Some 2.2 million bottles of St. Martin's wine to go on the market

Sellers expect some 2.2 million bottles of so-called Saint Martin's wine to go on the market this year, a slight drop from the last two years due to a weaker grape yield as the result of early spring frosts and later also dry spells or drought.

Photo: CTK

Production has hovered at around two million since 2011. According to the Winegrowers' fund the number should remain at similar levels. It's head, Jaroslav Machovec, said some there is still room room for further growth and that the market is not fully saturated yet.

Saint Martin’s wine, a young wine or the first of the season, goes on sale on Saturday in the Czech Republic - November 11th - the day of Saint Martin. Festivals featuring wine tasting are traditionally held at various venues around the country.

Some 431 samples of St Martin's wine, four more than in 2016, were tested over two rounds this year, with 379 of them meeting the grade, the Czech News Agency reported. Those which earned the right to the St Martins's label was higher than usual, some 88 percent.

Moravia, which is famous as wine-growing country in the Czech Republic, has far more Saint Martin's wines: 372 are from Moravia and just seven are from the Bohemia.

One producer described this year's St Martin's wine as "truly excellent", calling it "full-bodied, aromatic and fruity". The traditional selection includes Müller Thurgau, Zweigeltrebe claret, Zweigeltrebe rosé, and Modrý Portugal, to name a few.