You can taste fresh burčák in the Czech Republic only within 4 months of the year
The first and main rule is to buy only the drink that you like the taste of. Therefore, always taste burčák before buying. As the portal Vinegret.cz notes, sellers will never refuse a request to pour a little for a sample, and tasting will immediately give an idea of the quality.
Burčák in the law
According to the Czech wine law, burčák is a low-alcohol drink produced exclusively from fresh berries of cultivated grapes harvested in the Czech Republic.
Selling burčák is allowed only 4 months a year – from August 1 to November 30 (grape harvest season). Therefore, do not believe sellers who offer homemade wine from apples or pears in July or December and proudly call it burčák. Due to the local climate, the first real burčák usually appears on Czech shelves by mid-September.
Appearance and smell
Burčák made from white grapes should be opaque, with a color from milky yellow to light ochre. The cloudiness of the young wine and the presence of small bubbles of carbon dioxide mean that it is still fermenting – this is a sign of quality. If the burčák is not cloudy enough or even transparent, it is likely diluted with water.
Brown color of burčák indicates that it is made not from grapes, but from apples or other fruits. It is also a sure sign of a stale, over-fermented product that has little benefit – the alcohol content is elevated, the yeast has died, and the original fresh taste is lost.
On the walls and bottom of a glass with quality burčák, you can see a small sediment (these are yeast particles and remnants of grape pulp). Otherwise, it should not contain any foreign impurities.
Burčák is a “live” drink, the yeast in which is constantly working. This is clearly visible when pouring into a glass – carbon dioxide bubbles are released with a characteristic hiss, forming foam.
Note that there is also red burčák, which is made from blue grape varieties. However, it is quite difficult to find on sale due to its short shelf life. Red burčák, unlike white, ferments on the pomace of grape berries, which is quite problematic to place in a standard plastic bottle.
Therefore, winemakers sell red burčák in containers only on the day of bottling, for example, at “Vinobraní” festivals. The highest quality red burčák can be bought directly at the vineyard – when the winemaker scoops it for you from a barrel.
Burčák should smell exclusively of the grapes from which it is actually made. There should be no putrid smells of decomposing yeast – their presence indicates errors by the winemaker in the production process.
Alcohol content and taste
Burčák is a low-alcohol drink, comparable in strength to beer. According to the established opinion among winemakers, the ideal alcohol content is from 4 to 6% ABV. However, 1 to 7% ABV is also considered normal. At the same time, if the burčák is good, you will not taste or smell alcohol.
Burčák has a soft, sweetish taste of grape juice, with a slight sourness. The aftertaste is harmonious, neither sweetness nor astringency should dominate. Burčák is very easy to drink, the alcohol is not felt at all, which is quite dangerous. If you get carried away, your legs will start to tangle no worse than your tongue.
How to store and drink burčák Red burčák
is made from blue grape varieties
Winemakers do not recommend drinking burčák chilled. Therefore, first let it warm up to room temperature. You can even put the bottle of burčák under the rays of the autumn sun. Almost all sellers do this – they store the wine in the cold, and just before selling, they put the bottles on the counter.
Burčák should be stored in the refrigerator, preferably drunk within three days, and even better – within a few hours after purchase. With each subsequent day, the drink will noticeably lose in taste and benefits.
The container with burčák must be slightly opened so that the carbon dioxide formed during fermentation has somewhere to escape and the drink can breathe. A tightly closed bottle can explode, remember that.
What is burčák good for?
Czechs like to say that to maintain health, a person should drink as much burčák each year as the amount of blood in their body. The drink contains large amounts of vitamins B and C, which improve digestion, strengthen the cardiovascular system, and have a beneficial effect on skin, hair, and nails. An adult's body contains about 5 liters of blood, so do not waste time and drink burčák.
Where to buy burčák?
It is best to buy burčák from local winemakers. Here you will know for sure that the product is fresh – often it is bottled directly from the cellar located on the vineyard.
Quality burčák can also be found at farmers' markets. For example, burčák is brought to Prague markets directly from Moravia – a region of the Czech Republic known for its winemaking traditions. At the same time, market organizers have long-standing partnerships with suppliers, so it is almost impossible to “stumble upon” a low-quality surrogate.
Some wine shops fundamentally do not sell burčák because they do not consider it equal to real wine. However, most still offer it. The quality of burčák will depend on the reputation of the wine shop itself, but it is usually quite decent.
Traditionally, there is a rich selection of burčák at fairs in honor of the “Vinobraní” festival. Producers prepare for this event in advance and bring the best. Buying a fake is impossible, nevertheless, the quality of the drink can vary quite a lot.
But it's better not to buy burchak from stalls along the highway. Here you will almost certainly be offered a fermented drink or a surrogate.