An ideal temperate climate
Montenegrin wines are the fruit of a long and rich tradition. This is due to the good climatic conditions of the country. The favorable temperate climate, which prevails both in coastal areas and inland, favors the cultivation of vines. Located in the southern part of the Adriatic coast, the country enjoys sunny days in summer, mild nights, and its rainfall remains stable and regular in spring and winter.
A history concentrated around the capital
In Podgorica, many families still produce their own wine, this tradition dates back to the mid-nineteenth century when Montenegrin King Nikola Petrović saw the enormous possibilities of this region in terms of viticulture. He addressed his troops the following recommendation: "Each soldier, where the vine grows, should plant at least two hundred vines!". The region of Lake Skadar remains a great producer of Montenegrin wines and is mainly concerned with two endemic varieties: vranac and kratošija, which you can try in many restaurants under the name of "domestic wine" - understanding from local viticulture without exact precision on the grape varieties used.
Another important region: Crmnica, bordering the Budva Riviera, is the birthplace of the famous vranac and dkrstač grape varieties, a place with a long tradition of producing high quality wines and brandy.
Wine, men and gods
Wine is the "fruit of the earth and the product of the work of men". It has a direct relationship with the spirit, that's why we call it spirits. Only worthy, fit and duly qualified men should have direct access to the spirit without it being a danger to them. Hence the prohibition of touching certain practices and consuming wine in modern Islam.
The general public must be qualified to take the next step. Wine is the drink of gods, bread is the food of men. Serbian Orthodoxy in Montenegro still performs the heart prayer where the chalice is drunk, and a counter-clockwise walk around the church is performed.
Wine as we know it was first produced in the Caucasus and Crimea. Even today, wine has great importance there through two examples. The Russian 100 ruble bill dedicated to the Crimea features vines. Northern Iran, a Shiite country and strict on religion, still produces wine along the Arax valley. From the Caucasus to the Balkans for the Hellenes, there is only one step.
For the Balkans, everything starts at the lake of Skadar..
One of the very first places of wine in the Balkans is called Drušići east of the Skadar Lake (Shkodër). Drušići ("Drouzitchi") in Illyrian language means a cluster of grapes.
The native Albanian grape varieties are kallmeti, shesh, debin or even vlosh. There is also vranac, as in Montenegro, nature having different boundaries from those of humans. To understand the soul of the Balkan vine, it is interesting to take a half-day trip to Albania, especially since the city of Skadar (Shkodër) is a home of Serbian Orthodoxy. Refer to the end of this chapter to find the right guides.
A modern history of wine in Montenegro
France and the Balkans have always had close contacts. In addition to diplomacy and the army, wine has also had its place of choice. Yes, vines and grape varieties were in transit between the two regions around the 18th and 19th centuries. Montenegrin wine survived the two world wars, but will succumb in the late 1960s. The reason for its demise is its success. The communist government of Tito decided in the late 1960s to nationalize the production of wine. The facts are well documented. The peasants were dispossessed of their land. The state launched massive industrialization projects. Wine production exploded, proportionally to the decrease in quality. The quality vineyards on the steep coast were abandoned in favor of vineyards created ex nihilo in flat, almost deserted areas, especially around the capital, Titograd (Podgorica).
It was in the early 1970s that France broke its ties with Yugoslavia regarding wine. The country was part of the Non-Aligned Movement. The new customers were Vietnam, Egypt and the USSR. The quality of the wine was not important. It was more important to sell as much as possible to show the world that the union between the "oppressed peoples" was well under way.
In a context of phoned-in contracts that lasted thirty years, some countries lost the sense of real business. For some, the transition of the 1990s was fatal. For others, it was an opportunity to try out new rules. Slovenia is lucky twice. The country is both close to Western Europe and at the same time spared from the war. It has been smart and has done well. When Yugoslavia fell, the country decided to return the land to the former owners. They had the choice to continue the production of wine or to reconvert to something else: juice, liqueurs, dairy... Other vineyards were created at the same time. Croatia followed suit once the setbacks of the war were over. Slovenian and Croatian industries never stopped, they just changed owners.
