Until ninety million years ago, Fruška Gora was just an island in the mythical Pannonian Sea, and today it is the only mountain in Vojvodina, the oldest national park in Serbia, an area known for beautiful deciduous forests, various hiking trails, Orthodox monasteries, but also vineyards and wine cellars, which is why it has become one of the favourite destinations of wine tourism in this part of Europe.
Legend has it that the grapevine from Italy and Greece was brought to this area by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus in the 3rd century, and planted somewhere near Divoš, on the southwestern slopes of Fruška Gora, and that in the 13th century new grape varieties were planted in this area by the French monks.
The current assortment of Fruška Gora vineyards consists mainly of Western European indigenous, high-quality white and red grape varieties. Of the whites, Chardonnay is in the first place, followed by Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon and Semillon. Of the black varieties – Burgundy black, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and there are also indigenous varieties, Probus, Morava and others. Due to the favourable climate, soil, winds and lots of sunny days, the gentle slopes of Fruška Gora are extremely favourable for viticulture. Fruška Gora wine routes intertwine, connecting more than 150 Fruška Gora wine cellars located in the vicinity of Sremski Karlovci, Rakovac, Ledinci, Erdevik, Banoštor, Irig and Neštin. Whatever winery you visit, you won’t go wrong. This is our selection of wine destinations that you shouldn’t miss.
Kovačević Winery
The third generation of winemakers has won this winery the position of one of the most famous wineries not only in Vojvodina, but also in Serbia. Kovačević Winery is focused on the production of wines of specific styles according to the oldest wine techniques, such as long maceration of grapes and wine production in amphoras, whose tradition dates back several thousand years. They also dedicated themselves to organic wine production and biodynamic viticulture. Their restaurant, Vinska kuća Kovačević, located near the Novo Hopovo monastery near Irig and tucked away in the greenery of the Fruška Gora slopes, is one of the favourite picnic spots for citizens of Novi Sad. Connoisseurs highly recommend Aurelius, as well as the sparkling wine Kovačević
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Deurić Winery
Located on the sunny southern slopes of Fruška Gora, near the Mala Remeta monastery near Vrdnik, there is Deurić Winery, declared the best winery in 2017. The newly built winery uses grapes exclusively from its own vineyards to produce supreme wines with expert consultation from the eminent team of enologists from France. Be sure to try Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Probus.
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Mačkov Podrum
In the family of the founders of Mačkov Podrum from Irig, grapes have been grown and wine has been made for generations. The vineyards of Mačkov Podrum are located in the Fruška Gora vineyards. Mačkov Podrum has 32 hectares of vineyards, and all the grapes they use for wines come exclusively from these vineyards. The climate of this region is continental, ideal for white wines and red wines of modern style, and during the preparation of the soil and planting the vineyards, experts from Italy, from the wine region of South Tyrol, are hired. It is distinguished by a palette of varieties, among which are Rhine Riesling, Fragrant Traminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and the most appreciated wine is their award-winning Portugieser.
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Šijački Winery – Banoštor
The Šijački Family Winery is located in the Srem village of Banoštor, which is about thirty kilometres from Novi Sad, in the municipality of Beočin. Until recently, the winery was named Bononia, after the ancient Roman name of the village of Banoštor (Malata Bononia), when this area was a significant place on the map of Roman roads. Šijački Winery produces varieties of Italian Riesling, Župljanka, Chardonnay, Merlot, Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat Hamburg. What distinguishes this winery is the traditional wine cellar in which the wine is nurtured and matured, and which gladly hosts wine lovers. Be sure to try Seduša wine, which is made from the old, forgotten grape variety of the same name.
Veritas Winery – Sremski Karlovci
Veritas Winery is located on the slopes of Fruška Gora bordered by the Danube in Sremski Karlovci on the way to Stražilovo. Surrounded by vineyards, this winery is unique in the area by its position and architecture. Veritas is a family ‘boutique’ winery founded in 2010. All vine seedlings were imported from France and planted in selected positions in consultation with local and international experts regarding the selection of varieties. The varieties of wine they produce are Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Kiš Winery – Sremski Karlovci
The tradition of viticulture in the Kiš family dates back to 1830. In the past, only autochthonous grape varieties were grown, which were related only to the Fruška Gora region, but today this winery also offers varieties that are known in the world. Precisely because of the preservation of geographical characteristics and adherence to traditional methods of cultivating vineyards and growing vines, the wines of the Kiš Winery have been crowned with prestigious international awards. The inevitable wines of this winery are Grašac, award-winning Portugieser and the widely known Bermet.
Vinum Winery – Sremski Karlovci
The vineyards of this winery are located in the northeastern part of Fruška Gora at an altitude of 130-260 m – on Ešikovac and Čerat stretch. The Ešikovac stretch is a slope that stretches in the direction northwest – southeast, where the flow of cold air from the Danube and Stražilovo is constant and slows down the vegetation. Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir are planted there. Čerat is a plateau; it’s sunny and extremely windy, with Grašac White and Chardonnay being grown here. With a clear vision, modern technology interwoven with tradition, this winery produces supreme wines, which have won numerous quality certificates at various international fairs and competitions, and they are most proud of the award won in France.
Organic Winery Imperator – Rakovac
Organic Winery Imperator was the first to start biodynamic grape production on the southern slopes of Fruška Gora. It produces grapes and wines with the EU organic certificate and offers exceptional and the only Malbec from Serbia, while the names of the wine labels are given after the names of the Roman emperors born in this area. The winery with a tasting room is in Rakovac on Fruška Gora, on the edge of the National Park, and in the immediate vicinity of the Danube. Well-sunlit and ventilated areas are covered with varieties of Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Prokupac, Sila, Italian Riesling, Vranac. Connoisseurs recommend trying Qvintillvs.
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Belo Brdo Winery – Čerević
Belo Brdo Winery was founded in 2010 and is located at the entrance to the village of Čerević. They produce Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc from white wines, and Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Marselan from red wines. The blend of five varieties of Alma Mons has become a trademark of the winery named after the hill on which the vineyard is located. Their Marselan is the best rated wine of that variety in the world, while at the AWC competition in Vienna in 2016, out of 12 submitted labels, the winery received recognition for each one of them, along with three gold and five silver medals
Author: Bojana Kozomora
