Wines everybody talks about - Zvonko Bogdan Winery continues to invest in tourism and vineyards at Palic Lake

Had it been opened in California, it would have been called Frank Sinatra, but since it has been opened in the southeast of Europe, it is named Zvonko Bogdan. That is how the locals explain the name of a winery in the north of Vojvodina to foreigners. Its wines have already won medals in San Francisco, Tokyo and Vienna.

The legend of the Vojvodina romance, as people call him, has been passionately and wholeheartedly cherishing our old town music and saving it from oblivion for decades. Besides, he is also a passionate collector of Vojvodina's cultural heritage items. He is famous for his songs, while his wines are and will be the subject of talks.

He opened the modern winery Zvonko Bogdan last year, whereas his decision to engage in viticulture originates from the 1990s.

- An idea to found a museum to display trophies and awards that Zvonko won during his rich music, equestrian, pigeon breeding and winemaking career was maturing during the war years - the 1990s. Zvonko Bogdan gave up singing at the time. He withdrew to make a plan with his friends on how to present all cultural heritage items of Vojvodina at one place. For a start, he had his farm from 1894 renovated, and then the idea about a winery started to develop - says Zlatko Zvanic, manager of the winery.

Zvonko Bogdan Winery was opened in April 2011. In March 2012 it won the Investment of the Year Award presented by eKapija.

(Zvonko Bogdan and Verica Kalanovic at the 2012 Aurea awards ceremony)

It took them two years to explore 500 hectares of land at Palic Lake in order to find the most suitable soil for growing vines. Over 180 analyses of soil carried out at the Enology Faculty in Germany and a thorough analysis of the climate preceded the decision to build a winery in the vicinity of Palic Lake. There is now a 17-hectare vineyard next to the winery, while another vineyard, spanning 9 hectares, is situated near the farm of Zvonko Bogdan, on the bank of Ludos Lake.

The winery was then equipped with the state-of-the-arts wine making technology. Each vessel where wine is stored is connected to a computer network, so that it can be remotely controlled.

As they announced, the winery will plant a 15-hectare vineyard this spring and another 15-hectare vineyard in autumn 2012. With the existing 26 hectares planted with vine, the winery’s vineyards will span a total of 56 hectares.

The production of top-quality wine will definitely contribute to the development of tourism at Palic Lake.

- One can now tour vineyards, production facilities and a barrique wine cellar where wines can be tasted. He or she can also visit Zvonko Bogdan's farm, which is situated on the very bank of Ludas Lake and can host seminars and expert lectures - Zivanic says, adding that a wine tasting room will be opened within the barrique cellar on April 20th.

As he explains, that will be the second wine tasting room, mainly intended for larger groups.

Zvonko Bogdan's farm (Photo: Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan)

- A club hall called Zvonko Bogdan, a place where people will be able to drink wine or coffee and enjoy the view of the vineyard, will be opened late August or early September. Aside from our wines, visitors will also be able to buy Zvonko Bogdan memorabilia, as well as souvenirs and items that are characteristic for the life in Vojvodina.

Winemakers from Subotica also boldly announce new projects. Construction of a facility of the Museum of Zvonko Bogdan has already started near the winery.

Zvonko Bogdan Winery sells its wines in Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Austria and Germany. When asked how they explain to foreigners who Zvonko Bogdan is, the manager of the winery answers:

- We say that Zvonko Bogdan is Yugoslavia's Frank Sinatra. When the prime minister of the French province of Bretagne was in a visit to the winery, we told him - "Had the winery been situated in California, it would have been called Frank Sinatra, but since it is in the southeast of Europe, it is named Zvonko Bogdan." To prove our claim, we mention that Zvonko Bogdan still holds the record for the number of copies of an album sold on the territory of former Yugoslavia.

M. K.