Zvonko Bogdan Vineyard

Zvonko Bogdan Vineyard Palic, Serbia.

As you may have figured out, I LOVE WINE, and I find vineyards astonishingly romantic and almost heavenly. The process of planting and pruning the vines, and the time that goes into blending and creating that perfect cuvee; I just love all of it because it speaks of intentionality and purpose. I am also from Oregon's wine country, so maybe that has something to do with my mini wine obsession. I occasionally remind Hubby that he needs to make lots and LOTS of money so that we can retire early, buy a villa (with a vineyard) in Tuscany and grow old making wine and entertaining guests. He always gives me a silly little smirk and says, "well, honey, looks like you're going to have to find one super-duper-high-paying-job to make that all happen! I'm never going to make THAT much money!" I just laugh it off - and he thinks I'm joking - but I am really not joking at all. Ohhhh to be a dreamer, married to the ultimate realist! 

So, I am holding onto my dream, and perhaps one day, I will find a "super-duper-high-paying-job" and finally get that Tuscan villa. In the meantime, I satisfy my cravings by visiting other people's vineyards! While Subotica, Serbia claims to have a "wine route," I have struggled to find many well established stops along that supposed "route." Of course Dibonis Winery is close by and it's fabulous (read about the grape harvest at Dibonis), but I think the staff may be getting sick of entertaining me! I figured it was time to discover a new place and the one on my radar was Zvonko Bogdan Vineyard on Lake Palic, Serbia. 

This is Zvonko Bogdan - a famous Serbian folk singer who lives in Subotica. 

Zvonko Bogdan? What's with the name? I asked the same thing and was met with looks of astonishment from my Serbian friends, "you don't know who ZVONKO BOGDAN is?! He's only like the most famous Serbian folk singer, and he lives in Subotica! He might even be your neighbor." Ops. I quickly looked the local celebrity up on Wikipedia and YouTube and raced out to the vineyard that is his namesake. Sadly I was greeted with construction trucks and boarded up windows and doors. I dejectedly turned my car around and drove home. Boo.

Several months after my first failed attempt, I contacted the marketing and PR manager for Zvonko Bogdan vineyard. She assured me that I could come out for a wine tour and tasting even though the vineyard wasn't exactly finished. I jumped at the opportunity and headed out for that tour and tasting. 

The vineyard is owned by three jolly gentlemen (Mr. Bogdan being one of them), and they have been producing wine for a few years enlisting the expertise of a renowned German wine maker. The completed facility will include a hotel and fancy-pants restaurant which are both largely unfinished. My tour guide showed me only the parts that were completed. The well polished (and expensive) barrels and fermenters have only been used once, and since it's not yet the season for the second harvest, things were really quiet. Give it a few months, and I am sure this place will be a buzz of activity. 

Fancy fermenters polished and quietly waiting for the next harvest. 

The well designed tasting room looks out into the barrel room. 

Wine of display at Zvonko Bogdan Vineyard. 

Usually guests aren't allowed in this climate controlled barrel room - but I'm just lucky I guess!

A merlot and two great cuvees for tasting. 

Zvonko Bogdan's Cuvee No. 1 was my favorite and of course the most expensive! 

I am looking forward to getting back out to Zvonko Bogdan Vineyard once it's finished. I didn't get a projected completion date, but let's just hope it's soon. I only have two more years in Serbia! 


As always, thanks for reading, following and commenting! It's always great to hear from family, friends, travelers, and fellow bloggers!

May 1st Festivities Lake Palic, Serbia

For weeks leading up to May, everyone seemed to ask us the same question: "What are you doing for May 1st?" (pssssss - one of my fellow-North American-living in Serbia-bloggers wrote a little about the history of May 1st if you wanna check out that link I posted.) Initially, Chris would answer by saying, "well (duh), it falls on a Tuesday, so of course I am working. Maybe Lana's free though. . . " But as the much anticipated day got closer and closer, Chris realized that not only was his office closed on Tuesday, May 1st, but also on the following day. Most of his coworkers took Monday off and turned it into a five-day holiday, so Chris did the same thing. Hooorahhhhh for 5 days off in a row with my hubby!

So then the tables turned and we started asking everyone else around us what they were doing May 1st.

More or less, May 1st is "Labor Day" for a lot of the world. In Serbia, the banks close, the days suddenly seem a little longer, stores run out of every sort of meat, and neglected grills make their summer debut. The bank holiday is a time for all working adults to take a much needed rest from work and enjoy the impending arrival of summer. 

