The judging of the 33rd edition of the prestigious international wine competition Grand Prix Vinex took place at the National Wine Centre in Valtice on April 28–29, 2026. Among nearly 900 wines from ten countries around the world, this year was dominated by the Mikulov-based Volařík Winery. It takes home not only the Champion title for its unique Grüner Veltliner, but also the award for Best Collection, victory in the semi-sweet white wine category, and the National Winner title. The ceremonial awards presentation will be held on May 28 at the iconic Mendel Greenhouse in Brno.

The title of Champion of the competition, as well as winner of the dry white wine category, was awarded to Volařík Winery for its Grüner Veltliner 2024, late harvested wine (pozdní sběr) from the Železná vineyard. “I attribute the success of this wine in such strong and numerous competition to the combination of pronounced varietal character, spiciness, and pepperiness with a unique minerality originating from the iconic Pálava vineyard site. The late harvest designation here is not merely a label, but truly reflects one of the last harvests of the 2024 vintage, which also included a slight presence of Botrytis cinerea on the grapes,” said Ondřej Tichý, oenologist at Volařík Winery, adding: “The entire vinification process, from fermentation to aging, took place in concrete eggs, which we believe preserves the vibrant varietal character and freshness, while also giving the wine a full, almost opulent body. This wine is simply both playful and serious, fresh yet full, light yet layered. It is also gratifying that the variety itself has triumphed, which we consider, alongside Welschriesling, to be one of the key varieties of the Mikulov sub-region.”

A total of 897 wine samples from 10 countries were entered into this year’s competition. The Czech Republic had the largest representation with 775 samples, followed by Slovakia (56), Austria (27), Poland (25), Germany and Hungary (4 each), and Bulgaria (3). Italy, Spain, and France were also represented.

An expert panel composed of renowned tasters from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Belarus awarded a total of 58 Grand Gold Medals to wines that achieved at least 92 points.

In addition to the overall winner, the jury also selected category winners, national winners, and the best wine collection. For the second time in the competition’s history, it also awarded a wine made from a grape variety suitable for ecological cultivation – so-called PIWI varieties, which are gaining importance both domestically and internationally. The Czech Winegrowers Association Award was thus presented to VÍNO HRUŠKA for Hibernal Organic Collection 2025, late harvest.

“Grand Prix Vinex has long maintained a reputation as a prestigious and transparent competition. The exceptional level of this year’s edition is evidenced by the fact that two wines reached the 95-point threshold – Riesling 2024 from Volařík Winery and Bohemia Sekt Prestige Brut 2022,” stated Lubomír Maťák, Director of the National Wine Centre, adding that the number of entries once again exceeded last year’s total.

The ceremonial presentation of all major awards will take place on May 28, 2026, at the Mendel Greenhouse in Brno. The public will have a unique opportunity to taste the winning wines, as well as other selected competition entries.
Tickets are available online at: www.vstupenky.vinarskecentrum.cz. (The site is in Czech – we’d be happy to assist you if needed – sarka.nadvornikova@vinarskecentrum.cz, +420 602 769 743.)

An overview of other major awards can be found in the Results section.