Serbia – Vino Budimir wine estate is located in Župa region, in the central part of Serbia. It is one of Serbia’s most important pre-Phylloxera wine regions. The vineyards were established in the Middle Ages, more precisely during the time of medieval Serbian ruler Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović (XIV century) who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire.
The story behind Vino Budimir is fascinating, and, to explain it, we need to travel back to the year 1878. Just outside the town of Aleksandrovac, Serbia, there was a small winery whose vineyards expanded up the neighboring hillsides. During this time period different kingdoms and fiefdoms of the Balkan Peninsula were constantly warring with one another. As such, the king from Belgrade was marching his troops south in 1878, and, as they were marching, they came upon this small winery outside Aleksandrovac. As they were passing by, the king asked the winemaker for something to drink and was presented with a glass from the winery’s cellars. The king was so taken with the wine that he ordered his troops stop and rest there for the night. Such was the winery’s hospitality and so good were the wines that the king proclaimed the winery to be his crown’s official winery. Thanks to phylloxera, only one vine remains from the original vineyard, but it sits atop a neighboring hill as if to guard the winery from any incursion. For this reason, they have dubbed the vine “The Guard.”
Today, Vino Budimir is situated above the Monastery Drenča on the slope called Gubovac. The exposition of vineyards is south-facing while their altitude is about 600 meters. The vineyard slopes are very steep making terracing essential. Traditional winemaking practices have been passed on for four generations in their family. That spirit of preserving the old values is intrinsically related to the recent re-birth of the winery.
- Riesling
- Tamjanika
- Pro-Cou-Patz – 100% Prokupac
- Triada – 100% Prokupac
- Svb Rosa – 60% Prokupac, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon