Wine from Ancient Volcanic Island Soils
Bojan Baša is an economist who spent 24 years at the top of European banking before taking a leap of faith into winemaking. [^83^] In 2010, he planted his first vineyard in Serbia's historic Fruška Gora region — an area whose wines were once so prized that the Austro-Hungarian empire lamented, "If we can't drink the wines of Fruška Gora, we'll have to drink Tokaji." [^81^] Today, his Baša Vino estate spans 4.2–5.7 hectares of virgin, chemical-free vineyards on the northern slopes of what was once a volcanic island in the Pannonian Sea, producing cult orange wines that have become objects of desire among sommeliers and natural wine lovers across Europe. [^82^] [^84^]
From Banking to Biodynamics — A Leap of Faith
Bojan Baša's story is becoming familiar in the natural wine world: a successful professional in an entirely different field discovers a passion for wine, and that passion gradually consumes everything else until it becomes the field itself. For 24 years, Bojan was at the top of European banking — an economist by training, a corporate finance expert by career. [^83^] But he and his wife Jelena were amber wine enthusiasts, and their passion was encouraged by winemaking friends in Italy and Slovenia, then fortified by time spent at vineyards in Georgia — the cradle of skin-contact winemaking. [^84^] In 2010, they acquired their first plot of land and planted a small vineyard with Pinot Grigio. [^86^]
The Fruška Gora region is one of the most historically significant wine areas in the Balkans. Vine cultivation was permitted here during the reign of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus, originally from the Roman province of Pannonia. [^81^] The local wines gained notable relevance within the Austro-Hungarian Empire — so much so that when the Ottomans arrived and many vineyards were abandoned or destroyed, the empire's population reportedly said with indifference: "If we can't drink the wines of Fruška Gora, we'll have to drink Tokaji." [^81^] This is a region with pedigree, with memory, with a wine culture that predates most European nations.
Bojan began working naturally from day one — not as a later conversion but as a founding principle. [^81^] Fermenting local varieties with extended skin macerations was non-negotiable, given the influence he absorbed from visiting major figures in skin-fermented white wines in Collio (Italy) and Georgia. [^81^] In 2024, after 14 years of balancing banking and wine, Bojan left his job in finance to pursue winemaking full-time. [^84^] Jelena continues her work in Belgrade as a playwright and literary translator. The winery is a family affair — Bojan, Jelena, and their four children work together in the vineyards. [^84^]
"Bojan's only motivation is for his wines to be a faithful reflection of what happened in the vineyard in the year the grapes were harvested. He doesn't try to project what he wants the customer to find in the glass; instead, he wants the wine to show its own personal expression."
— Atlantic Sommelier
Biodynamic, Limestone & Clay & The Pannonian Sea
The Baša vineyards are located in the Matej subzone, close to the municipality of Sremski Karlovci, on the right bank of the Danube River. [^81^] [^84^] The vineyards face southeast, atop a hill shaped like a horseshoe with the opening facing the Danube, at altitudes of 140–210 metres above sea level. [^61^] There is an almost constant breeze rolling off the Pannonian Plain and the Danube, blessing the vineyards with great air circulation that supports the development of healthy grapes. [^84^] The soils are primarily limestone and clay — the legacy of a remarkable geological history. These slopes of Fruška Gora were once a fault-rock volcanic island in the ancient Pannonian Sea, which left behind incredibly diverse and mineral-rich soils. [^82^] [^84^]
All the vineyards are Bojan's own, planted on calcareous hillsides in plots untouched by any chemicals. [^81^] The cultivation is organic and biodynamic — Bojan follows biodynamic practices and preparations, using no pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or artificial fertilisers. [^87^] Respecting the rhythm of nature is paramount. The vineyards bask in sunshine, draw nourishment from limestone and deep clay soils, and benefit from the mighty Danube's embrace. [^61^] This is not merely sustainable farming; it is regenerative, aimed at building soil health and biodiversity for generations to come.
The varieties planted reflect both international influence and local heritage. Bojan works with Pinot Grigio (the original 2010 planting), Tamjanika, Furmint, Morava, Grašac Beli (Welschriesling), and Prokupac. [^81^] [^82^] He has also planted a young vineyard with Grašac and Prokupac, from which he will produce wines for the first time in the 2025 vintage. [^81^] Looking ahead, he plans to plant more native varieties historically characteristic for this area: Sremska Zelenika, Lipolist (Hárslevelű), Medenac Beli, Bakator, Kadarka, and even varieties with a proven presence on Fruška Gora for more than 300–400 years such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer. [^86^] [^87^] This is a long-term project of recovery and revival — a banker building a library of grapes.
Biodynamic practices and preparations. No pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or artificial fertilisers. Virgin vineyards planted on chemical-free plots. [^87^]
Soils from the ancient Pannonian Sea — incredibly diverse and mineral-rich. Limestone and clay composition. Southeast exposure, 140–210m altitude. [^82^] [^84^]
Horseshoe-shaped hill facing the Danube. Constant breeze from the Pannonian Plain. Natural ventilation supporting healthy grape development. [^84^]
Pinot Grigio, Tamjanika, Furmint, Morava, Grašac Beli, Prokupac. Plans for Sremska Zelenika, Lipolist, Kadarka, Riesling, Gewürztraminer. A library in progress. [^81^] [^86^]
Meticulous Skin-Contact Maceration & 2–3 Years in Oak and Acacia
Bojan Baša's winemaking is defined by meticulous attention to skin-contact maceration and extended barrel ageing. All fermentations are spontaneous with wild yeast from the vineyards. [^84^] Every wine undergoes maceration — Bojan produces only white wines macerated on the skins, or as he insists on calling them, "amber wines." [^87^] The wines age in barrel for 2–3 years, are bottled without fining, filtration, or sulfur, and rest for at least an additional year in bottle before release. [^84^] The results are rich, textured amber wines that are a true reflection of his passion and the unique Serbian terroir. [^84^]
The Jantar (meaning "amber" in old Slavic) is Baša's flagship cuvée, made from Pinot Grigio. Depending on the vintage, it receives 5–8 days of skin contact, then ages for 28–36 months in old oak and acacia barrels. [^83^] [^87^] Until 2020, Bojan used only neutral French or Serbian oak; from 2020 onwards, he incorporated 40% acacia wood. [^81^] The 2017 vintage — his first commercial release — was a rich macerated Pinot Grigio with a colour more like Pinot Noir, bottled in April 2020 after extended ageing. [^87^]
The Tamjanika receives 7–10 days of skin contact and ages for 24 months in new acacia barrels — a variety closely related by ampelography to Muscat Frontignan and the Muscat of Samos Island in Greece. [^81^] [^87^] The Furmint spends 11 days on skins, with 60% aged in acacia barrels and 40% in used oak. [^81^] The Morava — an indigenous Serbian variety — also receives 10–11 days of maceration and 24 months on lees in new acacia barrels. [^81^] [^83^] All barrels are 300L or 500L formats, and all wines are bottled without fining, filtration, or added sulfur. [^84^]
Bojan's only motivation is for his wines to be a faithful reflection of what happened in the vineyard in the year the grapes were harvested. [^81^] He doesn't try to project what he wants the customer to find in the glass; instead, he wants the wine to show its own personal expression. This is a philosophy of radical transparency — the winemaker as midwife, not sculptor. The wines that emerge from this approach are complex, expressive, and pure — wines that originate primarily from the vineyards, not from the cellar. [^90^]
Jantar — "5–8 Days Skin Contact, 28–36 Months in Barrel"
Jantar is Bojan Baša's flagship amber wine — the cuvée that announced him to the world and that remains the purest expression of his meticulous, patient approach to skin-contact winemaking. [^83^] [^87^]
Made from Pinot Grigio grown on the original 2010 vineyard in the Matej subzone, the grapes receive 5–8 days of skin contact depending on the vintage — enough to extract colour, tannin, and aromatic complexity without becoming aggressive. [^81^] Fermentation is spontaneous with wild vineyard yeasts, and the wine ages for 28–36 months in a combination of old French oak, Serbian oak, and acacia barrels (40% acacia from 2020 onwards). [^83^] No fining, no filtration, no added sulfur. [^84^]
The result is a wine of extraordinary depth and texture. The colour is more like Pinot Noir than typical Pinot Grigio — amber-orange with copper highlights. The nose offers dried apricot, wild herbs, and the mineral imprint of limestone and clay. The palate is rich, structured, and evolving, with a persistence that speaks to the long barrel ageing and the quality of the fruit. This is not an orange wine for the casual drinker; it is an amber wine for the contemplative one — a wine that demands attention and rewards patience. The 2017 vintage, Bojan's first commercial release, was bottled in April 2020 after years of maturation, and it set the standard for everything that followed. ~€30–€45 / ~$33–$50.
The Baša Vino Range
Bojan Baša produces a focused portfolio of four amber/orange wines from his estate in Fruška Gora. All wines are organically and biodynamically farmed, hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with wild indigenous yeasts, macerated on skins, aged 24–36 months in oak and acacia barrels, and bottled without fining, filtration, or sulfur. Production is approximately 15,000 bottles per year. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.