The heart of the celebrations is traditionally the city of Brno, where the Czech Wine Fund launches the country's largest tasting event on November 11th at exactly 11:00 AM. This St. Martin's Wine Tasting offers hundreds of samples from various Moravian and Bohemian winemakers. Simultaneously, festive wine events and feasts take place all across the country.

However, not just any wine can bear the official "Svatomartinské" trademark featuring St. Martin on a white horse. Winemakers must use grapes grown exclusively within the Czech Republic, and only specific varieties are permitted, such as Müller Thurgau, Early Muscat, Blauer Portugieser, or Saint Laurent. Since 2005, the Wine Fund has managed this registered trademark, granting it only to producers whose wines pass a strict blind tasting by an expert committee.

Strict rules state that selling this young wine before November 11th is prohibited. On the day of the feast, the first bottles are ceremonially uncorked at exactly 11:11 AM. This young wine matures for only a few weeks and is characterized by its fresh, fruity flavor profile. To enjoy it at its absolute best, it should be consumed by Easter.

But where does this unique connection come from? Bishop Martin of Tours is considered the patron saint of the poor. Paintings often depict a famous scene from his military life where he cut his cloak in half to share it with a freezing beggar. Interestingly, a day dedicated to a saint famous for his modesty became the ultimate celebration of wine and abundance.

In Czech history, St. Martin's Day was also the time when agricultural laborers received their seasonal wages. This financial windfall led to joyous feasts, traditionally featuring a roast goose. Since late autumn often brought the first snowfall around this date, the popular Czech saying was born: "Martin is arriving on a white horse."