Tokaj is one of the world’s legendary wines, known as the wine of kings and king of wines. When it comes to sweet Tokaji, the Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos is often the crown jewel in most producers’ portfolios (in addition to Tokaji Eszencia). These wines are so intense and unique, they feel almost medicinal when drinking them.

This type of wine is made by using grapes infected with botrytis, which are shriveled and intensely sweet. The sweetness level of Tokaji was traditionally measured by how many baskets (puttony) of botrytized berries were added to the base wine. A Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos traditionally took six puttony of grapes to achieve the proper level of sweetness. The botrytized grapes aka Aszú berries are picked by hand, making these wines labor-intensive.

Most people associate Tokaj with Hungary and for good reason. If you’ve ever had the chance to sip on a sweet Tokaji, it was most likely from Hungary. A little-known fact is that this luscious sweet wine is also made across the border in Slovakia, where it’s known as Tokajský Výber 6 Putñový.

Slovak Tokaj

A small part of Tokaj falls within the borders of modern-day Slovakia. The existence of Slovak Tokaj is highly controversial and Hungarians have disputed Slovakia’s use of the name to the EU. Pushing politics aside, both sides of Tokaj show similarities.

The first and foremost is the volcanic soil. Slovak Tokaj producers possess long cellars that tunnel through the volcanic tuft. These cellars are humid and have the perfect conditions for the black cellar fungus Racodium cellare, which feeds off evaporated alcohol and keeps the air free of musty smells.

Many of the grapes are used on both sides of the border (Furmint, Hárslevelü/ Lipovina, and Sárgamuskotály/Yellow Muscat/Muškát žltý). The Hungarian side also has unique grapes like Kabar, Kövérszőlő, and Zetá. We haven’t come across these in Slovak Tokaj, although there could be small isolated plantings.

Info poster by WineSofa.eu

There are over 900 registered hectares of vineyard space in Slovak Tokaj but many claim that less than 50% of that is actually planted. Slovak Tokaj consists of seven villages as opposed to 27 in Hungarian Tokaj. There are seven larger producers in Slovak Tokaj in addition to several small, garage wineries.

Slovak Tokaj Nomenclature

WineSofa has put together an info poster to explain the different styles of wine in Tokaj. Winemaking laws are very similar in both parts of Tokaj. The nomenclature in both sides is different, which should be no surprise because the Slovak and Hungarian languages bear no resemblance to each other.

Here are terms that appear on Slovak Tokaj labels.

• Tokajský = A wine from Slovak Tokaj. A wine from the Hungarian side is called Tokaji.
• Suché/Sladké = Dry/Sweet
• Samorodné = The same name as Szamorodni in Hungarian Tokaj
• Výber = Aszú, the dried grape berry affected by botrytis
• Putňový = Analogous to Puttonyos in Hungary, which are the traditional wood baskets used to collect Výber/Aszú berries
• Forditáš = Analogous to Forditas in Hungarian Tokaj. A style of wine where Výber/Aszú skins are reused to make a second batch of sweet wines. Similar to the ripasso method in Italy.
• Výberová Esencia = Analogous to Aszú Eszencia, which is a style that was officially discontinued in Hungarian Tokaj. It’s sweeter than Výber Putñovy wines, yet lighter than an Esencia wine.
• Esencia = Eszencia, the free run juice from Výber/Aszú berries. It runs strictly from the weight of the grapes and is collected via a tap at the bottom of a tank.

Tokaj: Differences in Style

Hungarian Tokaji might be more user-friendly to most of the wine drinking public. Wine geeks will probably be intrigued by the sweet wines from Slovak Tokaj, aside from the uniqueness factor. Among the wines of Slovak Tokaj, the Tokajský Výber 6 Putñový is sure to peak interest. 

There are some obvious differences in the styles between sweet Hungarian Tokaji and Slovak Tokajský. In general, the sweet Tokajský wines from Slovakia are more oxidative and “old-school” in style compared to Hungarian Tokaji. The sweet Slovak Tokajské wines are nuttier with toffee-like notes, similar to Tawny Port. What the wines share with their Hungarian counterparts is the fiery acidity that wipes the palate clean.

