RITAM GRADA / RHYTHM OF THE CITY
BELGRADE’S APPELLATION VINEYARDS Sweet grapes, palatable wine The Belgrade viticulture “raion” sprawls over the lands to the south of the rivers Sava and Danube and encompasses the slopes of Avala and Kosmaj mountains, as well as part of the territory of the city of Smederevo
V ienna is said to be the world’s only metropolis to have vineyards of economic significance within the boundaries of the city, sprawling over an area exceeding 700 hectares. How- ever, it is a little-known fact that wine is al- so directly connected to the way of life in Belgrade, while numerous historical sources confirm that large swathes of the Serbian capital were covered with vineyards until World War I, including the very centre of the city itself, on the southern slopes of Neimar. Grapevines have been cultivated in Serbia for thou- sands of years, and Belgrade is one of just a few Europe- an capitals that have significant vineyards on their ter- ritory today. According to data from 2012, the Belgrade Metropolitan Area, “raion”, boasts as many as 1,130 hec- tares of vineyards, divided among over 4,500 homesteads! The famous Belgrade viticulture “raion” sprawls over the lands to the south of the rivers Sava and Danube and en- compasses the slopes of Avala and Kosmaj mountains, as well as part of the territory of the city of Smedere- vo. It consists of five native appellation vineyards: Gro- cka, Smederevo, Dubona, Avala-Kosmaj and Lazarevac. Natural factors that provide a suitable micro-climate and enable viticulture to prosper include the low moun- tains of Avala (506m) and Kosmaj (626m), as well as the Danube, which has an influence on grapes ripening earli-
er. Along sun-drenched slopes, a “two suns” effect is cre- ated, while during the winter months the surface of the water mitigates sudden temperature fluctuations and the risk of frost. The largest area of Greater Belgrade oc- cupied by vineyards is located in the fruit-growing mu- nicipality of Grocka, which spreads along several dozen kilometres of the bank of the Danube. Just 25 kilometres from Terazije Square, which marks the very centre of the capital, Grocka – which is said to have been named in honour of grapes, while it is also dubbed the Serbian California – is today also synonymous with other juicy and sweet fruits, including cherries, peach- es, apricots and strawberries. There aren’t many places around the world that, like Grocka, have the honour of their name being linked to grapevines or wine. It is con- sidered that the name of this old riverside market town originated from the words Grozd - Grozdska – Grocka [grožđa is Serbian for grape]. This is, of course, a source of pride for Grocka. In bygone times, travellers voyaging upstream along the Danube at dawn would pass the green river islands near Grocka and spot hillsides covered with vineyards, glistening in an indigo-blue colour in the morning sun. This special hue came not from the blue of the Danube, but rather from the copper sulphate bluestone that was sprayed over the vineyards, and which has led to this
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