Oszkár Maurer: old vines and new releases from northern Serbia
From the newsletter archive. Originally sent 4 September 2026; adapted for the Journal on 29 October 2026.
Two landscapes in one grower’s work
Oszkár Maurer began his own winegrowing journey in 1994, continuing a family history that stretched across four generations. Our September 2026 newsletter followed the work he shared with his wife Irén and their daughters Dominika and Boglárka.
The estate connected two landscapes in northern Serbia. Fruška Gora rose above the Danube, with varied rock and sediments beneath the vineyards. Further north, the sandy ground around Subotica had helped preserve old vineyards and local grape varieties.
Keeping the past alive
The newsletter placed organic farming, indigenous yeasts and patient ageing at the centre of the approach. Older barrels, time on the lees, gravity and bottling without fining or filtration all supported that work. Sulphur was avoided where possible.
Preserving old vines was not simply an exercise in history. Kadarka, Kövidinka and Bakator gave Oszkár different ways to explore the place and to make wines that would be difficult to reproduce elsewhere.
The release in four wines
Crazy Lúd Red 2024 brought together Blaufränkisch, Prokupac, Cabernet Sauvignon and Kadarka in a supple, fruit-led red. Crazy Lúd Orange 2024 combined Welschriesling, Bakator, Ezerjó and Slankamenka, using brief skin contact for gentle grip and texture.
Kadarka 1880 Old Vines 2024 came from a vineyard planted in 1880 in the sandy soils of Subotica. The tasting notes emphasised perfume and delicacy: wild strawberry, sour cherry, rosehip and violet.
Babba IV took a different route through time. The 2021 wine was fermented again with fruit from 2022, then again with the 2023 harvest, followed by more ageing in older oak. It was a useful final example of the range’s breadth: local history kept alive through both preservation and experimentation.