Slovak Tokajský Výber 6 Putňový 

We have included all producers of 6 Putñový wines in Slovak Tokaj with the exception of Chateau Vecsey – who chose not to show their wines. Chateau Grand Bari is another new project in the region but they have yet to release a Tokajský Výber 6 Putñový to the market. Unfortunately, these wines are not heavily exported, which means you will have to visit Slovakia to pick them up. 

• Chateau Viničky Tokajský Výber 6 Putñový 2009

The Chateau Viničky Tokajský Výber 6 Putñový 2009 is widely available in Tesco outlets throughout Slovakia. This wine has notes of dried apricot, walnuts, almonds, and lime skin. Very sherry-like on the nose. Concentrated on the palate. It’s rich with nutty flavors. The acidity isn’t searing like normal Tokaj but it is high. Natural gas and citrus-like finish. It isn’t the most complex wine in this style but it is delicious. Score: 88/100

• J&J Ostrožović  Tokajský Výber 6 Putňový 2003

J&J Ostrožović is one of the biggest names in Slovak Tokaj. It’s still owned by the founder, Jaroslav Ostrožović. Jaroslav produces many different wines, including a reductive fresh style of sweet Tokaj, but he still prefers to make the traditional Tokaj wines.

The J&J Ostrožović Tokajský Výber 6 Putňový 2003 has a golden amber color. With 160 g/L of RS and 13 g/L of acidity, it’s aged for five years in the barrel. Layers of fall leaves, apricots, orange peel, and tobacco make up the complex flavors. The wine is rich on the palate with fiery acidity and a spicy finish. Score: 93/100

• Tokaj & Co. Tokajský Výber 6 Putñovy 2006

Tokaj & Co. is another one of the big boys on the market. Their wines can also be found easily in Tesco outlets throughout Slovakia. The Tokaj & Co. Tokajský Výber 6 Putñovy 2006 is a blend of 65% Furmint, 25% Lipovina, and 10% Yellow Muscat. This was aged for eight years in the barrel and 180 g/L of RS. Wax, fall leaves, lemon, and apricot notes dominate the flavor profile. It’s rich and luscious on the palate, which includes lots of aged notes. Fiery acidity and a long finish. Score: 90/100

• Tokaj Macik Tokajský Výber 6 Putňový 2006

Jaroslav Macik is a traveling man. He can be seen judging at various competitions over Europe. His wines are also the only Slovak wines currently displayed at La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. The Tokaj Macik Tokajský Výber 6 Putňový 2006 is made with a base of Samorodné wine, unlike most other sweet Tokaj wines that use fresh, dry wine as a base.

It has flavors of pumpkin spice, orange peel, and dried apricot with a touch of fall leaves. This is aged under a thin film of bacteria called flor. This is a unique style, it isn’t as full bodied as normal 6 Putñový wines. The wine is lighter on its feet with a lovely freshness. Score: 90/100

• Zlatý Strapec Tokajský Výber 6 Putňový 2009

Zlatý Strapec is a gem of a producer. Their wines aren’t present much on the market and most of their business comes from selling bulk wine from the tap to the locals. However, their Tokajský Výber wines can be stunning.

The Zlatý Strapec Tokajský Výber 6 Putňový 2009 is orange and amber in color. Charred wood, orange peel, nuts, and dried apricot dominate the palate. With 160 g/L of RS, it’s rich and concentrated. This has many layers of flavors. It’s chewy and has an impeccable balance for a wine of this sweetness. Fiery acidity and a long finish, both staples for the sweet wines of Tokaj. Score: 92/100

You may also enjoy:

Slovak Tokaj: A Forgotten Region
Hungarian Wine: The Legendary Tokaj Region
Return To Tokaj

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Tokaj, Hungary is a place that Charine and I have been longing to visit. Thanks to our friends from WineSofa and Wine a’More Travel, our wish became a reality. The minute we stepped off the train it was obvious to us that Tokaj is all it is cracked up to be (that’s before we even tasted a drop of wine).

Tokaj Vineyards

The region is beautiful, it feels like a true Old World wine region. There are 27 wine villages spread out through the region containing a little over 5000 hectares of vineyards. Tokaj is one of the oldest appellations in the world and the sweet Tokaji wines are legendary. They have been coveted by royalty for centuries. Volcanic soil is the name of the game here (see the photo below). Most vines are planted on south facing slopes. The region is far enough north (in latitude) to be considered a cool region but hot air does come in from the great plains to the south, which aids the ripening process.