Our friends suggested spending the day on Lake Palic - with 100,000 other locals and tourists. I could not imagine that many people visiting a polluted lake that should never be jumped into - but they came from near and far to enjoy the gypsy carnival, local vendors, grilled meats and sunny weather. We set up a patchwork of blankets away from the crowds and spent 12 whole hours playing football, frisbee, cards, eating and drinking. It was relaxing and rejuvenating and we planned a repeat of the day as spring opened into summer. 

Enjoy our pictures of May 1st on Lake Palic. 

Usually the Lake Palic is quiet and empty, but not on May 1st!

The weather was just perfect!

Jelen Pivo = Deer Beer. A Serbian favorite!

The gypsy carnival - I posed and smiled but I did not take a ride!

Lamb? Pork?

Chris teaching everyone how to play American football. 

Stylish Sanela!

Sunset on Lake Palic, Serbia May 1, 2012.

The background just begged for a jumping picture!

We're finding more and more jumpers!

Good Night Lake Palic!

From Subotica to Palic

. . . on foot.

It is October in Serbia and the weather is absolutely perfect. The mornings are chilly enough for a thin sweater, but come afternoon, all jackets disappear. Right now, I am sitting at an outdoor café in a tank top and a cotton skirt. Oh, and did I mention, no allergies (for me at least) and no bugs other than the occasional honey bee trying to sneak a sip of my freshly squeezed lemonade. I know the climate will inevitably change, but I am savoring every moment; it sure beats a wet fall in Oregon and tornados in Kentucky.

The entrance to Palic park and lake.  

Maybe I was just trying to soak up the final rays of summer, because for some reason I decided to take a short little WALK to Lake Palic.

Bad idea.

Cabs here are really inexpensive, and the buses are even cheaper, but I still chose walking over every other mode of transportation. Nine kilometers did not sound that far; after all, I run three miles fairly often, what’s another three tacked onto that? Well, running and walking (in brand new shoes no less) are two very different things. Luckily the weather was amazing, so I did get loads of sun on my two-hour trip to the lake. The walk would have been pleasant had I not decided to wear brand new shoes. New shoes = 5 new blisters.

Bad idea.

Once I arrived at the quiet lake, I sat and read a book and studied Serbian for a few hours. It was pleasant and peaceful, and a relief to be off of my feet.

I asked where to catch the bus back into Subotica, and it got me home in 15 minutes. Oh, and it only costs about .80 cents.

Good idea . . .  for next time.

Well, now I know, and I guess you only learn new things when you step out of your comfort zone and adventure a little. Darko asked how my time on Lake Palic was, and I casually mentioned that I had walked. His mouth dropped open, “why would you ever walk there? Maybe you could bike. . . but why didn’t you just take a cab or a bus?! Are you crazy?”

Maybe I am a little crazy, but hey, I’m having fun . . . and I am learning. 

Grape Picking Days. . .

Or Rather, Wine MAKING Season!

In preparation to make the big move to Serbia, I came up with a list of "Things I wanted to do while living overseas." One thing on the list: "Learn all about the wine making process." 

When I found out that it was grape-picking season at Dibonis Vineyard, I offered my hands for picking! I knew that it might be a struggle to speak with Lazslo (the wine maker), but there is nothing that a few hand-motions and smiles cannot communicate. Chris was on a business trip, so I was free all day to pick, and eat grapes, and make a fool of myself trying to be understood. 

I arrived at the winery in the morning, and Lazslo immediately handed me a fresh burek for breakfast. I tried to tell him that I had already eaten, but he insisted that I eat so that I have enough energy for the grapes (at least that is what I think he said). As I munched on the doughy, fried, cheese-filled, Eastern European pastry, we drove to his vineyard. 

 Lazslo owns a small "rest" home in the middle of the vineyard, but the best part of the property is this covered patio area that overlooks the vines. He explained that every weekend, he has friends out to drink wine and rest amidst the vines. When it snows, they light the fire, enjoy the setting. . . and drink wine, of course. 

 

This is the view that you get from the covered patio. Lazslo asked if I wanted a shot of palinka (homemade Hungarian brandy), before I started working. Seeing as it was 9 a.m., brandy really did not sound appealing, but I knew it was rude to reject an offer of palinka. I started the morning off with a shot of palinka, and then made my way into the vines. 

