Published: August 9, 2025
The Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (ČZU) has once again secured the title for the best wine collection in the Bohemia wine region, winning for the third consecutive year at the National Wine Competition. The event, organized by the Czech Winemakers’ Union with support from the Wine Fund and technical backing from the National Wine Centre, is the largest and most prestigious wine competition in the Czech Republic.
The regional round for Bohemia was held on July 29 at ČZU’s Mělník campus, where three expert panels evaluated 102 wine samples. This year’s judging resulted in nine great gold, 20 gold, four silver, and one bronze medal. From the Bohemia region, 92 wines were nominated to compete in the national round of the Salon of Wines, which will determine the overall Champion and secure places in the year-round wine exhibition in Valtice.
ČZU’s winning collection, managed by vineyard steward Štěpán Weitosch at the Mělník Chloumek estate, achieved an impressive average score of 90 points from eight wines, including two great gold and four gold medals. All wines from the collection advanced to the national stage. “This is a typical collection of Mělník varieties—Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Müller Thurgau—enriched with frizzante from Müller Thurgau and Emeritus sparkling wine from Riesling. I am proud we have won this title three years in a row,” Weitosch said, noting that this year’s harvest looks promising after last year’s frost damage.
The 2025 Champion title went to Nectar Lucis winery for its Saint Laurent 2023 Special Kvevri, a Czech country wine from the Litoměřice subregion. Produced from Svatovavřinecké grapes harvested at 23.5 °NM sugar content, the wine underwent spontaneous fermentation in a Georgian clay vessel (kvevri) buried in the ground for seven months, followed by eight months of maturation in a new French oak barrel. Winemaker Lucie Šimonová described the wine as having notes of cherry, blackcurrant, and dried plum, with a full, harmonious taste and a hint of dark chocolate.
Other notable winners included Vinařství Vondrák from Mělník, which won both the dry white category with its 2023 Riesling (late harvest) and the semi-dry/semi-sweet category with its 2007 Riesling (selection of berries). In the rosé and claret category, Vinné sklepy Kutná Hora won with its 2024 Svatovavřinecké Rosé.
The award-winning wines will be available for public tasting on August 12, 2025, from 3 PM to 9 PM in the Aula of the ČZU campus in Prague, where visitors can meet the winemakers. The Bohemia wine region spans around 710 hectares and is known for its diverse soil and climate conditions, producing distinctive wines such as Müller Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Saint Laurent, and Pinot Noir.
Source: Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (ČZU)
About the Author
