This year was the fifth anniversary of Prokupac Day – celebrated on October 14th – which is the brainchild of Igor Luković (editor of Vino and Fino) and Tomislav Ivanovic (founder of vinopedia.rs). At its inception, there were fourteen wines to taste. Today there are roughly fifty. Under the tagline, ‘Taste the difference, taste Prokupac’, they are spearheading the promotion and refinement of one of Serbia’s signature autochthonous varieties.
By Ian Bancroft
The main room in Aleksandrovac’s Viticulture and Wine Museum is packed as the town’s residents – most of whom are involved in the wine trade in one way or another – pour forth about Župa and its identity; striving to disassociate themselves from the tetra packed wines and sangria that have besmirched the region’s reputation.
Only the presence of the local priest – whose right hand is eagerly clasped, despite the pandemic – restrains some of the more raucous discussions as they wrangle over the identity of this region surrounded by the mountains of Goč, Željina, Jastrebac, and Kopaonik. There is one thing, however, they all agree on – that Serbs should drink more wine from Serbia.
In the hallway and adjoining rooms, there are browning black and white photographs of various harvests, cellars, and gaggles of moustaches raising their glasses to the camera; along with some winemaking remnants of times past. On the pavilion out front, various producers – many of them family affairs – are gathered to promote their Prokupac. One skillfully proffers another sample, oblivious to his young children hanging off his shoulders. Despite the chill in the air, the glass is filled with warmth and perspiration.
Moments earlier, Petar ‘Peca’ Popovic, a rock critic, spoke with considerable urgency about the vitality of Prokupac for the future of Župa; for jobs and prosperity. It was an oratory that could rouse men to arms or at least to the vineyards. If I were I an eligible voter, I would place my cross next to his name. Rare is such vision and passion.
Whilst historical documents, especially from the second half of the nineteenth century, show that Prokupac has long been planted in various parts of Serbia – Sumadija, Smederevo, Toplica, Niš, to name but a few – it is here in Župa where the grape is most cherished. For this is held to be the historic cradle of Prokupac.
From the slope of Gubovac, above Monastery Drenča, the old vineyards of Vino Budimir occupy a prime spot in terms of altitude and position (being southward facing). The branches of the Prokupac vine stand as though furious or electrocuted. Its wild appearance reminds us that this is a vigorous grape, one that gives vast and almost tasteless yields if not restrained.
In their ‘podrum’ is a diploma from Milan Obrenović, apparently awarded for the provision of wine to the military, which demonstrates the longevity of their winemaking prowess. Budimir Zdravković, better known as ‘Deda Buda’, is the wisdom and inspiration behind these vineyards and their evolution. He says he’s been involved in wine for roughly seventy-five years, yet doesn’t look a day over seventy. He radiates boyish and contagious enthusiasm.
Vino Burdimir has constantly challenged the adage that Prokupac can not and should not be aged. Their 2011 Boje Lila from almost one hundred and twenty year old vines has an intense mouthfeel, with generous black cherries, a hint of spice, and a long finish. Meanwhile, their Svb Rosa – like that No ½ by Vinarija Ivanović – demonstrates the promising role Prokupac plays in blends with other sorts.
Zdravko Brkić, who guides us through Budimir’s repertoire, speaks about how winemakers here are a gossipy bunch; engaging in gregarious chatter about the heres and nows of winemaking, and their respective approaches. Compliments from their colleagues are apparently hard to come by. ‘Nije slabo’ (literally ‘not weak’) is a reluctant acknowledgement of quality.
This year was the fifth anniversary of Prokupac Day – celebrated on October 14th – which is the brainchild of Igor Luković (editor of Vino and Fino) and Tomislav Ivanovic (founder of vinopedia.rs). At its inception, there were fourteen wines to taste. Today there are roughly fifty. Under the tagline, ‘Taste the difference, taste Prokupac’, they are spearheading the promotion and refinement of one of Serbia’s signature autochthonous varieties.
More importantly, both quality and consistency have noticeably improved. It is an on-going search for elegance; an elegance secured through balancing the age and size of oak, and the length of time in its presence. Winemakers are using barrels that have already served a few vintages, or are so large that contact is limited. Serbian cooperages, themselves, are increasingly exposed to foreign influences.
New reputations are being forged and novel approaches employed. There are relatively young winemakers like Radovan Đorđević, whose 100% Prokupac is one of the best renditions I have tasted. Vinarija Yotta’s Bonsai, meanwhile, is inspired by Amarone; with a part of the grapes being dried to give concentrated raisin flavours. There are also high hopes for Budimir’s amphora-aged wine.
The wines of Dragoslav ‘Gaga’ Ivanović have long been a personal favourite; and to see his son, Ivan, by his side is a guarantee that the future is in safe hands. His predominantly 2017 Prokupac blend (alongside 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot) is a class of the genre; boasting ripe black cherries, plum, pepper aromas, and silky tannins.
Gaga jokes about the challenges of working with those from whom he purchases grapes; how ensuring quality is a theatrical affair, involving repetitions of the same lines until the delivery exceeds expectations. Once upon a time this place had too little regard for yields and the resulting product. There remain challenges of ensuring the grape fully ripens so that the tannins aren’t astringent; a consistency that must reach across the patchworks of vineyards that tends to comprise a winemaker’s lot (very few are contiguous, let alone in their own hands).
Further encouragement is needed for all of Župa. There is at times a hesitancy in the voice; an uncertainty in the step. Coachloads of wine professionals and enthusiasts from Belgrade are greeted with a need for confirmation that they are on the right path. The winemakers hang on each and every swirl, sniff, and spit, awaiting their annual salutation.
There is a clearer roadmap for Prokupac than there was in the past; a firmer grasp as to what the grape is and what it can become. Some compare it to a cross between Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc; others to Blaufränkisch or Kadarka.
It has been said that a champion is needed; someone who can raise the region’s profile beyond its own boundaries and even those of Serbia. There are clearly several pretenders, but none has yet claimed the crown.
Ian Bancroft is a writer based in the Balkans.
This article was originally published in Serbian by Danas, and is available here:
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