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Results of the control of half-fermented young wine raise little optimism

12/06/2002
 

half-fermented-young.jpg This season of half-fermented young wine – at least by the law – finished on 20 November and the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority has now evaluated the control of its sellers and producers. This time it focused on the potential addition of water into the wine by its producers or sellers. The definition of this product under the Act on Viticulture and Wine Production specifies it as “half-fermented grape must”, and therefore, it is not permissible to add water (the so-called exogenous water).

Ten samples of the half-fermented young wine taken from sellers in the scheduled areas of the whole country were sent to specialised laboratories in France and Austria. Using the isotope method, officially utilised in the EU countries, the samples were analysed for the contents of water.

The results of analyses are none too encouraging: the exogenous water was not detected only in three of ten analysed samples. As the specialists identified, the other samples contained between 15 and 80% (!) of water added. CAFIA considers such results alarming and controls of the half-fermented young wine are going to be more tightened in the years to come.

Results of analyses:

Seller

Producer
(by documents submitted)

Percentage of watter added
Jiří Chabičovský
Stand at Trnitá, Brno		 Miroslav Jagoš
Mutěnice		 80 %
Jitka Koldová
Production premises: Tramín
Křivá 6, Olomouc
 Pavel Mazuch
Mutěnice		 60 %
Richard Pádivý-HARI
Wine cellar, Jagellonská 26
Praha 3
 Pavel Mikulica
Vrbice
min.30%
(or detected water added)
/Note/
Olga Kinclová
Production premises: Tučkova 24a
Brno		 Miroslav Jagoš
Mutěnice		 min.30%
Zdeněk Reilich
Production premises: Olomoucká 2
Brno		 Eva Buchtová
Vinařství Ořechova 23
Velké Pavlovice		  20-25%
Karel Gottwald
Market Hall at. Bauerova,Brno		 Víno B.K.S.spol.s r.o.
Březí 311		 more than 15%

/Note./- two samples were taken, water added was detected in both of them

In the opinion of Mr. Jakub Šebesta, CAFIA General Director, this is a case of shameless adulteration. “If the producers or sellers of the half-fermented young wine have so far been convinced that we are not able to detect such explicitly wilful adulteration, they are badly wrong. The modern methods applied can precisely determine whether someone intentionally added water into the half-fermented young wine and to what degree he enriched himself illegally”.

CAFIA will commence administrative proceedings in all the cases of adulteration and is prepared to apply the maximum penalties provided by statute.

Author: RNDr. Daniela Kolejková - 55344 CSc. - Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority