Wine road Negotin
Vine in Negotin has been grown from Roman times, from the III century. At a time when the phylloxera destroyed the vineyards of France, in the seventies of the nineteenth century, Krajina appears as an exporter of wine for France, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, because the local vines were grown on live sand along the coast of the Danube, where the phylloxera could not harm it. Austria-Hungary had a consulate untill 1911, through which it traded with Krajina wines. Wines are exported by ships from the port Radujevac on the Danube. The first vineyards in Negotin were established by cooperatives in 1890, after the massive decline of vineyards by phylloxera. At the end of the nineteenth century Krajina was the largest area with vineyards in Serbia.
Wine history
Rajacka pimnica, 270 of them, are a unique architectural complex of wine cellars made during the eighteenth century, and untill the thirties of the last century. Buried two feet into the ground, temperature varies little during the year. Pimnice were built of trimmed stone and logs. Houses are connected by streets, squares, and small yards. Substructures are partially buried in the ground, and rooms on the floor are for living during harvest time, or nurturing wine. Similar houses are saved in Rogljevo and Smedovac. Once there were 316 pimnica, and now there are only sixty. In this unique stone town wine always lived.
Vineyards and enology today
Negotin is located in the valley surrounded by mountains Miroc, Black Top and Deli Jovan, with Danube on one side, and Timok on the other, which causes a very specific climate of this area which is extremely continental and characterized by very hot summers and cold winters. Three main types of soil prevail: alluvial deposits, lake sediments, and igneous rocks and limestone.
Rajac, Rogljevo and Smedovac are three neighboring villages with rich history of wine, and very attractive pimnica, a special part of the vineyards of Negotin. The villages have the most aromatic red wines that are excellent combination of good land, plenty of sun and sea level of 150 to 250 meters. The Krajina wines have a reputation of wines obtained from prokupac, burgundy and black game.Wines have intense red color, pleasant taste and bouquet. Of white wines bagrina, sémillon, italian riesling, sauvignon and smederevka are grown.
Wine road
Pimnice are no longer being built, but the hosts made an effort to re-arrange some of them in a modern, functional space, while retaining specific ambience. That space is available to tourists, you can taste and buy wine in pimnica. Among pimnica is a national restaurant St Trifun with unique atmosphere, keeping the traditions and customs of Serbian hosts, especially in preparing the old dishes of Serbian cuisine and Rajacka wines.
What to eat?
With delicious burgers and other grilled meat dry red wine of type game or red burgundy are the best. Game goes with moussaka too, and with meat prepared on peasant way Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon are the best.
What to see?
The old town center is very attractive. Konak of Lord Torodce from the nineteenth century is the oldest preserved house in Negotin. Since 1997. Todorce refectory is called Museum of Hajduk Veljko. You must visit the Museum of Krajina comprising the Archaeological Museum, the house of Stevan Mokranjac, and Museum of Hajduk Veljko.
Monasteries Bukovo (endowment of King Milutin, rebuilt in the nineteenth century) and Vratna (first half of the fifteenth century) are real architectural jewels, as well as the late neolythic place of Sarkamen from the III century BC. Vratnjaska gates in the hunting reserve of the same name is located in the vicinity of monastery Vratna, Mokranjska rocks, and waterfalls of Sikolska river, near the vineyard area. There are two hunting grounds near Negotin, Vratna and Alija, which extends to 300 hectares, and huntingground Deli Jovan that spreads to 500 hectares. Fallow deer, mouflon and wild boar could be found there.