Four kilometres from Topola, in the village of Vinča at the foot of Oplenac, sits a winery whose name in Serbia is close to a synonym for good white wine. The Aleksandrović family has farmed vines here for more than a hundred years – long before the present cellar was built in 1992. Their forebears were among the founders of the Venčac viticultural cooperative and worked closely with the winemakers of the royal cellars. That closeness to the court explains why this family, of all families, later had something returned to them that had long been considered lost.
The recipe that came back from Canada
Trijumf was the name of the finest wine from the cellars of King Aleksandar Karađorđević. Before the Second World War it was poured at nearly every European court. After the war Živan Tadić, the court cellarer, emigrated to Canada, and the recipe went with him. When the Aleksandrović family rebuilt their winery in 1992, Tadić sent the original notes back to Vinča. From that piece of paper came the wine the whole house is known for. Open a bottle of Trijumf and you are drinking a piece of Serbian court history that very nearly stayed in a desk drawer in Canada.
White is the house signature
Aleksandrović made its name above all with white wine. Trijumf Selection is 85 % Sauvignon Blanc, with Pinot Blanc and Riesling making up the rest. It is creamy in texture, fruity and mineral, with a refreshing citrus note – a wine that works with fish and white meat as easily as with a long evening on the terrace.
A far more serious proposition is Aberdar, a dry Chardonnay from a south-facing plot. After hand harvesting it ferments in French oak barrels and then rests four years on the lees, which are stirred regularly. The result is deep golden yellow and oily, with ripe apricot, pear, quince and vanilla. The name comes from the word for the messenger who once carried important news.
Alongside these come Trijumf Terroir and Harizma Selection, plus the sparkling wines: for Trijumf Noir Sparkling and Trijumf Rose Sparkling the grapes are picked by hand, the second fermentation takes place in the bottle in the classic way, with three years of ageing and a very fine bead.
Reds from Šumadija
For its reds the cellar works with both international and local varieties. Rodoslov Grand Reserve – rodoslov means family tree – shows cherry, blackberry and black mulberry, with dark chocolate and tobacco behind. Vožd, a single-variety Cabernet Sauvignon, carries the title once used to address Karađorđe.
If you want to know what Serbia tastes like, reach for Prokupac. The variety is native to the Balkans and was almost forgotten for decades; today it is the flagship of Serbian red wine. Firm, spicy, clearly drawn – a wine for grilled food and for evenings when nobody checks the clock. Regent Reserve, Varijanta and Vizija Selection round out the range.
When it should not be wine
The same hand-picked grapes go into Trijumf XO, a double-distilled grape brandy. It is the quiet end of a meal, best at room temperature in a rounded glass.
What these wines go with
Šumadija is hill country, between 200 and 400 metres, with warm days and markedly cooler nights. That gap is why the whites from there keep their freshness despite ripe fruit, and why they sit surprisingly well at a Central European table. Trijumf Selection with trout, roast chicken or a goat's cheese salad; Aberdar with pan-fried fish, veal or mushroom dishes, and better not served too cold – around ten to twelve degrees.
The reds want time and air. Open Rodoslov and Vožd an hour ahead or decant them; they suit beef, game and aged hard cheese. Prokupac is the easier one and takes anything off the grill, from ćevapčići to a rack of pork. The rosé from the Varijanta range is an aperitif that also holds up with starters, poultry and grilled food.
What we carry
We stock nineteen items from Aleksandrović, from Varijanta up to the reserve wines. The full range is on the Vinarija Aleksandrović page. If you are meeting the house for the first time, start with one white and one red: Trijumf Selection and Prokupac together give a fair picture of what this estate stands for.
We sell alcoholic beverages only to persons aged 18 and over.
