Bikicki Winery

Overview & Philosophy

Bikicki Winery is located in Banoštor, on the northern slopes of Fruška Gora, Serbia.
The project is led by Đorđe Bikicki, who in 2013 took over management of his family’s vineyard holdings and embraced a philosophy of minimal intervention and natural wine production.
By about 2019, the estate had shifted to organic farming practices and began the process toward organic certification.
The guiding principles are: let terroir speak, employ native yeasts, use minimal sulfur, avoid filtration, and respect natural processes in both vineyard and cellar.

Vineyards & Terroir

  • Size & Location: The estate manages approximately 11 hectares of organically farmed vineyards in Banoštor.

  • Elevation & Aspect: Vineyards sit on 150 to 250 meters above sea level, on the slopes overlooking the Danube, benefiting from both hillside exposure and river influence.

  • Soils & Geology: Soils are diverse and include clay (vertisol), cambisol, volcanic rock fragments, limestone, and marl. This geological richness provides good drainage and mineral complexity.

  • Microclimate / Influences:

    • The Danube River acts as a moderating influence—reflected sunlight in winter can reduce frost risk, and summer breezes help cool the vines.

    • The region enjoys over 3,500 hours of sunshine annually and sufficient rainfall for healthy ripening.

    • The location is adjacent to Fruška Gora National Park, giving relatively pristine environmental conditions.

  • Vine Material & Yields: The vineyard practices low yields (informally around 5 t/ha in some descriptions) to maximize concentration and expression. The grape varieties include both international and local types such as Traminer (Gewürztraminer / Red Traminer), Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Crna Tamjanika, among others.

Wine Range & Vinification Styles

Bikicki produces a broad and expressive portfolio of wines, applying natural wine techniques across styles:

  • Whites & Blends:
      · Sfera — a white blend (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc) pressed whole bunch and fermented in concrete spheres.
      · Moma — Traminer with some skin contact, aged in amphorae or ceramic.

  • Orange / Skin-Contact Wines:
      · S/O — Sauvignon Blanc with 5 days skin maceration; aged in old oak.
      · Uncensored — Traminac (Traminer) with 7 days on skins; aged ~1 year in old oak.
      · Cu — Pinot Grigio with ~7 days maceration and aging in old barrels.

  • Reds & Rosés:
      · Sfera Noir — Pinot Noir with a bit of Crna Tamjanika; light maceration, aged in used oak.
      · Lily — 100 % Merlot aged ~19 months in oak.
      · Veca — 100 % Crna Tamjanika with 4 days skin contact; aged in old oak.
      · Pinotte — Pinot Noir expression.

  • Sparkling / Pet-Nat / Off-Dry / Sweet:
      · Victor — Pét-nat style using Sauvignon Blanc.
      · Nikka — Pét-nat style using Pinot Noir.
      · Makana — Late-harvest / sweet Traminer (approx. 52 g/L residual sugar).
      · Makana Noir — Sweet black muscat (86 g/L) aged in barrel.

In the cellar:

  • Fermentation / Yeasts: spontaneous (native) yeasts; no commercial yeast.

  • Maceration Times: whites / orange wines: 3–12 days; reds: 7–20 days.

  • Aging: Many wines age in old barrels, ceramic, or amphora; minimal new wood.

  • Filtration & Sulfur: Wines are bottled without fining or filtration, with very low sulfur additions (only at bottling, in many cases).

  • Harvesting: Hand-harvested, often in two passes.

  • Philosophy in the cellar: “Low intervention” — minimal enological inputs, preserving purity, balance, and clarity without off-flavors.

Strengths & Distinctive Features

  • A natural wine pioneer in Serbia, combining ancient terroir with modern minimal-intervention techniques.

  • Diverse stylistic breadth: white, orange, red, pet-nat, sweet — all under the same philosophy.

  • Strong sense of place: the Danube influence, volcanic/clay-limestone soils, and hillside exposure create distinctive character in the wines.

  • Clean, transparent wines with emphasis on balance rather than extremes.

  • Modest but ambitious scale: currently producing around 45,000 bottles annually.

  • Consistent critical recognition: some wines have won medals (e.g. Uncensored, Traminer) in international competitions.