The National Wine Salon of the Czech Republic

South of Brno, Czechia, near the Austria border is the small but vibrant town of Valtice. Situated in what is referred to as the “pearl of South Moravia”, Valtice is the center of viticulture and tourism of the region. It is also home to the National Wine Center – a masterpiece we stumbled upon by what we can only consider to be the mingling of fortune and fate. The wine center is located in a stunning 17th century Chateau that plays host to the annual Wine Salon of the Czech Republic. Every year, the wine center organizes the Wine Salon, which is the national wine competition of the Czech Republic. This competition is held to find the Top 100 wines originating in the Moravia and Bohemia wine regions of Czechia.

The judging takes place each January and during that time the Salon’s tasting exhibition is closed to visitors. In 2020 there were nearly 2,400 wines submitted for judging! Once the wines have been critiqued, the Salon’s tasting exhibition is reopened and people have the opportunity to visit the cellar to taste each of the award winning wines.  

History of the Valtice Chateau

The history of Valtice goes all the way back to the 11th century when it was a fortified settlement. In 1395 the Liechtenstein family came into the picture and was responsible for the construction of the Chateau in the 1700’s. The house was originally built in a Mannerist style and then later took on a more baroque appearance. The Liechtenstein family remained in this home until 1945.

After WWII, the property was plundered and mostly destroyed. Soviet prisoners of war were executed on the grounds. The home was later used as a store house before eventually being restored to the stunning beauty that remains today. The Chateau has been considered a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since it first made the list in 1996.

Getting to Valtice & The National Wine Salon

Much of the Czech Republic is well connected by train and getting to the small wine towns and villages are easy. We stayed in the small village, Moravska Nova Ves, which is located just outside of Breclav, the main train hub for the lower southeast part of Czechia. From Breclav, it is a short 15 minute train ride to Valtice. Once you have arrived at the small train station of Valtice it is only a 10 minute walk through the center of town to reach the Wine Salon.

Selecting a Package at the National Wine Salon

When you arrive to the National Wine Salon, the first step is to select the program in which you wish to participate. The Salon offers three different packages to choose from. The Open Wine Tasting, the By The Glass Tasting, or the Supervised Wine Tasting.

The largest of the programs, and the one that we chose, is the Open Wine Tasting. By selecting this package, you are given access to taste all of the wines (except sparkling) for 2 hours. This package costs 499 CZK (19.50 USD).  

The second available option is By The Glass where you can select 16 wines from their provided list for 100 CZK (4 USD). You may purchase as many multiples of 16 as you wish and use the by the glass dispenser. 

The third and smallest program is the Supervised Wine Tasting in which a sommelier goes through a selected collection of 5 wines. This program will take between 25-30 minutes and costs 160 CZK (6.27 USD).

Cellar Time

After a quick explanation from one of the staff members, you are left to explore the cellar on your own. The wines are divided and organized by varietal and region. Each wine is represented on a tech board which explains the details. Every label is assigned a number. These numbers are not related to how well the wines performed in the Salon, they are just used as a means of categorizing them.

As you make your way through the cellar, it is very easy to experience palate fatigue with so many different styles and varieties to taste, so take your time.  We found that two hours is plenty of time to sample each wine and even come back to your favorites for a second taste. After finding your favorites you will have the opportunity to take these award winning wines home with you.  

PW&A’s PSA: The cellar is equipped with wifi and an online catalog so it is possible to score the wines 1-10. This makes for easier purchasing once you’ve completed sampling.  

Port Wine’s Personal Favorites 

Though it was cumbersome to select a favorite when being presented with the highest ranking wines in the country, these bottles below in particular stood out to us.

#9  Frantisek skoupil, Gruner Veltliner 2018, Late Harvest

“A lovely greenish-straw hue. On the nose it reminds one of tasty petit-pois, pomelo and lime fruit. On the finish a spicy acidity supported by the taste of ground pepper comes to the fore.”

#17 Chateau Winery Bzenec sro, Pinot blanc 2017, late harvest

“A wine having a golden-straw hue. The nose is replete with ripe nectarines, peaches, heather honey and sultanas. On the palate it is pure, with a firm citrus acidity and an excellent full body. On the aftertaste the influence of soft yeasts and small barrels in which part of the wine matured shines through.”

#73 Wine J,Stavek, Pinot Noir 2015

“The nose is very broad and currently has great depth – i.e. it is three-dimensional. You will discover strawberry conserve, blueberry jam, resin, leather, coriander, cedar wood. Impressions of fruit and wood are flowing around the glass. The wine is highly complex with a long, always fresh, discreetly spicy aftertaste.”

Final Thoughts

The National Wine Salon of the Czech Republic is the only place in the world where we know that an everyday Joe can have an experience like this. You don’t have to be a wine expert or have a ton of money to taste the country’s best wine. If this is your first tasting event of this size, we recommend using the provided spit buckets. Quick math for you, even with 1 oz pours, by the time you get to the end you would have consumed almost 4 bottles of wine. The Chateau is more than just about the wine tasting, be sure to soak in the magnificent architecture and the beautiful grounds.

Cheers friends!

Matt & Megan