This is a view of Dibonis Vineyard. It was a lovely day for picking, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. 

I had a short tutorial on how to properly snip the grape clusters, and then I was on my own. It was a funny mixture of people out picking grapes that day. From what I could tell, about 5 people were employed by the winery, and then there were 20 or so students from a nearby wine making school. Part of their practicum was to come out and pick grapes for Dibonis. Pretty sweet deal for the vineyard, if you ask me. 

Since everyone working at the vineyard lived in Subotica, Serbia, I expected that they would speak Serbian, but most of the students were Hungarian and did not speak very much Serbian at all. I was actually quite shocked. I didn't expect them to know English (and only one of the students spoke English), but I did expect that they would know Serbian. I had to resort to hand gestures and facial expressions to communicate with almost everyone there. I probably looked like a fool, but I didn't care. 

We were picking Shiraz grapes, and we must have picked 5 times the amount shown in this picture. It is not hard work, but it is tiring because you are constantly bending down and then standing up and then bending down and standing up again. There were two babas (grandmas) in their 70's who were working, and I was shocked at how agile and active they both were. They didn't let the youngsters out pick them. 

This sweet baba totally looked out for me during the day. She spoke a little Russian and Serbian, so we communicated in whatever language both could understand. Sometimes I would say a word in English, then repeat it in Serbian, and if I had said the wrong thing, I would try to remember the word in Russian. I asked her to repeat about everything that she said, but in the end, I usually got the gist of what she was trying to say. At the lunch break, she shared her lunch with me too. So sweet. 

After we had picked the last Shiraz cluster, I was invited to watch the next step in the wine making process. The girl in the red explained some of the chemicals that were added to the wine; it totally went over my head, but I knew that Chris would have understood every single detail. I watched the grapes go into the sorter on one end, and out the other end all of the naked vines were discarded. 

The grapes ended up in these huge barrels. I think they have to ferment here for a while. . . 

I ended the day with a late lunch at Shiraz, and of course there was dessert. It seems that every restaurant in Serbia serves crepes for dessert. This one was filled with fresh apples, but apparently there are a lot of fillings to choose from. If you like cherries, I hear that is a good crepe to try.

I went on my way with a bottle of Cabernet and an invite to return the following week to pick Merlot. I will most definitely return. Thank you for inviting me to learn something new! I loved every single moment of it!

No Swimming!

The President Hotel on Lake Palic, Serbia.

I have to admit: I had a pity-party for a moment and had to check myself. In the end it always makes sense, but for a hot second I really wanted to go away this weekend - to travel - to see another city - to explore a different country. There is this tendency in my spirit to always GO, and while being adventurous can be an admirable quality, it can also leave one fatigued, distant and without connection to people or places. I've never had any sort of balance in this area until Chris came into my life. Because of him, I am learning the importance and beauty of real rest and meaningful connection with "home."

As in turned out, Chris and I stayed in Subotica and explored our new home a little more. There is a sweet, little lake town called Palic about 4 miles away from us. before we moved to Serbia, we were so excited to live near a lake. I could just see myself taking morning runs to the lake, jumping in the crystal blue water to cool off, playing volley ball with new friends, and then sitting at a little cafe eating ice-cream and drying off before running home. Chris had visited the lake in June when he was house hunting, and he was bummed that there were no boats on the lake and it did not seem that anyone was swimming. Hmmm, I thought, people must have been working when he saw the lake.

Luckily we talked to a few locals before visiting Lake Palic in our swimming attire. You cannot readily find this information on Google, but apparently Lake Palic was once used to dispose of sewage. During the Austro-Hungarian empire, Lake Palic was one of the top 4 vacation destinations, but now people don't come to swim. Apparently there are plans to empty the lake and turn this once again into a desirable swimming hole and vacation spot, but the locals are skeptical that this will happen any time soon. I think it just all comes down to money. Serbia is a beautiful country, but without money, places like Lake Palic become mere shadows of their former selves.

So, we didn't swim, but we did stroll around the lake. As you can see, the lake is still beautiful, but all you can do is LOOK at it. There are several restaurants and cafes by the lake as well, but my intuition would tell me to stay away from any seafood.

Gmama - I took this picture for you because I knew you would love the flowers!

As I am writing this blog, I am trying to figure out how to do my laundry. That will most likely be left for tomorrows blog! Oh the woes of being a house wife in a foreign country!

As always, thank you for reading! Keep in touch!