% non compliance in total), committed adulteration and misled customers.

The Act on Viticulture and Wine Making explicitly prohibits adulteration of wines in each stage of their production. Adding water is not allowed. Current laboratory methods based on measurements of proportions of oxygen isotopes are able to detect water added in half-fermented wines, young wines and grape juice. Adulteration of wines is coarse infringement of ethics and preying of the customers.

Mr. Jakub Šebesta, CAFIA managing director, comments on this situation: “This is a short- sighted policy. The competitiveness of winemakers will be also influenced by their reputation. Adulteration severely diminishes credibility of honest Czech and Moravian winemakers and lessens image of winemaking in the Czech Republic.” CAFIA will take necessary actions against this misbehavior and impose substantial fines.

Similarly, CAFIA inspectors found omissions and errors in viticulture and wine making records as governed by law. Appropriate and accurate records are required by European Commission. This issues will be also discussed at the upcoming seminar for wine-makers to be held in Valtice in January 2004.

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