Slovak wine is produced in the southern part of Slovakia, which is divided into 6 wine-producing areas. Although Slovak wines except Tokaj are not well-known internationally, they are popular domestically and in neighbouring countries. The best wines are produced by medium-sized wineries with their own vineyards, with white wine production being most dominant, including the full range of historic sweet wines – ice wine, straw wine, and botrytized wine (e.g., Slovak Tokaj).

History

During the period when the Jagiellonian dynasty ruled the area as part of the Kingdom of Hungary and shortly thereafter, Hungary and Slovakia had similar levels of wine quality and were integrated in terms of production. In the early 19th century, the historical region of current day Slovakia, was a major supplier of fine wines to European courts (as many as 57,000ha of vineyards), while Phyolloxera decimated the wine industry, wine production was revived in the 20th century, with the total Slovak vineyard today, estimated at 16,000ha.

Regions

Grape varieties

The most commonly grown grape varieties in Slovakia:

Modern hybrids

The following varieties were developed at VSSVVM Research and Breeding Station for Enology and Viticulture in Modra.

Origin specification

Typically, the label will specify the wine's origin with the following terms

Composition

The types of wine is usually labelled with one of the following terms: Víno bez zemepisného označenia – "Wine without geographic indication" is replacing former category of Stolové víno – Table wine. Minimum level of sugar content is 13 °NM. Víno s chráneným zemepisným označením – "Wine with protected geographic indication" – produced from grapes registered in the List of registered varieties, grown, produced and bottled in one of the Slovak wine regions, maximum yield per hectare wasn't exceeded, minimum level of sugar content was 13 °NM and it fulfills the requirements of established product specification. It can be indicated with traditional term regionálne víno if the grapes reached 15 °NM, the maximum yield didn't exceed 18,000 kg/ha, wine has minimum 8.5% of alcohol and it complies with quality requirements. Víno s chráneným označením pôvodu - "Wine with protected indication of origin" is produced from grapes registered in List of registered varieties, grown, produced and bottled in the same or proximate neighbouring Slovak wine regions, maximum yield per hectare wasn't exceeded, minimum level of sugar content was 16 °NM, there is existing protection on the designation of origin or geographical indication. Term Districtus Slovakia Controllatus, symbol and abbreviation "D. S. C." can be used if wine was certified.

Specific conditions

Likérové víno "Liqueur wine"

Sugar content

Sparkling wines

Traditional terms

Indication of the sugar content (sparkling wine, aerated sparkling wine, quality sparkling wine or quality aromatic sparkling wine)