Glad to meet you Prokupac

I suspect most would not travel halfway around the world to taste a wine. Perhaps that because you have yet to taste Prokupac wines. Prokupac (Prokoopaz) is a red grape that is taking central stage in the Serbian wine world these days. This indigenous grape has been known since the middle ages in this area. Spaswinefood attended Prokupac Day 2017 celebrations on October 14 in Belgrade.  Yes, it was a perfect day to discover some of the best Prokupac wines.

International Prokupac Day © Spaswinefood

I was one of the 40 #winelovers who traveled to Belgrade for International Prokupac Day. The day that began with master classes.

Tomislav Ivanovic, International Prokupac Day © Spaswinefood

Tomislav Ivanovic, Igor Lukovic and Caroline Gilby MW lead these sessions.

Igor Lukovic, International Prokupac Day © Spaswinefood

Besides hearing from Tomislav Ivanovic and Igor Lukovic, the local Prokupac experts, Caroline Gilby MW provided the audience further insights into Prokupac wines. She also offered marketing advice to local producers. We also had the opportunity to interact with her.

Meeting Caroline Gilby MW, International Prokupac Day © Spaswinefood

Caroline Gilby MW Posing with #Winelovers © Spaswinefood

Session1: New Faces of Prokupac
First session was an introduction to some of the new faces of Prokupac. Before tasting the wines we looked at the overall color, aromas, and taste characteristics for Prokupac. During this session I tasted seven wines. The first one was an inviting white Prokupac wine.

 Milanov Podrum, Prokupac Bello, Župa 2015

Milanov Podrum, Prokupac Bello 2015 © Spaswinefood

The next six Prokupac wines were all red wines. 

Prokupac Excellence © Spaswinefood

These wines (left top #2-7) included:

• Junko Winery, Bas Prokupac, Smederevo 2016
• Virtus Winery, Vitrus Prokupac 2014
• Trival Winery, Proboj Prokupac, Sumadija 2015
• Yolta Winery, Yolta Prokupac,  Župa 2015
• Prokupac Rodovan,  Župa 2015
• Ivanovic Winery, Prokupac Ivanovic Župa 2016

This session was an impressive introduction to Prokupac wines. Overall, I was very impressed by the quality and rich diversity of these wines.

Session 2: Exploring Styles of Prokupac Wines
During second session we looked at four different styles of Prokupac wines. Let's checkout the list of these wines (1-4).

Prokupac Wines and Styles © Spaswinefood

Prokupac Styles © Spaswinefood

The wines during this tasting included a rosé (#1) and three red Prokupac wines (2-4). In discussing these four different interpretations it was noted that is is important to not tie the winemakers down too early. I would totally agree because Prokupac has an amazing potential for variation in style.

Session 3: Aging Potential for Prokupac 
We also examined the aging potential for Prokupac by looking at some Budimir wines. Budimir Winery has taken an approach where they do not rush their wines to market. It is because of their approach to making quality wines that we can gain some further insights into the aging potential for Prokupac.

Budimir Wines © Spaswinefood

Here is a list of the Budimir wines that we tasted.

List of Budimir Wines Tasted © Spaswinefood

Next, let's take a peek at the wines.

Budimir Wines Tasted © Spaswinefood

If prior to this session I had not formed a high opinion of Prokupac wines this session would have convinced me. What Budimir wines, even with all the variables describe above, show is that Prokupac are great aging potential. Moreover, the wines showed this with 100% Prokupac, and Prokupac with Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon blends.

Obvious these were some excellent Prokupac wines that we introduced to during these three sessions. Now let's take a brief look at the quest for the perfect glass for Prokupac. 

Session 4: The Quest for the Perfect Prokupac Glass

Riedel, one of the sponsors of the event, hosted the final session. We had the opportunity to tasted Prokupac in four different glasses. We tasted the same delightful Doja Prokupac wine in four different glasses (Red Wine Glass for Restaurants, Extreme Restaurant Series, Riesling/Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir).

Quest for the Perfect Prokupac Glass © Spaswinefood

Yes, the type of glass does make a difference in taste. The audience gave some feedback on the design that best showcased the wine's characteristics.

In Search of a Prokupac Glass © Spaswinefood

It is quite possible in the near future that Prokupac will get its very own special glass.

More on Prokupac 
Later that evening at the Gastro Bar 20/44, Belgrade #winelovers had another opportunity to taste more Prokupac wines. This was an opportunity to discover more Prokupac wines, beyond what I had been introduced to in the morning sessions. 

Wine Tasting, Gastro Bar 20/44, Belgrade © Spaswinefood

For example, I was most delighted to taste wines from Toplički Podium, one of the producers from southern Serbia at the event.

Representatives from Toplički Podium © Spaswinefood

To better understand what is happening to Prokupac I would like to note that Serbia, like other Balkan countries, has been undergoing a rebirth in wine making. Serbia is the largest of the former Yugoslavia states and the most productive wine-producing region. It is located in Southeastern Europe between the northern latitudes of 41-47, the geographical latitude of major wine making regions in France, this places it in the wine belt. Wine making in Serbia dates back to prehistory. During the Roman period viticulture was quite rich in this area. Throughout history Serbian vineyards have experienced many major challenges. Despite the earlier challenges the former Yugoslavia was amongst the top ten wine producing countries in the 1970’s. The most recent setback was when Yugoslavia broke up in the 1990’s, followed by an economic decline in Serbia. The good news is that since 2000’s Serbian wine making has started to recover. In recent years the Serbian wine industry has undergone a rebirth, with small and medium size, privately owned wineries entering the market. The result is that many Serbian wineries are now experimenting with the production of Prokupac wines. There is a lot of excitement around Prokupac wines these days. For further information on some of the Prokupac wines I tasted one good source is an Exotic Wine Travel article. 

Yes, I am delighted to have been part International Prokupac Day. The good news is that some Prokupac wines, such as Budimir, are available in the US. I invite you to join me in my travels in Serbia and elsewhere at Spaswinefood,

Sharon

Belgrade, Serbia

October 2017

© Spaswinefood

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