The typical volcanic soil of the Tokaj region. 

Vineyards in Tokaj have a romantic feel to them. The villages of Mád and Tokaj are the southernmost in the region. While Tolcsva is a premier area about 30 kilometers to the north. (If you make it to the village of Mád, don’t pass up the chance to eat some Mangalica at Elsó Mádi.)

*Watch the video below with the audio on!

Here are some shots from around the village of Mád, which is a top site of Tokaj vineyards.

Here are a few shots from the village of Tolcsva, another premier site.

And finally a shot of vineyards from the village of Tokaj itself.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Visit To Tokaj

With a limited amount of time, we were only able to visit four producers in the region: Holdvölgy, Paulay Borhaz, Oremus, and Hétzölö. We tasted a few other wines in the Elsó Mádi restaurant and the Prés Wine Bar in the village of Tokaj. You can check out our thoughts on the producers and the region in the video below (10 minutes running time).

Paulay Borház Guesthouse

One of the highlights of the trip for us was meeting Mr. Péter Hudák. He owns a guesthouse in the village of Tokaj and makes about 3000 bottles of wine per year. Péter was nice enough to provide accommodation for one evening for us. He’s a fun and pleasant guy to be around, Charine put it best in the post below.

Dry Tokaj/ Furmint

The worldwide market for sweet wine isn’t huge. Producers are aware of this and many told us that close to half of their production is dry wine now. Because sweet Tokaj is so difficult and risky to make (grapes must be left on the vine well into the late Autumn) many have turned to dry wines as a way of cash flow. This is especially true amongst smaller producers.

We are the first to admit that we aren’t experts in Tokaj. There was no way that we are able to taste all the producers and vintages from the region. However, we were fortunate to taste many top-level dry Furmint wines. They are wines that are very exciting and offer unique flavors and nuances with searing acidity. These wines are already very good and producers have the potential to make exceptional great white wines if they keep pushing the bar for quality. Dry Tokaji style of wine that we will be keeping our eyes on.

*One thing we noticed was that Tokaj develops tertiary notes very quickly – within one year. After that initial phase of development, the wines resist further aging for a number of years, probably due to the high acidity.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks

(You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

Dry Wines

• Holdvölgy Meditation 2015

The Holdvölgy Meditation is a single vineyard dry Furmint. Great flavors of white-fleshed fruit, minerals, smoke, and a kiss of oak. The oak integration is nice and the acidity is dazzling. Long finish and this wine needs a little more time to show its best.    4.1/5

• Hétszölö Tokaji Furmint Selection 2012

The group that owns Hétszölö also has a stake in Cos d’Estournel from Bordeaux. Hétszölö is a certified Bio producer. The Hétszölö Tokaji Furmint Selection is aged for six months in the barrel. Smoke, wood, petrol, white pear, and a touch of yogurt are the flavors that jump out. It’s a medium-bodied white wine but the high acidity makes it feel fresher than it is. Mouth cleansing acidity with a medium finish.    3.8/5

• Szepsy Úrágya 2015

Szepsy is THE name in the Tokaj region. The Szepsy Úrágya Tokaji Furmint is a single vineyard dry wine. The flavors include natural gas, mineral, peach, and petrol. The palate is round at first and big at first but then gives way to mouth-cleansing acidity. It has tertiary notes but the high acidity wipes the palate clean.    4.1/5

• Demeter Zoltán Furmint 2016

Demeter Zoltán is another premier name in the region. This dry Tokaji has a brilliant nose of yogurt, smoke, white pear, and green apple. The wine has high acidity combined with brilliant fruit intensity and a long finish. Excellent dry Furmint that doesn’t feel angular.    4.2/5

Sweet Wines

• Holdvölgy Culture Aszú 2008

The Holdvölgy Culture Aszú is a Tokaji 6 Puttonyos sweet wine. The 2008 vintage is one of a high amount of botrytis. Flavors include caramel, leather, dried apricot, brown spice, and honey. Acidity is lower as previous vintages but the finish is full of honey and botrytis. Spicy and long finish.    4.4/5

