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Even though this year's season of selling of half-fermented wine is delayed, in these days consumers and inspectors of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) start to meet with increasing number of stall sellers and random sellers of this beverage along roads. Despite half-fermented wine is being sold only a couple of days, suggestions for inspections are already comming from consumers, in particular from Brno region concerning quality in the first place.

Half-fermented wine (half-fermented must) is defined as product obtained by fermentation of must with actual content of alcoholic strength more 1% and lower than 3/5 of total alcohol strength. It is not possible to produce it from other fruits and it is forbidden to add water into it.

Since last year, some amendments occured concerning releasing this specific Czech beverage into circulation. Primarily, it is  its labelling. Athough EC legislation knows and defines definition of „half-fermented must“, it does not know definition of „half fermented wine“ which is component of Czech legislation solely. It follows for Czech enterprisers and consumers, that only beverage produced solely from domestic grapes can be labelled as „half fermented wine“. If any imported grapes were used for its production, thereafter labelling „half-fermented must“ is permitted. As a matter of interest – to import grapes for wine production (and for production of half-fermented wine) into EU from third countries is entirely forbidden.

Since last year, consumers are also right to know the producer of beverage on offer. This compulsory information is important also for so-called traceability of origin of offered product. Therefore it must be indicated at each stall or other place of sale. Last year CAFIA monitored several  atemmpts at falsification of this information when sellers indicated non-existing producers including fictive identification numbers. All these attempts ended in imposition of appreciable fine.

CAFIA inspectors, as well as in previous years, are starting to inspect continuously sellers of half-fermented wine. They will primarily focus on inspection of correct labelling and deception of consumers. They will take samples from which it will be possible to find out, whether the offered product is really half-fermented wine according to the prescribed content of alcohol and primarily, whether exogenous water had been added or not – colloquially said, whether the producer  „watered it down“ or not.

According to the Wine Act, half-fermented wine (half-fermented must) can be offered for sale from 1st August till 30thNovember.

However, consumer-nonspecialist can difficultly recognize if at the stall „profitably“ purchased beverage is half-fermented wine or not. CAFIA therefore recommends purchasing of half-fermented wine preferably directly from producers or in wine-shops.

Results of half-fermented wine inspections from previous years are available on CAFIA websites www.szpi.gov.cz in the link Press Releases.