I was somewhat hesitant whether to visit Župa during the Župa Harvest Feast. The very thought of festive atmosphere, large crowds, shanzhai products, cheap underwear made in Arilje, soy burgers and plonk sold in plastic bottles brought me close to the brink of cancelling the trip. But the weather forecast with prospects of sunny weather during the weekend and a chance to visit some of the most important vinegrowing plots in Župa have prevailed.

Each visit to Župa is an excellent opportunity to explore new details about history of this wine region in South Serbia. For that reason, I gladly decided to spend a couple of days there. Otherwise, it would be hard to drive all the way from Belgrade, visit several wineries and their vineyards and then head back to Belgrade in a single day.

Therefore, the decision was made - I would definitely go to Aleksandrovac during the Župa Harvest Feast. More precisely, I would go for an adventure called: everything that you can do in Aleksandrovac in order to avoid chaos of local town fair.

TRŽAC - THE VILLAGE OF TAMJANIKA

On Saturday, I visited the village of Tržac, which is highly reputed for Tamjanika grapes. This is primarily owing to Spasić Winery and Minić Winery that have been insisting for years on top quality Tamjanika wines. A visit to these two wineries will allow you to get a comprehensive look at Tamjanika from Župa. It is interesting that both winemakers from the village of Tržac achieve excellent results with white wines and primarily focus on Tamjanika, whilst their red wines seem less convincing, particularly if compared with the mainstream wineries of the region whose red wines are based on Prokupac...

In the Middle Ages, Tržac was the mortmain owned by Drenča monastery. The name of the village is believed to have originated from the market place in the middle of the village that was used for trading grapes and wine from nearby monastery estate.

Minić Winery has put wine tourism in focus. Over the years, their wine tourism facilities have been developed and expanded. Mića Minić used his creativity and woodworking skills to create a unique traditional-style village in the courtyard of Mića's family house and winery. Together, it makes a harmonious entity which reflects the national architectural style and ancient past.

Minić family is a famous winemaking family from Župa. During the nineteenth century, the Minićs had taverns and inns in Belgrade and other towns where local wine from Župa was sold.

During Župa Harvest Feast, the balcony and tasting room of Minić Winery fill with visitors, friends of the winery and business partners... Of course, the toast is accompanied with Minić Tamjanika Stota Suza. I would call it a classic expression of Tamjanika from Župa: complex nose, lavish, fluttering. The wine is ripe, developed on the palate, leaving a moderately long pleasant trail on the palate.

A newcomer from Minić Winery is almost ready for the market. Tamjanika Slatka Suza 2017, semi-sweet wine that will surely attract new crowds of winelovers and introduce new enthusiasts to the world of wine.

Then I continued along the main road that meanders through the village of Tržac ... Parking lot in front of Spasić Winery was already crammed... Spasić Winery organized a feast to celebrate completion of new wine tourism facilities. The tasting room can now host groups up to 50 visitors, while accommodation can be offered to groups up to 30 visitors. As the night was approaching, the atmosphere among guests grew merry. The specialty of the evening was the famous "cabbage from terracota cauldron".

I toured the winery with Milan Spasić. Impressive... Controlled temperature in all segments of production in order to obtain maximum results with regard to Tamjanika's aromatic profile. A new press caresses the grapes gently, while at the same time provides an opportunity to experiment further with wine styles. This becomes particularly evident if you taste new rosé wine. Previously, Spasić Winery nourished ružica style of rosé (made from Prokupac grapes). Vintage 2017 brought a twist: modern-style Prokupac-based rosé: light pink color, with onion-coloured reflections... delicate, elegant... The aromatic profile goes in the range of red fruits, cherries, hibiscus with spicy finish, while the palate is firm, structured. Prokupac with its tannins adds to wine's structure and contribute to its depth. But, there are more news from Spasić Winery... Base wine for the sparkling was made, so we may expect further surprises in the coming period. Milan Spasić certainly hasn't given his final say when it comes to Tamjanika.

(27.09.2018)

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