• Holdvölgy Intuition No. 1 2008

The Holdvölgy Intuition No. 1 is made from Zéta and has 134 g/L of sugar. This has petrol, white flower, dried apricot, and caramel with a touch of toffee. Viscous and rich on the palate yet refreshing. A fantastic sensation on the palate leaves you wanting another sip.    4.3/5

• Hétszóló Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2010

Aged for two years in the barrel, the Hétszóló Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2010 has 178 g/L of sugar and 12 g/L of acidity. Fire, petrol, mineral, dried apricots, and figs dominate the palate. It’s lusciously sweet with a fiery finish. Tart on the mid palate and the sugar doesn’t weigh the palate down. Acidity is fresh and refreshing.    4.4/5

• Paulay Tokaji Aszú 2013

The Paulay Tokaji Aszuú 2013 is a 6 Puttonyos sweet wine. Residual sugar is 158 g/L of sugar. Wood, petrol, lemon, grass, and green mango. Rich on the palate with a touch of wood. This is not very nutty, it’s fresh and fruity with a citrus and biscuit finish. For sweet wine drinkers who don’t want nutty flavors.    3.7/5

• Oremus Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2007

The Oremus Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2007 has flavors of white flower, apricot, marzipan, almond, and dried pineapple. With 145 g/L of RS. Luscious on palate without being overly sappy. Nice blend of freshness with just a slight touch of tertiary notes. Tangerine peel acidity and a long finish. Delicious stuff, this is a baby.    4.5/5

• Oremus Tokaji Eszencia 2007

The creme-de-la-creme of Oremus. Thier Tokaji Eszencia 2007 has a whopping 515 g/L of RS with 15 g/L of acid. Aged for two years in the two years in 68 L barrels. Nut, fall leaves, lemon, apricot, raisin, and earthy tones linger on the palate. This is really thick and viscous on the glass. Like maple syrup with high amount of tanginess from the finish. A truly unique drinking experience with tingling acidity.    4.8/5

Special thanks to Piroska Koltai of Wine a’More Travel and Daniel Ercsey of WineSofa for setting us up for the visits and arranging accommodation. Additional thanks to Paulay Borház for hosting us. The ideas expressed in this article are personal opinions and are not associated with any sponsors or business promotions.

The post Hungarian Wine: The Legendary Tokaj Region appeared first on Wine Travel.

We had a fantastic time at the (Facebook) #winelover’s See You In Serbia trip. Having spent nearly six months in the country, we consider ourselves rather familiar with Serbian wines. Because of that, we oscillated between “Let’s go. I’m excited!” and “Meh. I’m not sure if we will see, taste, or learn anything new.” In the end, we committed to the trip because “Of course there’s always something new to learn and experience.” But the ultimate determinant was the friendships: to show support for an initiative that our friends work so hard for and take the opportunity to know the #winelover community.  And we’re glad we participated as we were rewarded in more ways than one.

Tomislav Ivanović, Mirjana Maksimović, Igor Luković, and Dušan Jelić did a remarkable job of organizing the trip for a large group of discerning wine lovers. Over the course of five days, #winelovers from all around the world got to taste Serbian wines from nearly 50 producers.
 

BYOB Dinner

All #winelover trips usually start off with a BYOB dinner, and this trip was no exception. The dinner was held at Steak & Wine with Dejan Živkoski, President of SERSA – Serbian Sommelier Association, as the host. All attendees brought at least one bottle of wine to the dinner. For us, it was almost a civic responsibility to share Croatian wines. We chose a Tomac Amfora 2008 and a Križ Plavac Mali 2015 to share with the group.

There were many outstanding wines that night, but the highlights were the many bottles of Hungarian Furmint and Tokaj wines that Daniel Ercsey, Koltai Piroska and Sue Tolson from WineSofa shared with us. And the “wine of the night” for us was a Paolo Bea Sagrantino from Montefalco Secco Pagliaro 2009 that Rowena Dumlao Giardina from Apron and Sneakers brought (photo below).

 

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Negotin Region

East Serbia is home to what we believe is  Serbia’s best area for red wine. The journey to Negotin from Belgrade is tediously long. We started the day in Belgrade at 7:30 AM and came back at 1:30 AM. While many people grumbled about the long bus ride—having been to the region—we felt it was vital for the group to visit Negotin.

You can mouse over the picture below and play the video.

