ukusi srbije / Tastes of Serbia
Kraljevski vinogradi srpske Toskane / Royal vineyards of the Serbian Tuscany
ča was named Vincae by the ancient Ro- mans, due to the high-quality wine that was produced from the delicious and fra- grant grapes, and grapes continue to re- present symbols of every village in this area. Which is why this region proud- ly bears the title of the capital of the Ser- bian grape vine. The Oplenac Harvest dates back to the time of Prince Alek- sandar and still represents a rich festi- val in honour of wine that continues to be traditionally celebrated during October. Even Karađorđe himself established frui- tful vineyards on the slopes closer to the top of Oplenac hill. Old documents testi- fy that the vineyards in the rural areas of Topola were so fecund that there wasn’t enough space to store the abundance of grapes and wine. However, the real bloo- ming of the Oplenac vineyards would on- ly begin with the arrival of King Peter I. He had a small cellar built, where grapes we- re processed until the outbreak of World War I. Gradually emerging here were the famous wines Triumph, Oplenka, Žilav- ka and Rosé, while the royal vineyard be- came a seedling nursery for high-quality varieties. These wines were served du- ring official visits of European rulers, but also found their way to the dining tables of foreign courts.
Predeo oko Topole i Oplenca od dav- nina je poznat po uzgajanju kvalitet- ne vinove loze i odličnih vina. Pogodna umerenokontinentalna klima pravil- nih temperaturnih kolebanja i speci- fična konfiguracija terena pogodovale su tome da se najstariji žitelji ovog kra- ja opredele za uzgajanje sortnih loza. Stari Rimljani su susednom selu Vinča i bregu u nastavku Oplenca nadenu- li ime Vincea po kvalitetnom vinu koje je dobijano od izrazito ukusnog grož- đa, a grožđe i danas predstavlja sim- bol svakog sela ove oblasti. Stoga ovaj kraj s ponosom krasi titula prestoni- ce srpskih čokota. Od vremena kneza Aleksandra ustanovljena je Oplenač- ka berba, svetkovina u čast vina, koja se i danas održava u oktobru. Još je Karađorđe na padinama bli- že vrhu Oplenca zasnovao plodono- sne vinograde. Stari dokumenti sve- doče da su vinogradi u atarima Topole tako dobro rađali, da se nije imalo gde
smestiti obilje grožđa i vina. Ipak će pravi procvat oplenačkog vinogor- ja otpočeti tek dolaskom kralja Pe- tra Prvog u ove krajeve. On je dao da se sazida mali podrum, gde je sve do početka Prvog svetskog rata prera- đivano grožđe. Vremenom su nasta- la poznata vina trijumf, oplenka, žilav- ka i roze, a kraljevski vinograd postao rasadnik kvalitetnih sorti. Ova vina su se služila prilikom zvaničnih pose- ta evropskih vladara, ali su našla i svoj put do trpeze stranih dvorova. The area around Topola and Oplenac has been known since ancient times for the cultivating of high-quality grape vi- nes and the production of excellent wi- nes. A favourable moderate continental climate with regular temperature flu- ctuations and the specific lie of the land allowed the ancient inhabitants of this re- gion to opt to cultivate specific varieties of vines. The neighbouring village and hill marking the continuation of Oplenac Vin-
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