(source: Sme)
The Agriculture Ministry has granted winemakers an exemption to start selling burčiak, a slightly fermented grape juice with 4-6 percent alcohol, several days earlier than usual. Usually, winemakers are allowed to sell burčiak starting on August 15. However, since the hot weather is causing the grapes to ripen earlier, they could start selling it on August 6.
“Climatic change has increased, resulting in agricultural problems, for which it is necessary to look for solutions,” said Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matečná, as cited by the SITA newswire. “This year, the weather is especially hot and sunny. This has also affected viticulture and winemaking. Grapes are ripening 10 to 14 days earlier and thus the popular burčiak will be produced earlier, too.”
The exemption is valid only for burčiak produced from grapes raised and processed in Slovakia in 2018.
The sale of burčiak is limited in Slovakia between August 15 and December 31 in order to protect local producers from imporing burčiak or grapes from countries where grapes ripen earlier.
