Once you've had something to do with wine and winemaking, you can't let it go. This is how Djordje Bikicki's story could be described in a few words. Since his father, who was actually a water technology engineer, already owned a small winery, he was practically born with a love of wine. Initially, he earned his money by designing and building flood protection systems, but he hardly says a word about his father's wines. What inspired him was his encounter with Oszkar Maurer, a pioneer in the field of natural and orange wine, who had a reputation as a rebel and lateral thinker. This contact was to bear fruit and led to a joint wine production in 2013. Djordje Bikicki consistently pursues a philosophy of minimal intervention, and it goes without saying that his wines are all fermented on the skins. Djordje has his own ideas about the style and character of outstanding and original wines, but these are consistently implemented in the collaboration with Oszkar Maurer. In his parcels on the edge of the Fruska Gora Nature Park near the village of Banostor in northern Serbia, the most important grape variety is the red Traminer, which is able to demonstrate its particular suitability for the production of orange wines. However, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Pinot Noir are also cultivated. Djordje Bikicki has found support in his vineyards from oenologist Jelena Burmudzija. The annual production is just around 10,000 bottles, but they are quite something. Even the first vintages caused quite a stir, with the 2016 Traminer "Uncensored" being named the best orange wine in the Balkans and the 2018 vintage even winning a gold medal at the Decanter Wine Competition in London. If Djordje Bikicki still has some time on his hands, he spins records as a DJ.
