We Know the Absolute Champion of the Wine Salon 2026! It Is Scarabeus Traminer from Winery Škrobák
On Wednesday, 26 November 2025, the best wine of the Czech Republic was ceremonially announced in Valtice. The title of Absolute Champion of the 26th edition of the Wine Salon – National Wine Competition of the Czech Republic 2026 was awarded to an exceptional sample selected by the jury from the final hundred best Moravian and Czech wines. The hundred gold medals will be presented to the winners on 5 February 2026 in the castle riding hall in Valtice.
The highest award and title of Champion was won by Scarabeus Traminer, selection of grapes, dry, vintage 2023, from Winery Škrobák from Čejkovice. The wine, which matured in an oak barrel, proved its exceptional quality in rigorous three-round judging and continued the winery’s success from previous years.
“In the terroir of Čejkovice, we have long worked with the Tramín variety, we recognize its great potential and it is our most important white variety. This Tramín from our top range called Scarabeus comes from the Niva Hrbatá vineyard, where we grow clones selected from old Čejkovice vineyards,” explained Stanislav Škrobák, owner of Winery Škrobák. He added that the old vineyard from which the champion originates is 21 years old, regularly yields very low but excellent quality grapes.
He further described the wine’s production: “The must fermented in a large oak barrel, where the wine subsequently rested on fine lees for twelve months. The aroma is very expressive, beautifully elegant with distinctive varietal character – beautiful notes of orange liqueur, mandarin peel, and lychee. The taste is very powerful with a long finish,” added Stanislav Škrobák, who with his company won the title of Winemaker of the Year in 2018.
This year’s edition confirmed the rising quality of domestic production. A total of 2,724 wines competed in the nominating competitions of the individual sub-regions. For the final national evaluation (1st round of the Wine Salon), 1,631 samples were submitted, from which 400 wines were carefully selected from 142 wineries for the final. The expert commissions, composed of renowned tasters, then had the difficult task of selecting the final collection of one hundred wines.
“Every year the bar of quality is raised and the 26th edition is no exception. The evaluation, which takes place according to strict international ISO standards, guarantees maximum objectivity and a high level of the entire competition. We are proud that the Wine Salon is a prestigious showcase of the best that Czech and Moravian winemaking has to offer,” emphasized Lubomír Maťák, director of the National Wine Centre.
The National Wine Competition, organized by the National Wine Centre with the support of the Wine Fund and in cooperation with the Czech Grape and Wine Producers' Association, enjoyed extraordinary interest this year as well. The competition was under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný and the Governor of the South Moravian Region Jan Grolich.
The ceremonial presentation of awards to all wineries represented in the Wine Salon will take place on 5 February 2026 in the Valtice castle. For the general public, the tasting exhibition of the Wine Salon in the castle cellars of Valtice will open on 31 January 2026, where visitors can first taste the complete collection of the hundred best wines for 2026, each proudly displaying the Gold Medal of the Wine Salon.
“The Wine Salon is a year-round platform for wine lovers to meet the best Moravian and Czech wines. We look forward to the new hundred wines for 2026, carefully selected by top professionals, which will once again provide an unforgettable experience and help promote our wine culture at home and abroad,” added Petr Gondáš, manager of the Wine Salon.
In addition to free tasting of all hundred samples, the exhibition also offers guided tasting programs with experts. Wines from the collection can be purchased on site or ordered via the e-shop.
