If wine needs a story, then the history of Balkan wine is a dog-eared, multi-volume series. The southeastern European peninsula may not immediately come to mind when talking about the world’s great wine regions, but make no mistake: there is an important winemaking tradition here that dates back many years. centuries. Balkan wine is all about the experience: varietals you may never have heard of, handcrafted over generations and served with heart.
It is often said that under communist regimes, the region focused on the quantity rather than quality of wine; but with family wineries honing their craft in recent years, a change is afoot. Here we present the best of the local Balkan grape varieties and where you will be warmly welcomed for a drink of each.
Vranac: the jewel of the former Yugoslavia
Meaning “black stallion” in Serbo-Croatian, the earthy red Vranac is perhaps best known for the millions of liters exported each year by Montenegro mainly public winery, Plantaže. While their cavernous Sipčanik Cave just south of the capital Podgorica is worth a visit, do yourself a favor and continue your wine quest on the southern coast of Lake Skadar.
Known as Crmnica, Montenegro’s main wine region is home to dozens of family-owned wineries. Although most owners don’t speak English, local British expats Emma and Ben Heywood of Unknown Montenegro are happy to organize day trips and even week-long adventures through wine country. Here you will be welcomed in the modest house of Miodrag Leković, nestled in the ruins of the 14th century village of Godinje – for a taste of its award-winning version of the oak-aged grape, or taken to the Klicić winery in the village of Limljani for a glass of Sveti Toma, named after the 7th century chapel that slid down a nearby hill.
However, Vranac – called Vranec nearby North Macedonia – is an important local grape variety for all countries in the south of former Yugoslavia. Known for its rich soil and Mediterranean climate, the Republic of Macedonia accounted for two-thirds of Yugoslavia’s wine production in the 1980s. Thus, wine tourism here (especially in the famous Tikves region) is more developed, with most wineries offering tastings in English.
One of the most exciting wineries on the market, Brzanov (brzanov.mk) is not particularly polite and is not located in the Tikveš area. Nevertheless, at the winery – conveniently located in the capital Skopje – Antonio Brzanov and his partner Dimitar Stojanovski offer endless laughs, as well as bold Vranec and foreign favorites like Tempranillo.
The wine region of Rahovec (Orahovac) Kosovo, North Macedonia’s neighbor, also produces surprisingly excellent Vranac. Located just two hours from Skopje and boasting 15 local wineries, the region is well worth a stop on any Balkan wine tour. “The competition with bigger wineries is tough, but we see that our hard work is paying off,” says Gazmend Daka, owner of Daka Winery (facebook.com/Daka-Wine). With his wine consistently ranked in the top three at the annual Kosovo Wine Festival, he plans to expand the winery to include a B&B.
Plavac Mali: the red island of Croatia
“The Dalmatian sun is literally soaked into this wine,” says Balkan wine expert Dušan Jelić about Plavac Mali. The Serbian who worked in the South African wine industry says he always compares each wine to the varietal his father drank. “It’s as powerful as it is irresistible: after one drink, your ears will turn red.”
Like Vranac, Plavac Mali is related to Zinfandel – the American favorite. It is one of 30 varieties native to the Dalmatian coast, and it is undoubtedly the most important. While Croatia northern region of Istria has really boosted its wine tourism in recent years, you have to venture to the Dalmatian Islands to find this robust grape variety. Difficulties, we know.
There is no comparison to the ambiance of wine tasting on the serene island of Screw. Occupied by military forces for decades – from World War II until the dissolution of Yugoslavia – the lush island and its viticulture are rather original. You can either try a glass of Plavac Mali in a cave once used as a Yugoslav military bunker in Vina Lipanović (facebook.com/Vina-LIPANOVIĆ), or sip some while admiring the pitch used by the Vis Cricket Club at Roki’s – the restaurant and wine estate owned by the club’s founder.
Kallmet: the sacred wine of Albania
The Illyrian winemaking tradition, thought to predate the Roman Empire by centuries, lives on in the flavors of Albania Native Kallmet. With both red and white grape varieties, it is rumored that Albanian producers even paid their taxes to the Vatican with this wine in the Middle Ages. Most recently, it was served to the famous oenophile Pope Francis during his visit to the country in 2014.
Kallmet is found mainly in Albania’s breadbasket, the northern Lezhë region; you can sample superb iterations at the eponymous Kantina Kallmeti (kantinakallmeti.com). However, the country’s most impressive Kallmet comes from the small winery attached to Uka Farm, the organic farm and restaurant located just outside the capital Tirana. If you’re lucky, house winemaker Flori Uka will show you around the cellar behind the farm and may even open a bottle from his stash.
Mavrud: the taste of the Bulgarian mountains
The rounded mountains of Rodopi form the backdrop to one of Bulgaria five major wine regions, the Thracian Lowlands. Wine has been part of the Bulgarian DNA since the days of the ancient Thracians, and tasting Mavrud, the multi-faceted local favorite, is a trip back in time. With most wineries located around the second largest city, Plovdiv, the Thracian Lowlands make a great weekend break elsewhere in Europe or as part of a longer exploration of Bulgaria. Once there, head to the winery and the Todoroff Hotel (todoroff-hotel.com) in the wine village of Brestovitza (where you can even bathe in wine), or a little further afield to sample mouth-watering blends from Mavrud at Villa Yustina (villayustina.com).
Prokupac: Serbia’s ticket to wine fame
Although during the Yugoslav era, the capital Belgrade left most of the wine production to the other republics, Serbia The Župa wine region has been producing this grape-based drink since the Romans planted its first vines. Winemaking is now one of the fastest growing sectors of Serbian agriculture, although wine tourism is struggling to keep pace – for now. With the remaining bottles of Prokupac’s 2003 and 2004 vintages from the Ivanović winery based in Župa (ivanovicvino.com) recently opened to great critical acclaim, the area should see a little more well-deserved foot traffic. Although the wine still needs further development, the hospitality of the neighboring Podrum Braća Rajković (podrumbracarajkovic.com) is Serbia at its best.