With ancient origins and an exciting modern wine scene, Serbia has become a wine nation to watch. Warm summers, fresh mountain breezes and a range of terroirs are yielding a growing number of internationally recognised wines
Of all the new-but-old wine regions in the world, Serbia is probably one of the least well-known. But wines from this area were sold in the UK back in the early 1990s, when Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from this part of what was Yugoslavia were listed by a long-gone chain of wine shops. Since those days, there has been a complete wine revolution, with new and dynamic producers, new wines and new stories emerging, all built on ancient roots in a stunning green, hilly landscape.
Serbia has come from behind compared with some of its Balkan neighbours, but the country is quickly reinventing its wines for a new audience that wants quality not quantity. A raft of top medals and awards from global wine competitions, including the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), shows that Serbian wineries are catching up fast.
Grapevines grow all over the country, but this guide will explore three of the key regions, whose producers are at the forefront of this new quality movement.
Tri Morave
This is the largest wine-growing region in Serbia, covering the basin of the three Morava rivers of Central Serbia. It contains nine wine-growing districts including the most famous, Jagodina and Župa, plus Jovac, Kruševac, Levač, Paraćin, Ražanj, Temnić and Trstenik.
Tri Morave is best known for reds, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also increasing plantings of local varieties – especially Prokupac (see opposite). Vines mostly grow on sloping sites, with diverse soils varying from the almost flat, alluvial river plains to foothills and even into the mountain zones at up to 650m. The climate is moderatecontinental, with some Mediterranean influence giving mild winters and dry, sunny autumns which suit late-ripening varieties like Prokupac and Cabernet. Mountain breezes take the edge off the heat, keeping good freshness in the grapes.
Archaeological finds show that wine was important here in Roman times, though it was not until the 12th century that the first written references appeared.
Wine flourished until the Ottomans arrived in the region – they suppressed alcohol, though they did bring plums, which became Serbia’s national fruit. In the 20th century, collectivisation stopped the industry in its tracks for five decades, but the 21st century saw the emergence of a group of winemakers determined to restore Župa to its former glory. This helped to kickstart a new quality era and their momen
