Proprietor: Oszkár Maurer
Website: Maurer Winery
Country Location: Serbia

“We aspire to be as natural and authentic as possible in the production of grape and wine, and the wines born in this spirit tell a lot about their production site, yet every drop of wine contains our family’s history, and the last 3000 years.” — Oszkár Maurer

Oszkár Maurer
Oszkár Maurer

The people

The Maurer family has been producing wine for four generations. It was during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in the 19th century that they moved from Salzburg to the southern part of the Kingdom of Hungary. They now farm 16 acres of land, including 6 acres in the Serbian wine region of Szabadka directly south of the Hungarian-Serbian border, and 10 acres in the Fruška Gora mountain district in Syrmia, Serbia, located 40 miles away from Belgrade and bordered by the Danube River to the north.


In the Vineyard

The vineyards are planted with old local varieties such as Mézes Fehér, Bakator, Szerémi Zöld. In the Szabadka wine region, vines are more than a hundred years old. The oldest Kadarka was planted in 1880 and is one of the oldest in the world. These vines are typically cultivated by horse and man power.

Old Kadarka vine

The other part of the estate is in the historic region of Szerémség (Syrmia). Some ninety million years ago, the Fruška Gora mountain in Syrmia was an island in the Pannonian sea. The slopes of this old formation made up of volcanic and sedimentary rocks have been covered with vineyards, orchards and forests for about 3000 years. Today, this is an almost intact natural environment with an outstandingly rich ecosystem. The climate is sub-mediterranean and continental with a beneficial influence of the nearby Danube. One vineyard planted with Riesling is just 160 feet from the river. Maurer is the only winery producing natural wine in the region but fortunately, there is an increasing number of followers.

The best lots have been replanted with the old native grape varieties such as Szerémi zöld (Syrmia Green), Bakator, Mézes fehér (Honey Whiter), Kövidinka (Ston Siller), Furmint, Riesling, Sárgamuskotály (Muskateller), Kadarka and Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch). The winery also grows international varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir.

In the cellar

In the Cellar

The grapes are grown and vinified organically. The fermentation is done spontaneously without the use of any additives. The sulphur levels of the white wines range from 30 to 90 mg/l and the red wines from 20 to 60 mg/l. Most of the wines are fermented and aged in oak barrels. The red wines are bottled unfiltered.

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