Serbia

The Republic of Serbia is to be found in the Western Balkans of Southeastern Europe, bordering Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, North Macedonia and Albania to the south, Montenegro to the south-west and Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia to the west.

Viticulture in Serbia dates back to ancient times and was already influenced by the Thracians and Greeks before the turn of the millennium. It has since had a chequered history but has reinvented its wines in the new, post-Yugoslavia era, as a new generation of small, dynamic wineries have come to the fore to showcase the amazing potential Serbian vineyards have to offer.

Grape growing and winemaking is located principally located along the Danube, Morava and Timok rivers, close to the borders with Romania and Bulgaria. Serbia is divided into five wine-growing regions. These are Timok in the Krajina with Negotin and Knjaževac on the Romanian border (mainly red wine), Sumadija-Velika Morava south of Belgrade (mainly white wine), Zapadna-Morava on the upper reaches of the River Morava, Juzna-Morava with Vranje in the south (the best quality red wines) and Pocerina-Podgora east of Belgrade. The continental climate is characterised by cold winters and warm to hot summers.

Principle grape varieties of Serbia include Prokupac, a red grape variety that can produce elegant Pinot-esque wines, Tamjanika, Grasac, Morova, Krstač and Smederevka. International grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Syrah also perform very well.