A Wine Diary

The Župa region around the city of Aleksandrovac in southern Serbia is considered as the best wine producing region in the country, with a tradition of wine growing that goes back to the pre-Roman times. WinEco is one of the producers in the region, better known as Podrum Radenkovic. Podrum means “cellar”, but the word “chateau” could be used too, see for yourself:

Podrum Radenkovic was founded by Milun Radenkovic (1854-1913). His grandson dr Ðorde Radenkovic (1907-1976) studied enology in Bordaux. Upon his return to Serbia, he participated in founding the big Serbian wine companies, Navip and Rubin. He is the creator of the famous Serbian cognac, called “Vinjak”. Today, the cellar is run by the son and grandson of Mr. Ðorde, Milun and Gvozden. Using the advanced modern technology and the traditional knowledge they produce some truely exceptional wines. These are Sauvignon Blanc (barrique), Chardonnay, Rhine Riesling, Ružica (Rose) and Carigrad (barrique):

We highly recommend Carigrad (preferably 2003 and 2004, although it’s already hard to find nowadays), Rhine Riesling and their Sauvignon Blanc. Website (currently in Serbian only): http://www.wineco.co.yu/

Technorati Tags: Serbian Wines, Župa

“Morava” is a relatively new grape variety, made by dr. Petar Cindić, a professor at the Novi Sad University in Serbia and mostly grown in Western Serbia, in the Valjevo region. The grape is known for being less vulnerable to cold conditions than other grapes, thus requires less chemical treatment.

Tamuz Morava is a light, dry white wine, made from the Morava grape variety. It is slightly sparkling and fresh, somewhat similar to Sauvignon Blancs in taste. A nice one to accompany lighter meals. However, the price is a bit high, there are definitely better deals out there. For some better alternatives check the Sauvignon Blancs from my previous posts.
Score: 8/10
Price: 1200 RSD (€15)
Retailer: Rakia Bar Gift Shop, Terazije 42, Belgrade
tamuzvino.com

Technorati Tags: Wine, Serbian Wine, Morava

Looks like I am starting a bit of a tradition here with giving high scores to Serbian Sauvignon Blancs - there’s a new wonderful one I’ve discovered, this time coming from Wineco (Podrum Radenković, Trnavci), a wine producer with a long and respectable history and some fine enjoyable wines.

Although Podrum Radenković is based in southern Serbia, in the Župa region, they use grapes from the north of Serbia for their Sauvignon Blanc. These are grown on Biserno Ostrvo (Pearl Island) near Bečej in Vojvodina. This fact tells us that Podrum Radenković makes a great effort to produce their wines. This can also be noted with the first sniff and sip.

This wine is cristal clear, hay-yellow coloured, with a complex fruity-flowery (not strong) nose and extremelly pleasant dryish taste, associating to a mix of elderberries (serbian “zova”, my grandma used to make the best syrup out of those flowers) and red currants. A pleasure drinking on it’s own, even more with some light dishes.

The wine I tried is last years’ (2006), and by being “barrique” I imagine they kept it for a fairly short time in oak barrels, but it still does give it a twist.

Highly recommended!

Rating: 9/10
Price: 880 RSD (11 euro)
Retailer: Super Vero

This is a wonderfully rich Sauvignon Blanc, very refreshing and “full bodied”, with some unusual hints, worth exploring again. The aroma is magnificent, refreshing and pleasant, makes it hard to stop sniffing. Highly recommended on it’s own or with lighter dishes.

Rating: 10/10
Price: 350 RSD (4.5 euro)
Retailer: Super Vero

Technorati Tags: Wine, Serbian Wine, Sauvignon Blanc

Plantaže is a winery which concentrates on the production of indigenous wines, specifically Vranac and Krstač. However, they also produce wines from widely known varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. Plantaže Sauvignon is a very nice Sauvignon Blanc, not too dry, with a fruity nose. Beautiful taste, slightly citric, very refreshing. Goes nicely on it’s own as well as with lighter meals. A great choice for the hot summer nights, served chilled.

