Czech vineyards decline despite billions in state support

Czechia spent CZK 2.4 billion supporting its wine industry between 2023 and 2025, but vineyard acreage and the number of winegrowers continued to decline, according to the Supreme Audit Office. The area under cultivation fell from over 18,000 hectares in 2019 to under 17,000 last year, while the number of growers has dropped by a third since 2014. Auditors also identified shortcomings in the distribution of subsidies, including 12.4 million crowns in improperly paid grants and conflicts of interest involving Wine Fund officials. The Agriculture Ministry attributed the decline partly to rising costs and falling wine consumption.