The second edition of Novosadski salon vina 2019, held 12- 13 April, brought around 120 wineries from Serbia, the Balkans, as well as foreign ones at the hotel Park in Novi Sad. More wineries, more novelties & more than 1000 visitors who attended the wine salon during the two days & who had an opportunity to taste among the few thousand of wines exhibited.
The Macedonian wineries Tikves, Dalvina, Bovin, Chateau Kamnik & Stobi presented their wines at the wine salon.
What seemed to be just a start-up of yet another wine salon in Serbia last year, this year it proved that the wine scene in Novi Sad had been eagerly waiting & wanting for a repetition of Novosadski Salon Vina so it could show the potential of Serbian wines & engage the more growing wine audience during the workshops and wine tastings presenting domestic, local & foreign well known wine brends to the visitors.
The wine salon also gathered some of the most influential Balkan wine writers, wine event organizers, wine judges & one Master of Wine, Jo Ahearne, who for the past five years has been living & making wine on the Island of Hvar in Croatia in her lovely little winery called Ahearne Vino. Jo took us through some of the finest new terroir wines from the Balkans during her master class themed “New Europe”.
Tomislav Ivanovic, the editor-in-chief of Vinopedia, showed us the best microlocations in Zhupa, Vuk Vuletic, sommellier & contestant for the Best Sommellier of the World for 2019, presented the Grand Crus of Burgundy. I somehow hit hard with Big Macedonian Reds, presenting mostly Vranec wines or blends with Vranec: Venec Orle Vranec 2016, Bela Voda Red 2016, Stobi Aminta 2015, Dalvina Hermes Vranec 2015, Domaine Lepovo Grand Cuvee 2015, Brzanov Elixir Vranec 2012, Bovin Agupka 2012 & Chateau Kamnik Terroir Vranec 2011.
The following day Galina Todorova Niforou, director & organizer of BIWC, presented some of the grand golds at the Balkans International Wine Competition, some of the Serbian winemakers shared their experiences of working in the wine industry & creating wines, Vuk Vuletic at his master class explained the differences in differently priced Chiantis,…
Although the Serbian wine scene is no new to me as I’ve been following & tasting Serbian wines for years, what strikes me is that the wine culture, the foregin wine selection (especially of the wines from neighbouring Balkan countries) & the food scene (and to my gladness the craft beer one as well) in Novi Sad has lots to offer & has been progressively developing. Novosadski salon vina (Novi Sad Wine Salon) has been contributing to it immensely and shall continue to do so in the years to come. In fact, the next edition is scheduled for April 2020.