 

On the Aquastar Maxim ferry that took us through the Iron Gates gorge on the Danube River. Romania on one side, Serbia on the other, and wine lovers from all over the world on board.

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The day started with a cruise ride through The Iron Gates, a gorge on the Danube River. The Iron Gates acts as a border between Romania and Serbia. At 2,860 meters, the Danube River is Europe’s second longest river and flows through 10 countries. During the ride, we passed through the narrowest point of the river. Here’s a look at that point.

The gorge is also home to a sculpture of Decebalus. As the last king of Dacia, he fought against the Roman emperors to preserve the kingdom’s independence. At over 40 meters in height, the sculpture is the tallest rock sculpture in Europe.

After the boat ride, we arrived at Matalj Winery. The proprietor Nikola Mladenović Matalj hosted 10 wineries from East and Southeast Serbia at his winery. The #winelover attendees all had their list of favorites, and many from the group walked away impressed with the quality, if not potential, of Serbian wines. We took personal delight in the fact that the Matalj Kremen Kamen impressed many wine lovers.

 

Excellent example of Vranac and a common favorite among the #winelover people at the tasting. Lots of oak influence but well integrated into the wine: it was fruit first, then secondary profile, and only a sign of tertiary notes in this 6-year-old wine. With its high acidity and tannins, this is a candidate for longer aging. Even with 15% alcohol, it has enough fruit and extract to go some distance.

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Our surprise of the day was the fresh Chardonnay by Bukovo Monastery; the wine had a floral-accented profile along with fruit power. Their wines are made by superstar-winemaker Radovan Djordjević (owner of Podrum Čokot). Many people from the group also enjoyed the Vinarija Raj Game (Gamay) and the Aleksić Armanet (Vranac).

 

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The night ended with a trek up to the old cellars of Rajac. While not everyone appreciated the one-kilometer, uphill hike, we got a chance to taste some romača (homemade) rakija and wine, which softened the four-hour bus ride back to Belgrade.

 

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Prokupac Day

September 14 is International Prokupac Day. Our trip included passes to the annual Prokupac Conference organized by Wine Identity. The conference consisted of four workshops that were delivered at a breakneck, yet efficient manner. The conference was headlined by Master of Wine Caroline Gilby.

 

90-people strong class on #ProkupacDay.

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The class on the aging potential of Prokupac by Tomislav Ivanović caused a stir among the crowd. Tomislav presented several labels and vintages from Vino Budimir, including Budimir Triada, Budimir Svb Rosa, and Budimir Boje Lila. As the workshop showed, while there might not be examples of Prokupac (yet) that show enough fruit power to undergo decades of aging, those wines can definitely develop well in the short and medium term.

Two wines that also impressed us were the Čokot Radovan 100% Prokupac 2015 and the latest 2015 vintage of Ivanović No 1/2 (50% Prokupac, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Merlot). It’s no surprise since these two producers, along with Budimir, are among the top wineries in the Župa Valley—the spiritual home of Prokupac.

One example that caught our attention was a white wine made from Prokupac. The Milanov Vinarija Prokupac Belo (White) showed that this grape might be capable of making pleasant Blanc de Noirs wine. Other new producers of red Prokupac that stood out to us included Vinarija Grabak and Vinarija Yotta.

The Exotic Wine Travel team has always been fond of Prokupac, and we believe that it has the potential to shine on the international platform; so it was exciting to witness the reactions from the #winelover group. The remarks were mostly positive. However, there was a clear divide between people who think that Prokupac wines should be blended with international grapes and others who like it as a varietal wine. Regardless, many concurred that the grape is capable of making good wines.

Wines From Šumadija and Vojvodina

The third day included a field trip to Šumadija, a wine region in Central Serbia. The first stop was Aleksandrović Winery, one of the first three privatized wineries that appeared in Serbia after the Soviet period and also one of the biggest producers in Serbia.  The rest of the afternoon saw us making stops at The Kings Cellar in Oplenac and Despotika Winery.

We enjoyed tasting with the #winelover group, which consisted of wine professionals, winemakers, wine importers,  writers, bloggers, and staunch wine lovers. It’s always eye-opening and humbling to taste wine with people with extensive and varied experience. Here’s a snap of the group at Aleksandrović. Thank you Sharon Parsons from Spaswinefood for the photo.