Rating: 9/10
Price: 250 RSD

Technorati Tags: Montenegro, Montenegro Wines, Sauvignon Blanc

“Prince” is one of the two wines produced by the Braća Rajković winery in the village of Gornje Zleginje in the Župa region. The other wine is named “Dina”, a Pinot Noir, named after the man, the Rajković family member, who was the first one to plant the Pinot Noir grape in Župa.

Rskavac is a Serbian grape, which can only be found in the Župa region. The Prince wine is made mainly from Rskavac, with some addition of Merlot (3%) and Župa’s Bojadiser (8%), which itself was developed from Alicante Bouchet and Black Game (reference in Serbian).

Prince is a full bodied wine, rich in tanins, with a pleasant aroma of plums and vanilla. It goes very well with spicy dishes, serbian grill dishes, game, fat cheeses. Very nice on it’s own.

Rating: 9/10
Price: 1300 RSD (€16) (1000 RSD directly from the producer)

Bermet is an elegant dessert wine, produced on the basis of secret recipes held by a handful of families in the town of Sremski Karlovci in Vojvodina, Serbia. The wine is sweet, usually between 16 and 18% alcohol, with a nice mixture of spices and herbs. Every family has it’s own different touch, so you won’t find two identical kinds.

Bermet is usually served as a dessert wine, with coffee and cookies, but can also be served as an aperitif.

In the old days, bermet was very popular among the aristocracy of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It is known that the court in Vienna was buying this wine in large quantities and giving them as gifts. A few varieties of bermet were found on the exclusive Titanic menu on it’s unfortunate journey.

As a very special and original wine from Serbia, I will be trying different kinds of bermet and posting my impressions.

If you are in Serbia and looking for a place to try this extraordinary wine, your best option is to visit Sremski Karlovci, a picturesque little town close to Novi Sad. If you don’t have time for the trip, check one of the wine shops in Belgrade.

Technorati Tags: Bermet, Sremski Karlovci, Novi Sad, Serbian Wine, Wine

This is a truly exceptional wine, produced by “Vinogradi i podrum Jelic” in Western Serbia, near the town of Valjevo. This is a relatively young winery, which applies the latest methods and technologies of wine making. It also applies the knowledge of the leading Serbian enologists, even resulting in a completely new grape variety, Morava.

Millenium is a beautiful mixture of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, enhanced with a six month rest in oak barrels, resulting in the taste typical to the oaky Spanish wines. It has a perfect balance of acidity, making it a nice wine to drink both on it’s own and with a meal. The producer describes the bouquet as “sophisticated, composed of subtle notes of chocolate, coffee and plums”.

I’ll end this review with a few nice words from the producer: “Let every sip of this wine bring you a gentle word and every wine a new story”. Cheers!

Score: 10/10
Price: 1000 RSD (€12)
tamuzvino.com

A nice, easy going chardonnay, golden in color, intense white peach and melon fruit with a subtle hint of nutty oak. The palate comes with a tangy citrus component that gives this wine a great finesse. The texture is soft and creamy and balanced by a fresh acid finish.

Very nice on it’s own or with lighter dishes.

Watch out for 2005 and 2006 vintages, both seem to be impressive based on reviews.

Score: 8/10
Price: € 14
Retailer: Enoteka Premier, Belgrade

Krstač is a refreshing, crisp, rich wine with a beatiful nose and aroma. Slightly bubbly, it is produced by the leading Montenegrin wine producer, Plantaže from Podgorica, and is made from an indigenous grape, Krstač.

This is a perfect wine to enjoy cold with a nice fish dish at the seaside. If you are visiting Montenegro, we recommend a dinner in one of the restaurants on the Petrovac riva, or if you are ready for some afternoon magic and a sunset accompanied with wine and a great meal, get down to the beach restaurant at Rijeka Reževići.

Rating: 8/10
Price: 300 RSD (€3.5)

Technorati Tags: Krstac, Montenegro Wine, Montenegro