events
Serbian Wine: Tradition Revived
Join us on Saturday, December 7th, starting at 2:00 PM, for a celebration of the rich heritage and renaissance of Serbian winemaking!
Featuring some of the best wines from Maurer, Sagmeister, and Bikicki.
Serbia, a land where winemaking dates back thousands of years, is experiencing a renaissance in its wine culture.
Serbian wines are no longer the hidden gems of the Balkans. International accolades are shining a spotlight on this rising wine destination.
For adventurous wine lovers, the reward of tracking them down is discovering a blend of history, tradition, and innovation in every bottle.
Serbia’s winemaking history is intertwined with its cultural evolution. From Roman times, when Emperor Probus planted vineyards on Fruška Gora to the golden age of the 11th-14th centuries under the Nemanjić Dynasty and Emperor Dušan The Mighty who pioneered some of Europe’s earliest wine quality laws, which regulated vineyard management and wine production to ensure high standards.
Today, Serbia’s wine revival is led by passionate producers reconnecting with tradition and championing indigenous grape varieties. Fruška Gora, a wine region and national park, stands at the forefront of this movement.
Nestled an hour north of Belgrade, Fruška Gora is a winemaking paradise. Its gently sloping vineyards benefit from the moderating influence of the nearby Danube and Sava rivers, which create the perfect microclimate for grapes.
Here, pioneering winemakers like Oszkar Maurer, Ernö Sagmeister and Djordje Bikicki are redefining Serbia’s wine identity.
Oszkar Maurer, a pioneer in organic and sustainable viticulture practices, revitalizes forgotten grape varieties like Sremska Zelenika, Bakator, and Mezes Feher. His Kadarka 1880, crafted from a vineyard planted over 140 years ago, is a masterpiece with a silky texture and vibrant red berry flavors.
Ernö Sagmeister focuses on natural wines with a distinctive signature. His LH Zero, made from the rare Lipolist grape, offers a beguiling balance of citrusy brightness and floral elegance.
Djordje Bikicki has transformed the landscape of natural wines in Serbia with his Bikicki Winery. His creations have garnered international acclaim, including Traminer Uncensored 2016, named the best orange wine in the Balkans, and Uncensored 2018, which won a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London.
These winemakers exemplify the harmony of tradition and creativity, crafting wines that tell a story of place and time.
For those of us who grew up immersed in Max Bunker’s Alan Ford, we might call them the Trio Fantasticus – or, speaking Beaujolaisien, the Gang of ¾ 4.
But they are no longer alone, a vibrant wave of passionate winemakers is rising in their wake, each adding their own flair to Serbia’s evolving wine tale.
