As recognizable as French Bordeaux - Will Serbian wine sell in Europe again this year?

(Photo: Suzana Obradović)

In 2012, Serbia generated wine exports totaling USD 20 mil, majority of which went to EU countries. The proof that the wine export to EU is increasing is the data of the Customs administration office on the last year’s placement of some 14 million liters, which is 2, 6 times more compared to 2011 while exported wine quantity almost doubled.

On Saturday, the President of the Serbian Assembly Board, Aleksadar Senic, said that one of the priorities of the Serbian Government in negotiations with EU should be wine export rate increase.

According to the Stabilization and Joining Agreement, Serbia has an option to export 53.000 hl of bottled wine and 10.000 bulk wine customs free. Compared to 2011, when only half of the customs free quote Serbia has for bottled wine export was used, last year the placement was 1,35 times higher than the approved quote while last year’s export of bulk wine was 6,8 times higher.

As we were told at the Ministry of Agriculture, wine export trend growth is expected to continue in the upcoming period as well, taking into consideration the fact of customs free wine export to EU markets, as well as to the Russian Federation market.

Increase in import as well

Although export is increasing, it seems that foreign wines are more common at our market than domestic ones. In 2012, a total of 47.372.989 liters of wine was imported, i.e. quantity of imported wine increased by 72% compared to 2011, while value of imported wine was higher for 13%, which shows that bigger quantities of cheaper wines quantities increased.

In Serbia in 2012, just like during previous years, Macedonian wine was the most popular to drink. A total of 42 million liters of wine was imported from that country which is 89% of the total imports, i.e.58% of the total value of imported value.

For eKapija, the Ministry of Agriculture says that demand for Macedonian wine is huge due to low wine price.

- Apart from prices, another reason for exporting wine from the Republic of Macedonia is that some wineries from Serbia invested, i.e. bought certain big wineries in Macedonia. Those vineyards and wineries are the raw materials base to some of our producers since wine is imported in bulk and then they process it, i.e. fill it, in our country - they at the Ministry explain.

Dr Slobodan Jovic, professor at the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade stresses out in his interview for eKapija that Serbia which was exporting wine grew into into the country which imports large quantities of that drink.

- We are importing low quality wine quantities. We used to have vineyards on 100.000 ha. It is not for sure but the estimations say that we have only 15.000 ha. We were exporting wagons to Germany, the Chez Republic, Poland, and Russia. Today, a small number of wineries export, and if they do, it is usually a small quantity. The problem is that there are no large systems but we are speaking about 60-70% of small wineries which have land on 1 to 5 ha. They need support first of all when it comes to selection of technology because they produce bad quality wine which should be transferred to higher category. Production flaws can easily be removed - this wine connoisseur is pointing out, adding that we should educate people to drink good wines.

They at the Ministry agree that it is necessary to “boost the awareness of consummation of local wines in wine culture”.

- Associations of wine producers should commit to that but unfortunately in Serbia they do not have such intensive activities. As of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture will support associations which aim at setting up organization and promotion of geographical region labels, in line with EU measures.

Quality local wine

They at the Ministry say that thanks to subsidies, many producers bought new equipment and improved wine qualify.

- Viticulture and wine growing in Serbia has been developing in the recent years, first of all thanks to appearance and strengthening of small family wineries whose wines are slowly becoming more present at the market. Serbian wines are better and more quality so the number of wines with geographical origin is on the increase. On the other hand, they are receiving numerous awards at international fairs.

When our domestic wine receives an award at the world contest, it attracts huge interest of foreign buyers. One of the examples if Wine Basin Aleksandrovic which won numerous wards in England, Germany and Italy. Wines from winery in Topola are included on wine cards of hotels and restaurants in London, Zurich, Geneva, as of 2011 in Moscow, Sankt Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg and as of last year in Peking, Shanghai and Hong Kong and as of this summer, wine lovers in California can consume it.

Few people know that wine production in Serbia was regulated in middle ages and that modern legislation started in 1929.

- The objective of the new Law on Wine and the legislation is, first of all, alignment with EU legislation which we keep the pace with, and alignment of regulations on current situation in domestic viticulture and wine growing. New labels for wines have been introduced with geographical origin as well as quality labels and origin for all categories and wine subcategories with geographical origin. With certain labels, domestic wines are provided with added value and reputation - Milada Lukesevic, independent consultant for the Association for Agriculture, food and tobacco industry and water management of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce says for our portal.

Our collocutor says that it is about the wine standardization of wine from certain Serbian wine growing regions.

- This way, it is contributed to the strategic objective that geographical origin of the Serbian wine label is particularily pointed out and popularizes. Also, this contributes to the strengthening of trust between wine consumers and state system of geographical origin as well as recognition of local wines on the basis of labels and after that on producer’s name or name of the grape vine kind. We want domestic and foreign consumers to choose and consume our wines on the basis on the production region, i.e. on the basis of Serbian labels such as Negotinska Krajina, Knjazevac, Vrsac, Fruska gora, in the sale way wines for famous European labels such as Chianti, Rioja, Bordeaux, Bourgogne and others.

Suzana Obradovic