Wine Salon of the Czech Republic Presents the Hundred Best Wines for 2026
On 5 January 2026, the National Wine Centre unveiled the collection of the 100 Best Wines of this year’s Wine Salon of the Czech Republic (Salon vín ČR) — the highest and largest annual wine competition in the country. The representative collection of one hundred wines earned the prestigious Gold Medal of the Wine Salon after an exceptionally rigorous three-round evaluation.
The tasting exhibition in the historic cellars of Valtice Chateau will open to the public from 31 January 2026, giving wine lovers the opportunity to explore the complete selection. The ceremonial award presentation to the winning wineries will be held on 5 February 2026 in the château’s riding hall.
The Wine Salon of the Czech Republic continues to represent the pinnacle of domestic winemaking. This year’s collection was selected from 2 724 submitted wines, which first progressed through regional qualifying rounds, then a national first round, and finally a professional tasting panel. From these, 400 wines from 142 wineries reached the final evaluation, from which the expert committee chose the top 100 wines for 2026.
Winners by Category (Highlights)
Champion of the Competition & Winner of Category A – Dry White Wines:
• Traminer (Tramín červený), selection of grapes, 2023 – Vinařství Škrobák
Category B – Semi-Dry & Semi-Sweet White Wines:
• Traminer (Tramín červený), selection of grapes, 2023 – Sedlecká vína
Category C – Sweet Wines:
• Riesling, selection of grapes, 2021 – HABÁNSKÉ SKLEPY
Category D – Rosé & Claret Wines:
• Frankovka Rosé, late harvest, 2024 – Miroslav Habřina
Category E – Dry Red Wines:
• Frankovka, selection of grapes, 2023 – Vinařství Kubík
Category G – Quality Sparkling Wines:
• Dominique Blanc de Noirs, grower sparkling wine, 2019 – Kamil Prokeš vinařství
Best Wine Collection Award: B\V Winery
According to Petr Gondáš, manager of the Wine Salon, this edition was extraordinary in terms of competition — with a record 1 631 samples in the first national round. Remarkably, 87 of the top 100 wines scored at least 90 points, underscoring the outstanding quality and balance of this year’s collection. Thanks to its uncompromising evaluation system, the Wine Salon guarantees top-level quality and allows visitors to gain a comprehensive picture of the current state of Czech winemaking. Wines honored with this prestigious label can be recognized by the “Salon vín 2026” gold medal on their bottles — not only at Valtice, but also in mainstream retail and restaurants.
The 100 gold medal-winning wines for 2026 represent a total of 26 grape varieties from 61 winemakers and wine companies. The variety with the strongest representation was Riesling (14 wines), followed by Welschriesling and Grüner Veltliner (10 wines each). Among red wines, Frankovka (Blaufränkisch) and Pinot Noir led this year, each with nine wines in the selection.
The exhibition will remain open almost through the year and will feature various tasting programs, from free tastings to sommelier-led sessions. Organized by the National Wine Centre with the support of the Wine Fund and the Association of Winemakers of the Czech Republic, the Wine Salon has the patronage of President Petr Pavel, the Governor of South Moravia Jan Grolich, and the Minister of Agriculture.