Our stop at The King’s Cellar provided a look at the history and lives of King Alexander and Queen Maria. While we’ve never found pleasure in drinking their wine, the visit offered a brief look into the history of Yugoslavia and the Šumadija region. We followed up with a visit to Despotika Winery, where eight wineries from Central Serbia presented their wines.

 

The Church of Saint George in Oplenac offers a stunning interior of 3500-square-meter mosaics. The Jesus on the ceiling is the largest piece.

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Many people found the wines from Virtus agreeable with their palates; the newest vintage of its Marselan was a popular favorite with its full body, deep color, high level of extract, and excellent price-quality ratio. Several of the whites from Despotika also impressed the group, including an off-dry Morava with piercing acidity. The Janko Zavet Stari (Bordeaux Blend) and Radovanović Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve also received a fair share of votes. While there were many excellent producers present, we were disappointed that the wines from Cilić weren’t there.

Here’s a shot of Despotika‘s vineyards at sunset.

 

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The group headed back to Belgrade and we concluded the day with a gala dinner at The Square in downtown Belgrade. The restaurant is located in Square 9 Hotel, and it’s often touted to be one of the best dining spots in the city. The wines of Vojvodina (North Serbia) were showcased, and the Bijelica Saga 2016 stood out to many people. Indeed, we think this blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon is perhaps the best fresh white wine in Serbia right now.

Biodynamic and Orange Serbian Wines

We finished the trip with a morning tasting of biodynamic and amber wine / orange wine from Serbia. Even though the modern wine industry is fairly young in Serbia, there is a progressive movement for minimal-intervention wine. There were five producers present at the tasting Bikicki, Dukay-Sagmeister, Imperator, Kovačevic, and Maurer.

Several people enjoyed this tasting the most out of all the ones in our program.

Oskar Maurer is probably Serbia’s most well-known producer as his wines are available at at least 10 Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.

Oskar also helps make the wine at Bikicki, a new producer that crafts a light and delicious macerated Pinot Grigio and a late-harvest Traminer among others.

The newest vintage of Riesling from Imperator drew many positive responses as well.

Dukay-Sagmeister stole the show that morning. The dry Furmint received rave reviews in addition to his elegant red made from Kadarka. Many people bought several bottles of Dukay-Sagmeister‘s wines.

Kovačevic was somewhat neglected at the tasting. Perhaps it was because there was no one from the winery to represent their wines, or maybe it was because their wines do not follow minimal-intervention farming.

 

Furmintis because it’s botrytis Furmint. 😂😂😂 Absolutely stunning Serbian dry Furmint and the best discovery from last night’s Wine Jam event. The noble rot flavors, such as honey and cotton candy, are present on the palate and show only the slightest presence on the nose. What’s stunning is those flavors are mere ‘afterthoughts’–so light-footed that they, in fact, highlight the varietal characteristics: the Furmint’s primary flavors and acidity march out straight from the textbook. Overall, it’s a really nuanced wine. We have to re-taste and probably enjoy a whole bottle to fully comprehend this wine. Yea, thankfully, we managed to buy a bottle!

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The People of #Winelover

Romania was never high up on our priority list of “exotic wine places” to explore because of the lack of an active motivation or an experiential hook. Recently, one of my best friends had a swindler-related, near-violent experience there. The limited Romanian wines we tasted also failed to impress us (although we are certain that there are excellent Romanian wines).

More than 10 Romanians attended the #winelover trip, and they offered us a window into a place that we were unfamiliar with. They were warm, funny, and enthusiastic, and we bonded during the five-day trip. Now it looks like we might have to make a trip to Romania in 2018!

Special thanks to Alexandra Sabotnicu Serban, Silviu Serban, Serban Sincai, and Simona Sincai for making us love Romania even before we’ve met it.

 

Today marks the end of the #winelover trip in Belgrade. We are so lucky to meet so many new friends during this trip, and some of them have left us hooks to visit their countries.

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Another wonderful person we met was Manuella Webber-Witt, a Brazilian making wine in Germany. On the last day, we got the chance to taste her Riesling from Pfalz. It’s a Qualitätswein with brilliant acidity and crystalline fruit flavors. All the best to Manuela as she works on making her wine a commercial product!

