Discovering the faces of today's Serbian wine

It will be hard to forget my first day in Serbian wine country. It was with great excitement and anticipation that our #winelovers group set out for the Danube. After leaving Belgrade we traveled for about three hours before we boarded the Aquastar Maxim for a Danube cruise. While we cruised we ate lunch, and sampled a few wines. Later we would meet some of the local Serbian wine producers and taste their wines. Our day would end with a visit to the historic wine cellars at Rajacke.

Faces of Serbian Wines © Spaswinefood

Sure this Spaswinefood enthusiast had come to checkout the wines however, what I enjoyed most was discovering the local grapes, and meeting some of the enthusiastic faces behind today's Serbian wines. Serbian winemaking is experiencing a rebirth. This rebirth is primarily because of small and medium size, privately owned wineries entering the market.

Off to the Danube
From Belgrade we drove to Eastern Serbia, and eventually arriving at the magnificent Danube. 

Danube River © Spaswinefood

Before boarding the river cruise we stopped briefly at the Golubac Fortress.

Golubac Fortress © Spaswinefood

It was a pleasant October day for a cruise on the Danube.

Cruising the Danube © Spaswinefood

#Winelover Moments, Danube © Spaswinefood

We sampled a few white wines on deck while taking in the sights along the river bank.

Budimir Tamjanika © Spaswinefood

Cheers, Danube © Spaswinefood

Later we enjoyed lunch below deck.

Danube Moments © Spaswinefood

After disembarking we traveled onto Matalj Winery in the Negotinska Krajina Wine Region. Here we did a walk around tasting. There were about eight wineries present from eastern and southern Serbia.

Wine Tasting, Matalj Winery © Spaswinefood

During the tasting this Spaswinefood enthusiast was delighted to meet briefly the wine producers. Here are some of the wines producers that I met: 

Vinarija Izba Jovanovic
Andrianna Andrijeska, owner and winemaker at Vinarija Izba Jovanovic, a boutique wine producer, shared her first vintage of Merlot.

Andrianna Andrijeska © Spaswinefood

It was exciting for me to taste this Merlot wine made with minimum intervention.

Vinarija Izba Jovanovic © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Lastar
I went to Serbia with the idea of focusing primarily on wines made from local, or Balkan grape varieties. One of grapes on my list was Tamjanka.

Vinarija Lastar © Spaswinefood

From the wine lineup naturally I selected a Lastar Tamjanika.

Vinarija Lastar Wines © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Lastar, Tamjanika 2016 © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Vimid

Vinarija Vimid © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Vimid also had an exciting lineup of wines to share.

Vinarija Vimid © Spaswinefood

Bukovo Monastery Vinarija  
Bukovo Monastery has had a long tradition in wine making. This monastery is where the first Serbian school of wine and fruit growing was established in 1891. Perhaps I should have followed the recommendation of some of my fellow #winelover suggestions to taste their excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. Daring to be different I tasted instead their Tamjanika. 

Bukovo Monastery, Tamjanka © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Raj 
Vinarija Raj provided an opportunity for me to taste another Tamjanka. I also tasted their Zenit 2016 and Soava 2013.

Vinarija Raj Wines © Spaswinefood

During the wine tasting I spoke briefly with Ljubinka O'Connor, one of Vinarija Raj owners.

Winemaker (left) and Owner (right), Vinarija Raj © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Aleksic
Vinarija Aleksic is a winery run by three sisters (Dragana, Maja and Maija). When I asked to taste a local grape variety I was offered a Vranac.

Vinarija Aleksic © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Aleksic Wines © Spaswinefood

Vranac was a new wine for me that afternoon. Not only was it a new wine but also I was quite impressed by this wine.

Vinarija Aleksic, Vranac 2011 © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Jovic
Vinarija Jovic wines also included a Vranac.

Vinarija Jovic © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Jovic Wines © Spaswinefood

Vinarija Jovic, Vranac © Spaswinefood

Vranac has been harvested since the Middle Ages in Serbia and southern Croatia. It also has been cultivated in Macedonia. In Serbian & Croatia the spelling is Vranac while in Macedonia it is spelled Vranec. The translation means black stallion. Once you pour the wine, it looses it red color, and becomes almost jet black. Besides being called stallion, also gives you a sense of a powerful and wild wine. Since returning from Serbia I read a announcement from a Montenegro conference which described Vranaca as the offspring of Krarosija (Zinfandel) and Duljenga (MNE 326). For me without doubt Vranac is an exciting grape.

Vinarija Dajic 
I actual began my wine tasting that afternoon at Vinarija Dajic. Vinarija Dajic's Pinot Noir left me with a good impression. I rather liked its unique expression of terroir.

Vinarija Dajic, Pinot Noir © Spaswinefood

It is hard not to appreciate the welcoming efforts of the local wine producers that I met. 

 Wine Tasting, Matalj Vinarija © Spaswinefood

Rajacke Pivnice Wine Cellars
On our way back to Belgrade we stopped to visit the Rajacke Pivnic Wine Cellars. Rajacke Pivnice Wine Cellars consists of 270 stone houses, with some dating back over 200 years ago. The construction of these unique wine cellars/drinking houses started in the latter half of the 18th century and continued until 1930's. 

Off to Rajacke Pivnice Wine Cellars © Spaswinefood

The historic cellars sit on a hill 2 km from the village of Rajac in east Serbia, 20 Kms south of Negotin, near the border of Bulgaria and Serbia. Rajacke Pivnice cellars were established as a secondary settlement, or compound close to the residents permanent homes in Rajac. The houses at Rajacke Pivnice are unique in that they were built without chimneys. Historical records suggest that during the Serbian migration from Kosovo and Metohija newcomers established villages, like Rajac. The Rajac area is known for its vineyards that date back to Roman times. 

It was here, late in the evening, we had the opportunity to meet a winemaker, and to sample some of his wines. 

A Rajacke Pivnice Cellar © Spaswinefood

Prokupac, Rajacke Pivnice © Spaswinefood

While it was a very long day it was filled with excitement. We arrived back in Belgrade after midnight. Fortunately the next day Prokupac Day sessions where held at our hotel. Prokupac is an  indigenous grape, which has been known since the middle ages in this area. Prokupac Day 2017 celebrations on October 14 in Belgrade was a perfect day to discover some of the best Prokupac wines.

International Prokupac Day © Spaswinefood

Our Serbian #winelover adventure was completely filled with rich experiences. It was because of these rich experiences that I have better insights into the rebirth Serbian wine making. I invite you to join me in my travels in Serbia and elsewhere at Spaswinefood,

Sharon

Belgrade, Serbia

October 2017

© Spaswinefood

#Winelovers, Matalj Winery © Spaswinefood

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