In honor of the great bard - Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan winery near Palic

(Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan winery)

A blend of experiences of contemporary wineries in France, Germany, Austria, USA, and the tradition of a wine area is reflected in the winery Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan. A specific terrain, moderate continental climate, and quality vine sorts in the far north of Vojvodina are resulting in wines with harmonic taste and very intensive aroma for centuries now. Wine making at this winery started last year, and Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Merlot, Cuvee have already found their way to the wine lovers.

In 2018, with 56 ha of vineyards, Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan will be able to produce 400,000 bottles of wine, people at this winery told eKapija. After this year's picking, the winery will host the first tourists who will be able to see the process of production of a quality wine and taste it. In spring 2012, once the hotel and restaurant are completely furnished, visitors will be able to come here on a vacation and stay for couple of days. An interesting part of the complex will be the Museum of Zvonko Bogdan.

- Last year's wine was mainly sold in our area. We have recently signed an agreement with a wine distributor and we expect to establish a cooperation with another 2 or 3 distributors in next few days. Our aim is to introduce our quality wines to the market of Serbia next year – Zlatko Zivanic, manager of Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan, says in an interview for eKapija.

The idea to open this complex in the north of our country originates from the early 1990's.

- In that period Zvonko Bogdan did not want to sing and he dedicated himself to horse and pigeon breeding. He was hanging out with three of his friends and they came to an idea to open the Museum of Zvonko Bogdan in honor of our famous artist. Then they also decided to build a winery and started the implementation of that project in 2000 - Zivanic explains.

Vineyards near Palic and Ludos

After visiting vineyards worldwide and talking with the most famous viticulturists at Subotica-based Winery, they came to a conclusion that the vine must be original and authentic. They planted sorts that also existed in this area 150 years ago. The vines imported from France and Italy were planted at a 26-hectare vineyard. When picking the vines, enologists from our country and world experts for land (the analysis was performed at the Grape Growing Institute Geizeinhaim in Germany) harmonized two significant components (land and climate), the result of which was the right sort in the right place. They decided to pick the top-quality clones of sorts sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, merlot, lemberger and cabernet franc.

Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan winery, situated in the vicinity of Palic lake, is surrounded by 17 hectares of vineyards, while additional 9 hectares are located on the bank of the neighboring lake Ludas. Vines will be planted at additional 15 hectares first in spring 2012 and then in autumn 2012, meaning that the vineyards of Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan will then span a total of 56 hectares.

In order to achieve the top quality of wine, they process exclusively the grapes coming from these vineyards. They hired one of the best enologists in Europe - Thomas Seeger, and he was the man to ask when picking the vine sorts, choosing the method of planting, and testing the quality of wine. After consulting with Thomas Seeger, Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan also hired Zoltan Husag to manage the planting and maintain the vineyards.

Sauvignon Blanc wine from this winery already won a gold medal at the International Wine Competition 2011 in San Francisco, which gathered about 1,600 wineries. Pinot Blanc and Merlot won silver medals, while a bronze medal went to Cuvee.

Construction of winery complex

- Works on Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan are close to end. We expect the construction of the winery to be finished in mid-August. The winery spans 5,600 square meters, 2,200 of which are occupied by the production area, cellar spans 1,200 square meters, while a restaurant and a hotel occupy the rest of the complex - says the manager of Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan.

As our interlocutor announced, in autumn, after the picking, Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan will be open to visitors who want to taste their wines, while the hotel will be opened in March 2012. It will comprise 20 rooms and 6 luxury suites.

The plans for the complex were drawn by architect Misko Djuric, while the construction is entrusted to Subotica-based Expres Servis.

(Photo: Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan)

Construction of the Museum of Zvonko Bogdan should commence in spring 2012. It will consist of 1 or 2 typical houses in Vojvodina. That is where Zvonko Bogdan memorabilia, the awards he won at various music events and details from his life will be kept.