Everyone else on the trip touched us in one way or the other. There were a lot of laughs on this trip including Giannas Krassaki who overslept and missed the entire first day of the trip (he is not in our group photo below). Thanks to everyone who made this trip so special for us. The enthusiasm and passion that the #winelover group displayed are what make these trips so special. Thank you Luiz Alberto of The Wine Hub for the photo below.

We look forward to meeting all of you, current and future members of #winelovers, on the next trip!

 
 
You May Also Enjoy
Articles: Serbian Wine
Videos: Serbian Wine – YouTube Playlist
More photos and updates about the #winelover trip in Serbia can be found on our Facebook and Instagram.

Check Out the Websites of Our #Winelover Members
Carol Lopez-Bethel’s Swirl Wine Consulting
Christina Portz’s Just the Bottle
Dušan Jelić’s Wines of Balkans
Mirjana Maksimović’s Žena i Vino (in Serbian)
Piroska Koltai’s Wine a’More Travel
Razvan Stoenescu’s Povești cu vin (in Romanian)
Sarah May Grunwald’s Taste Georgia
Tomislav Ivanović’s Vinopedia

The ideas expressed in this article are personal opinions and are not associated with any sponsors or business promotions.

The post See You in Serbia #Winelover Trip appeared first on Wine Travel.

We first met Dušan Jelić at a Serbian wine expo in Kragujevac, Serbia.  Prior to that, we were already following his website Wines of Balkans for a few years. The information on Wines of Balkans was invaluable as we made our way through the region over three months in the Spring of 2016. Dušan has been very giving of his time and knowledge during the short period we have known him. He has tremendous insight on wines from this area that is still unknown to most of the world.

Dušan Jelić: A Perspective on Balkan Wine

Dušan Jelić, founder of Wines of Balkans and Fair Cape Wines Agency

• What can the Balkans uniquely offer to wine enthusiasts?

The region offers unique gastronomy including Balkan wines made from more than a hundred indigenous varieties. At least 20 of these are responsible for great world-class wines from many different producers and regions, such as Furmint/Sipon, Malvazija Istriana, Posip, Plavac Mali, Prokupac, Tamjanika/Temjanika, Vranac/Vranec, Blatina, Zilavka, Kadarka/Gamza, Mavrud, Feteasca Neagra, Boğazkere, Assyrtiko, Xinomavro, and many more. In addition to top-notch gastronomy, the Balkans is an extremely diverse region that offers the ultimate wine tourism experience!

• How did you get involved with Balkan wine?

My father is a genuine wine lover. He allowed me to start nosing and tasting wine at a young age. I remember my mother ‘complaining’ to him for allowing me to taste the wine. Those moments left a lasting impression since I was at such an impressionable age.

After leaving Bosnia in 1992, at the outbreak of the war, I moved to South Africa. When I returned in 1998, I got a job with the United Nations. That stint was up in 2009 when I relocated again to South Africa at the age of 40 and decided to pursue wine as a new career. After going to various classes on wine over a period of time, I connected with a few people and was eventually appointed as the social media manager for the leading South African wine online company www.wine.co.za. In 2010, I was one of the first social media managers in the wine industry. I was studying at Cape Wine Academy in South Africa. In 2011, I decided to move back to the Balkans and apply what I had learned in South Africa. It was evident that the local winemakers within the Balkans had been shut out or not fully aware of the social media movement. They were hoping that their business would expand simply by making good products.

I started here on a shoestring budget, but I didn’t care because I loved it. Nobody was covering all the countries as a whole in terms of Balkan wine because it takes a lot of time, travel, and financial power. I worked to visit all of the countries and started very humbly. The first year, I was paying all of my expenses; the second year, I got a little help with travel and accommodation, and finally started earning a little on top of that. Eventually, I got invited to be a judge at several competitions as well as a guest of the key regional wine festivals.

• How can the Balkans brand themselves?

We cannot succeed unless there is a concentrated effort. People in our industry are scared to invest money in these things unless they see an instant return. ­ In this game, the benefits are not immediately visible. It’s sad because vintners here are good; they are producing better and better wine, but they struggle with marketing. The cheapest form of marketing is social media, and it is being done randomly and ineffectively—if at all.

