Serbian Sommelier Association SERSA has accummulated enough energy and power in the course of past few years to dive into the venture of organizing an event which will bring to Serbia global sommelier community. On 14th June, 2015, in Bordeaux (France), representatives of 55 national sommelier associations from across the globe will vote and decide the host country of ASI General Assembly 2016. Candidates for the host country are Germany and Serbia. Wine experts would call it the fight between David and Goliath. Germany, with more than 100,000 hectares of vineyards, compared to tiny Serbia which has just recently counted its vineyards and came to mere 25,000 hectares.

I'll leave aside the fact that I come from Serbia, and therefore have a subjective personal inclination for the idea of bringing such an event to Serbia. It doesn't take much effort to list 20 objective reasons why Serbia deserves a chance...



1. Serbia is the right place for ASI General Assembly, because Serbia is A-S-I (Authentic Sommelier Inspiration).

2. Serbia belongs to the part of Europe that is now commonly known as "The New Old World". Sommeliers from around the world do not often have the opportunity to step out of the comfort zone within the boundaries of the traditional wine regions. Therefore, the organization of ASI General Assembly in Serbia would be "A Leap of Faith" in the style of Indiana Jones and an opportunity for sommeliers around the world to expand their wine horizons and discover new flavors, wines and local grape varieties.

3. Yes, wine is produced in Serbia! Sommeliers from around the world will get a chance to meet local winemakers, taste local wines and learn about Serbia as a wine country, even though most foreigners perceive Serbia as the country of rakija and beer. But Serbia is all of these. That is why I raise three fingers (the traditional way of greeting in Serbia) in praise of wine, brandy and beer.

4. Belgrade has the reputation of "the capital of good fun", "Berlin in the east", "city that never sleeps", whose clubs and restaurants provide endless entertainment possibilities and hedonistic journeys. Therefore, an ideal natural habitat for each and every sommelier.

5. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the annual consumption of wine per capita in Serbia amounted to about 5 liters. In 2011, according to the OIV data, we reached the annual wine consumption of 12 liters per capita. Two years later, in 2013, the annual average wine consumption per capita continued to rise and reached 13 liters. Organizing ASI General Assembly in Serbia would be a demonstration of support given by sommeliers from all over the world in order to strengthen wine culture on the rise in a small country with great wine ambitions.

6. The territory of Serbia stretches from north to south. Thanks to such a geographic position, you can find in  Serbian wine regions not only those grape varieties which are typical of cooler regions of Central/Eastern Europe,  but also Mediterranean varieties which have found their best expression in warmer plots in the south of Serbia. Thus, all the plethora of Europe's vinodiversity is displayed within boundaries of a small country in the Balkans. Take the opportunity to explore this on the spot.



 

7. In the Middle Ages, German Emperor Barbarossa passed through Serbia where local Serbs led by Serbian Prince Stefan Nemanja welcomed him friendly with wine and mead ("vino et medone"). Since then, the distinctive feature of Serbian mentality is hospitality and the whole nation feels proud of it. Therefore, Serbia deserves a chance to show its best face as the host to our sommelier friends from around the globe.

8. Over the last few years, Serbian wines receive high accolades and awards in blind tastings on the international stage. Last year, we witnessed the moment when a wine from Serbia won the Regional Trophy at Decanter wine competition. Also, Robert Parker for the first time evaluated some wines from Serbia and didn't spare above-90 ratings. Ask yourself if you have ever tasted some wines from Serbia. I think the moment has now come.

9. Those who are not acquainted with Belgrade might wonder whether the capital of Serbia has the capacity, hotels, exhibition halls, logistics to organize a world-class event. The Annual Assembly of the World Bank, the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, numerous European and world sporting championships (to name just a few) and their impeccable organization have proven that all necessary preconditions exist.

10. In a country with a growing wine culture, there is still a portion of wine audience who are just entering the world of wine, and still fail to make a clear distinction between sommeliers and oenologists. ASI General Assembly will be an opportunity to elevate the sommelier's function to the place it deserves and gain additional recognition.

11. The most beautiful moments are those when  "une verre d'Amitie" is shared among friends. Belgrade is open to everybody, all sommelier friends are welcome, and the glasses will not be empty. That's why we impatiently await to raise "une verre d'Amitie" in Belgrade, at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube rivers.

12. Belgrade is situated in the heart of the Balkans. The center of this exciting region of Europe, the navel of the world, the place where Eastern and Western civilizations meet - it is the place that connects people and different cultures. Symbolically,  ASI in a similar way connects people owing to good wines and wine culture.



13. Prokupac, Morava, Tamjanika, Probus, Grašac, Smederevka, Vranac, Jagoda - if you still haven't tasted at least 3 of these grape varieties, then you should visit Serbia. Urgently!!!

old Prokupac vineyard owned by Budimir winery

 

14. Serbia accounted for one third of the total wine production in former Yugoslavia (and keep in mind that Yugoslavia was once the world's  fifth wine producer). Winemakers in Serbia today are focused on quality instead of quantity. And they want to host sommeliers from around the world to show that their efforts deserve the attention of sommeliers worldwide.

15. Do you know that deeply hidden in the rolling hills of Serbia, ancient monasteries have been keeping viticultural and wine-making practices for centuries by producing wines from local varieties? In this way,  they merge tradition and modern technology. At the same time,  together with small family wineries, they maintain continuity of Serbian wine production. We would like to share the story about them to sommeliers from other countries as well.

16. The ASI General Assembly will be a great event not only for the local organization SERSA, but for all the representatives of the local wine scene in Serbia and the Balkan region. It will be a great day for all wine media, critics, experts, winemakers and all wine lovers. It will be the wind in the sails of Serbian wine scene and a sign that we have chosen the right path to follow.

17. Since its establishment, SERSA selflessly helped the formation of sommelier associations in the neighboring countries and thus promoted wine culture and regional cooperation beyond Serbian borders.



18. The Danube river flows through Serbia. The entire flow of the river is 2,850 km, and  from the source in Schwarzwald to the Black Sea, it runs through 10 countries and several wine regions. Symbolically, the Danube connects wine regions of Europe, and Caroline Gilby MW has once presented this in the folowing masterclass (link: http://www.vinopedia.rs/?p=3302&lang=en ). And in 2016, local sommelier associations will join together at the General Assembly of ASI in Belgrade to work together and send a symbolic message of cooperation and understanding.

19. Sommeliers from Serbia are eager to hear experiences of their colleagues from other countries and share with them their wine knowledge. ASI General Assembly will be an opportunity to socialize with each other, to explore and learn.

20. And finally, Novak Djokovic will learn how to open a bottle of champagne without the risk of losing an eye.



Serbia will offer you A-S-I or "authentic sommelier inspiration" because our intention is to keep you inspired all year round. Therefore, there is no doubt that we will welcome global sommelier community in 2016 in Serbia. I strongly believe it!!!

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