Those who choose this country for their vacation will never regret it. Montenegro is rightfully one of the leading places among green resorts. The warm sea, beaches, amazingly beautiful landscapes, cuisine and wines of Montenegro make up a special bouquet of delights. Having visited this region once, falls in love with him forever, and a bottle of local ragweed is always a great souvenir. The quality and original taste of the wines are confirmed by a long history of winemaking.
Montenegro and wine
The inhabitants of the Black Mountains have long grown grapes and made a life-giving drink from it. It is not known who first thrust the vine on the shore of Lake Skadar, but vineyards are mentioned in the ancient chronicles of the ancient Illyrian kingdom. And these are the times of our era. They say that the ancient Romans shared their recipes with the locals. Like it or not, the wines of Montenegro, reviews of which claim to be the best drinks in the world, are unique.
This property is inherent in local drinks because the grape varieties from which they are produced grow only in a limited area. Peasants made wine in their artisanal way, using individual technologies. King Nikola Petrovich, ruling in the middle of the 19th century, took control of the production of grape drinks and set the standards for planting vines for winemakers, established the publishing house of the first rules. The history of the industrial production of sunny drinks in Montenegro can begin with the founding of the first state cooperative founded in 1911.
Winemaking today
The current scope of winemaking is about 4,000 hectares of vineyards, 120 farms and private production in almost every peasant farm. The most famous production areas are Trmnitsa and Grbl. The largest vineyard is the "Field of Chimovsko". The best -known winery complex “July 13 - Plantage” produces the best wines of Montenegro. By the way, when you read the inscription "July 13" on the bottle, do not take it for the date of manufacture - this is the name of the manufacturer. It is distinguished from the rest by European quality standards, about 500 awards of various world competitions, product deliveries to more than 30 countries of the world.
Business cards of the region are white “Krstach” and red “Vranats”. Wine Montenegro produces a dry, pungent taste. This should be borne in mind by lovers of thick and sweet.
Black horse
That is how the word “vranats” sounds in Russian - the name of the popular Montenegrin red. It is known that the name of wine is most often given by a variety of grapes. Montenegro wines are no exception. Grapes "Vranats" - the pride of the region, he has plenty of sun. Oblong dark berries, colorless inside, ripen in August, and by themselves they are very sweet and tasty. The crops are harvested exclusively by hand, the berries are kept in the sun for some time, which adds more sweets.
The taste of wine “Vranats” is characterized as warm south and velvet with a long finish. Its aroma is inherent notes of cherry, currant, plum, which are mixed with hinting aromas of vanilla and fresh bread. Fortress - from 16 to 18%.
Varieties of this variety are more saturated “Vranac Pro Corde” and more seasoned and, accordingly, more expensive “Vranac Premium”.
White cross
The white wines of Montenegro are presented by Krstach. The definition of "unique" applies to all grape varieties without exception, otherwise it would not make sense to divide it into brands. With regard to Krstach, the uniqueness is manifested in the fact that this variety of white grapes grows only in one place: in the small town of Nicole Church, on the outskirts of Podgorica. Translated Krstach means "cross". Clusters of this yellow-green grape have this appearance. In the shape of a cross lay and vineyards farmers of this region.
The strength of this drink is honey-colored 12%, the taste is refreshing, it smells of herbs and flowers.
Lovers of sweets
Along with the most popular, such familiar brands in Montenegrin performance as Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet, and Rose are not inferior in taste.
What wine to bring from Montenegro, if your friends are not fans of dry drinks? Truly local wines from blackberries and peaches, sometimes from other fruits and berries, find their consumer. To taste - this is a fragrant natural sweet compote with a certain degree of strength. For dessert - a very suitable option.
And what is stronger?
What else is being brought from this country as an exclusive is the local fruit vodka - brandy. Frankly, this is the local fruit moonshine. The difference between Montenegrin brandy is that with a serious degree (50 - officially in the store, 60 and more - in the market), it is drunk very easily. Vodka differs in aroma and taste depending on the source material. Lozovasa - grape vodka, plum brandy - plum, kaysievicha - apricot. By the way, grape brandy is a product from the same “vranats”, only after the main extraction.
The only national barley beer is Niksiczko.
Shop or market
“Vranats” and “Krstach” - these two varieties more often become a souvenir purchase, as they are a kind of visiting card of the country. This is not to say that their taste is much better or worse than similar products from other countries, they just have their own charms, and wine lovers need to get acquainted with them at least in order to know everything about this wine-making region too.
Where is the best wine or brandy, in the store or in the market? Everything has its pros and cons. There is no state monopoly on the production and sale of alcohol in Montenegro, so both small producers and private individuals can produce and sell their products quite freely. Drinks on store shelves are mainly from the main producer, with guaranteed quality and a stable price from 2 to 25 euros. In the markets, the products of private owners can be much better, but also more expensive in resort places. In remote small villages you can buy wine cheaper, but not worse.
How to determine quality wine?
There are few experienced connoisseurs and tasters of wine, the main consumers and lovers determine purely taste, but there is no companion for taste and color. Meanwhile, the folk method of determining a quality drink is very simple. Up to half of pure water is poured into any container and slowly, with a small stream, add wine. If water and added product do not mix instantly - the drink is made in accordance with all the rules. More about quality: to the honor of Montenegrins - powder wines are not on sale here. Everything that is sold is guaranteed natural - at least grape, at least fruit.
When and what do they drink?
In fact, in the everyday life of the region, where wine is produced in every yard, they drink it with everything. Montenegrin wines - drinks for daily use (in moderation, of course). In restaurants, the rules for serving comply with generally accepted gastronomic laws. Dry red wines are served with meat dishes. A suitable snack for such a drink would be vegetables, mushrooms, cheese. Dry white type "Krstach" served with fish and seafood. Sweet fruit and berry wines go well with desserts and chocolate.
Rules for the export of alcohol
How much wine can I export from Montenegro? According to the current rules, you can take out from this country five liters of wine for every adult traveler. Duty-free allowed to take out 1 liter of spirits and 2 liters of wine, you will have to pay for the rest.