You could brand each country or region within the Balkans individually. Macedonia has put together funds for a collective effort to get their wines known. Croatia and Slovenia do have certain funds from the state too. Istria in Croatia is perhaps the best example of how a region can brand itself. They have an excellent branding strategy ­ that is not only about wine quality. They have also been successful by integrating wine with their food, olive oil, and truffles. The branding strategy is one of complete gastronomy, not only wine. The only Balkan variety that has its own Riedel wine glass is Malvazija Istriana from Istria!

My idea is to promote the entire Balkan Peninsula as a collective region. Branding the whole region could combine the different wine regions with gastronomy, skiing in the winter, swimming and beach resorts in the summer, history and culture, and relaxing spas. It is amazing to experience the diversity of landscapes and cultures this region contains, ­ and you can cross the whole area by plane in an hour or so. This small area has so much natural beauty.

Exotic Wine Travel team overlooking the Lake Skadar wine-growing region in Montenegro.

For example, a tourist cannot come to Slovenia for 10 days and be happy. But what if there was an operated tour that tailored three days in Slovenia, three days in Croatia, a few days in Serbia, and a few days in Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, or Montenegro. There is a lot of diversity and experiences to be had in an itinerary like that. Once again, this is my idea; there is no evidence as of now that this will be executed.

• So what does Serbia need to do to distinguish itself?

Our native variety Prokupac is at least 500 years old but there is not a lot of information out there about it. There is a longstanding wine culture here. Serbia needs to promote Prokupac and other indigenous varieties and create stories around them. Wine needs stories! Next, these grapes need to be researched, planted at a greater volume, and mastered to make great wine. Only last month, for the first time,  it was decided that 14th October is being celebrated as International Prokupac Day!

Lastly, it’s not enough to have great wine, there must be a tasting room that holds at least one busload of people. Wineries must have properly trained staff and they must have some proper pairing food available, ­ be it outsourced or prepared by an on­site restaurant. Having a place to sleep tops off the experience because if the wine is good, it isn’t safe to be driving around.

To move to the next level, groups of winemakers within the different regions must organize themselves into associations to brand and market their specific regions. This is difficult in Serbia because I believe that the winemakers here struggle with vanity. I personally dislike it when a producer asks me to compare their wine to someone else’s specifically. This exists all over the world but I believe it happens more frequently in Serbia.

• Tell me more about Serbian wine.

If you had visited Serbia 20 years ago, you would have found next to nothing in terms of great wine. 10 years ago, perhaps a few great examples. But what has happened in the last few years is simply extraordinary. Five years ago, not one winery had an accommodation option and perhaps only 10 or so had proper tasting room facilities. Now, there are at least 50 with proper tasting rooms, 15 or so with accommodation options, and several with great restaurants attached.

There are several passionate individuals who have succeeded in connecting wine with tourism. There are about 30 or so in Serbia who have realized that they can live very well by combining wine and gastronomy. For people to go from the Communist mindset to producing these types of successes in one generation is bloody excellent and gives a lot of hope for the future.

Think about this, the first méthode traditionelle sparkling wine made in Serbia was done only in 2008 by Aleksandrovic winery. Our modern fine wine industry is young and very exciting.

• What is the future for Balkan wine and Serbian wine?

The biggest areas of growth will be Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Croatia. Romania and Bulgaria will grow tremendously because of the level of investment made in the wineries and their infrastructure and because of their European Union membership. Greece will continue to make big strides because of the tourist infrastructure combined with their olive oil and food. Croatia will grow at a very fast pace because of their tradition, food, and large volume of tourists.

Serbia will only be successful if there is a better organization at state and/or production level. If in the next five or 10 years, proper organization does not take place, Serbia will grow slowly based on the merits of a few individuals and will not assume its rightful place. I would love to see the top 20 or so producers come together, put in funds, and send professionals to do tastings and classes internationally. They can also invite Masters of Wine or Master Sommeliers from different countries to taste the wines. There is too much reliance on individual success. Serbia has a lot of potential but there has to be better management.

You can find Dušan’s work at his website Wines of Balkans and Fair Cape Wines Agency, and social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Google +.

Check out our video interview with Dusan:

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Featured image courtesy of Wines of Balkans.
The ideas expressed in this article are personal opinions and are not associated with any sponsors or business promotions.

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