In Montenegro, things are different. After the fall of Yugoslavia, a similar government took over. So we had to wait until 2006 to have the first family registered as a winemaker, Plantaže. Over the years, more and more families have registered to reach a number of about fifty in 2022. Out of these fifty families, only about ten have a serious business. In Serbia, we estimate that four hundred families are serious out of a total of about two thousand. We can place 6.7 Montenegrins in one Serbia. However, the ratio of serious winemaking families is 40. We see that there is a big problem. It is all the more damaging that Montenegro did not suffer from the war.
The government has for years continued to rely on what has become the only major wine company in the country, Plantaže. As stated earlier, the government at the time of Marshal Tito decided to abandon the vineyards along the Adriatic coast. In the interest of forced industrialization, it was necessary to build roads, mega-factories and storage areas. It is the surroundings of the capital, Podgorica, that have been chosen. Vines do not grow here. The region is flat, rather arid and desert. Therefore, with the help of hydraulic pressure pumps, the water is brought up to more than 100 m in the ground. This is more or less the same process used for naphtha exploration operations. Insiders will understand the term " upstream operations". Pesticides have obviously been involved since the beginning of the adventure in the 1970s. During the post-communist transition, the Plantaže vineyard was the only one that made money for the government. The system still exists, but the new authorities have decided to develop oenology in the country. The purpose is perhaps not tourist but as often in the Balkans, more pragmatic. It is necessary to diversify one's sources of income in order not to be bitten by the teeth of a monopoly.
Plantaže (Плантаже) is a European giant that has just acquired a castle in Gironde. Giant does not mean bad. Tikveš (Тиквеш) in Northern Macedonia is a giant that produces quality. However, it is not recommended to consume this Montenegrin giant. The process makes the wine acidic with a pH above the acceptable dose. Even the Chinese maritime customs send back the shipments when they arrive at the ports to avoid a possible health scandal.
Visits around the wine
Highly touristic and viticultural place, Kotor is certainly an important stage of your trip, whether in the Balkans in general or only in Montenegro. In Kotor, as will be explicitly stated in the relevant chapter, you should follow the guide.
The recommended establishment is called Old Winery Wine Bar. It is best to come by the day before or in the morning to reserve 40-60 minutes of tasting time. Goran will take you on a journey through the history of wine, mixing historical anecdotes with the precious elixir.
Around Podgorica and in general in eastern Montenegro, consider Ivan. This guide knows the area perfectly and will be happy to take you where you want to go, or to recommend a place. Choose Ivan if you spend half a day on the Albanian side of Skadar lake.
Goran: +44 7366 654271
Ivan Ivanović: +382 67335145.
Here's a quick think-tank of the places in the wine world around Podgorica to focus on:
- northwest of Podgorica: triangle Danilovgrad-Podgorica-Mrke;
- northwest of Podgorica: triangle Seoštica-Podgorica-Orahovo ;
- southwest of Podgorica: Gornji and Donji Kokoti.
The curious corner, around Drušići (Друшићи )
Drušići (Drouchitsi) is a small village in the coastal region of Montenegro, known for its mountainous landscape and vineyards. The history of vineyards in Drušići goes back several centuries.
According to legend, the first vines were planted in Drušići by Benedictine monks who brought the vine plants from their homeland, probably from Italy, in the 1400s. The monks recognized the potential of the soil and climate for vine cultivation and began planting vines on the mountain slopes. Over time, the cultivation of vines spread to other regions of Montenegro, including the famous wine region of Lake Skadar.
Throughout history, the vineyards of Drušići have had their ups and downs. In the 19th century, the wine production of the region declined due to wars and vine diseases. However, in the 20th century, wine production experienced a renaissance with the introduction of new grape varieties and modern winemaking techniques.
Today, vineyards in Drušići and Montenegro in general are booming, with local winemakers producing award-winning wines from indigenous grape varieties, such as vranac and krstač. Montenegrin wines from small cooperatives are increasingly recognized internationally for their quality and unique flavor, continuing a long tradition of winemaking in this region.
