Those who chose this country for their vacation will never regret it. Montenegro rightfully occupies one of the leading places among eco-friendly resorts. The warm sea, beaches, amazingly beautiful landscapes, cuisine and wines of Montenegro make up a special bouquet of delights. Visiting this region once falls in love with it forever, and a bottle of local ambrosia is always a great souvenir. The quality and original taste of wines are confirmed by a long history of winemaking.
Montenegro and wine
The inhabitants of the Black Mountains have been growing grapes and producing a life-giving drink from it for a long time. Who was the first to plant a vine on the shore of Lake Skadar is not known for sure, but vineyards are mentioned in the ancient chronicles of the ancient Illyrian kingdom. And this is BC. They say that the ancient Romans shared their recipes with the locals. Like it or not, Montenegrin wines, whose reviews 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. The peasants made wine with their artisanalway, according to individual technologies. King Nikola Petrovich, ruling in the middle of the 19th century, took the production of grape drinks under his control and set the norms for planting vines for winemakers, established a publishing house of the first rules. The history of the industrial production of solar drinks in Montenegro can begin with the founding of the first state cooperative founded in 1911.
Winemaking today
The current scale of winemaking is about 4,000 hectares of vineyards, 120 farms and private production in almost every farm. The most famous production areas are Crmnica and Grblja. The largest vineyard is "Field of Chimovsko". Produces the best wines of Montenegro the most famous wine-making complex "July 13 - Plantage". 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 from various world competitions, product deliveries to more than 30 countries.
Business cards of the region - white "Krstach" and red "Vranac". Wine Montenegro produces dry, tart taste. This should be kept in mind for lovers of thick and sweet.
Black Horse
This is exactly how the word “vranac” sounds in translation into Russian - the name of the popular Montenegrin red. It is known that the name of the wine is most often given by the grape variety. The wines of Montenegro are no exception. Grapes "Vranac" - the pride of the land, the sunhe has enough in abundance. The oblong dark berries, colorless inside, ripen in August and are very sweet and tasty on their own. Harvested exclusively by hand, the berries are kept in the sun for some time, which adds even more sweetness.
The taste of Vranac wine is described as warm southern and velvety with a long aftertaste. Its aroma is characterized by notes of cherries, currants, plums, which are mixed with hints of vanilla and fresh bread. Fortress - from 16 to 18%.
The varieties of this variety are the richer "Vranac Pro Korde" and the more seasoned and, accordingly, more expensive "Vranac Premium".
White Cross
White wines of Montenegro are presented by "Krstač". The definition of "unique" applies to all varieties of grape delights 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 white grape variety grows in only one place: in the small town of Nikol Tserkva, on the outskirts of Podgorica. In translation, Krstach means "cross". This is the appearance of the formed clusters of these yellow-green grapes. In the form of a cross, farmers of this region also lay vineyards.
The strength of this honey-colored drink is 12%, the taste is refreshing, it smells of herbs and flowers.
To sweet lovers
Along with the most popular, such familiar Montenegrin brands as "Sauvignon", "Merlot", "Cabernet", "Rose" are not inferior in taste.
Whatwine to bring from Montenegro, if your friends are not fans of dry drinks? Truly local wines made from blackberries and peaches, sometimes from other fruits and berries, find their consumer. To taste - it is a fragrant natural sweet compote with a certain degree of strength. Dessert is a very suitable option.
What's stronger?
What else they bring from this country as an exclusive is the local fruit vodka - rakia. To put it bluntly, this is a local fruit moonshine. The difference between Montenegrin rakia is that with a serious degree (50 - officially in the store, 60 or more - on the market), it is drunk very easily. Vodka differs in aroma and taste depending on the source material. Lozovasa - grape vodka, slivovitz - plum, kaisievaca - apricot. By the way, grape brandy is a product from the same "vranats", only after the main pressing.
The only national barley beer is Niksicko.
Shop or Market
"Vranac" and "Krstach" - these two varieties often become a souvenir purchase, as they are a kind of visiting card of the country. It cannot be said that their taste qualities are 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-growing 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 that 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 traders can be much better, but also more expensive in resort areas. In remote small villages you can buy wine cheaper, but no worse.
How is quality wine defined?
There are few experienced connoisseurs and tasters of wine, the main consumers and lovers determine purely taste qualities, but, as you know, there is no comrade for taste and color. Meanwhile, the popular way of determining a quality drink is very simple. Up to half of pure water is poured into any container and wine is slowly added in a small stream. If the water and the added product do not mix instantly, the drink is made in accordance with all the rules. More about quality: to the credit of the Montenegrins, there are no powdered wines for sale here. Everything for sale is guaranteed natural - be it grape or fruit.
When and what do they drink?
Actually, in the life of the region, where wine is produced in every yard, they drink it with everything. Montenegrin wines are 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. White dry type "Krstach" is served with fish and seafood. Sweet fruit and berry wines go well withdesserts and chocolate.
Rules for the export of alcohol
How much wine can be exported from Montenegro? According to the current rules, five liters of wine can be taken out of this country for every adult traveler. Duty-free allowed to export 1 liter of spirits and 2 liters of wine, you will have to pay for the rest.
