The long-standing tradition of wine and wine growing on Fruška Gora is already well known. Archaeological discoveries testify that in this area viticulture existed even in the old era. Even in other parts of the Pannonian plain and Transylvania, there are traces of grape growing and wine production. Containers were found, which were confirmed to originate from the bronze (2,000 BC) and iron (400g.p.n.e.) age, which are presumed to have been used for the production of wine. Even Roman writers Strambon and Dio Cassius wrote that the Pannonian viticulture bloomed under the Roman conquest. However, historically completely safe and factually established, as the beginning of the development of viticulture in this region, it is stated that the arrival of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus in 276.g.n.e. who planted the first vine on the Fruška Gora mountain.
The history of The Kiš Winery, is much shorter, and for our first harvest we count 1830. year. By the way, the first vineyard was bought in 1801. years. What exactly happened in those 29 years is not entirely known to us and leaves room for research. What we know for sure is that our great-grandfathers then began, and survived various ups and downs during this nearly two centuries behind us, but that production never died. The epidemics of various viticultural diseases ravaged the local vineyards for almost half of the nineteenth century. The greatest devastation left the phylloxera in the period from 1885 to 1895 , destroying all the vineyards on Fruška Gora. However, they were immediately rebuilt and planted with much better and more resistant grape varieties. The short break and I World War happened, a period that has degraded vineyards less, and much more the population, especially the male part of the population. The family faced a new challenge, but thank God, did not give up.
1931. , as the second child in the family, Slavko Kiš was born. No one then could have assumed that he was the one who would continue the family business and who would not think for a moment to stop the tradition. Two years later, a third son was born. In Kiš family, the plan was to educate two elderly sons and to keep the youngest on the family estate. But, as Auguste Schenoa wrote, “man is cunning, and God is godding” … The boys spent their childhood peacefully. In the morning they helped out with home and vineyard jobs, and afternoon rushed to the crowbar along a dusty road that stretched between the houses on the right side of the street and the well-known Peace Chapels on the left. Like all children, they believed in a miracle and a beautiful future. His eldest brother went to school, so Slavko had the honor of hacking the horses every Saturday, and with his father sitting on a car loaded with a wooden barrel and a rubber hose as the only auxiliary tool for streaming the wine. The road led them through the center, next to the church and the Patriarchal Palace, and beside the wetlands of the Danube, across the bridge, to the Fish market in Novi Sad. The wine was sold on a liter, which, with the help of that hose, was streamed into balloons of coffee shop owners and caterers. They had their permanent customers, although at that time there were 400-500 wine cellars in Sremski Karlovci, and all cultivated land was planted with vineyards. Parent’s plan was broken by the Second World War. The middle son, he came to complete only a few grades. Years of mobilization, torment, hunger and starvation followed. Long-awaited peace, arrived with the new government and the rules according to which no private initiative was desirable. For the winegrowers, another survival period has come..
A happy circumstance preserved the life and health of all three sons. The eldest went his own way according to the plan, the youngest remained on the family estate, and Slavko is neither there nor here. Seeing that he had no other, he patiently worked, saved, and along the street (now only a couple of houses further) bought a plot and on it started to build his future home from the street side and the obligatory wine cellar in the yard. In the new home, the bride arrived first, and then little girl Helena, the only child of Slavko Kiš. The new authority imposed on all viticulturists the obligation to sell all their grapes to the National Wine Cellar, abbreviated as NAVIP. They paid the price in wine, Riesling of Karlovci. Krish, for himself and his long-time customers, Slavko always had a few thousand liters of good domestic wine. The collapse of communism has brought new freedom for small, private wine producers and thus a new era of rise that continues.
As he had only one female child, and the work of growing grapes and wine production was always somehow more masculine, a new joy in the house was introduced by son in law Jovan Crnkovic, who immediately accepted the preservation family tradition with his own care and work. It may be that he was enamored by Bermet’s aroma that had long ago been forgotten, and through the history of the widely known Karlovac wine, already served at their wedding in 1979 , the new era is mostly bearing his seal. The combination of tradition, knowledge and experience, now grandpa Slavko and youth, energy and the zest of the son in law Jovan to the effect give a number of positive events. At the first wine assessment, in 1991 , The Kiš Winery won a great gold medal at the Novi Sad Fair for the best white wine and retained that position for the next few years as the wine went to evaluating. There were numerous awards and prizes in other more or less significant competitions. At the persuation of professors Dr. Petar Cindrić and Dr. Vlada Kovač, in the vineyard Matej in 1993 , were planted the first planting of Rhine Riesling on Fruska Gora. Shortly thereafter, the first planting of Merlot sprouted in this area. One of the great moments happened on the wine ball which was organized on the occasion of St. Trifun, the holiday of all winemakers and caterers, on February 14 , 1998. years. Grandfather and son in law decided to present Bermet, once the glorious flavored wine of all winemakers from Sremski Karlovci. The reactions of the present were such that, from small production, for decades, exclusively for preserving the recipe from oblivion, it moved to quantities intended for the open market. An alternate public audience prize in salons and festivals with awards of professional jury are held. The line of ascent is unstoppable and then, suddenly and suddenly, in 2006 , Jovan Crnkovic dies. The family is once again undergoing temptation. Grandfather Slavko remains alone at the head of his family. Luckily, there are grandchildren Predrag and Tamara, and they are slowly getting ready for work. With him, they spent their childhood in the vineyards. Love and knowledge have come from the early days. Tamara is getting married, and young future son-in-law Siniša Popov is already involved in the job.
Years pass, and work is developing. Mom Helen and Tamara are a pillar of support and family and in business. Pedja is with his grandfather Slavko engaged around vineyards and cellars, and Siniša is in charge of placement. Life goes on. The original 3.5h of the vineyard, the grandfather Slavko received in the inheritance, is constantly increasing. A new winery is being built, production is being shifted, and the old one becomes a place for guest‘s reception. When in the new winery area intended for guests is finished, the old one will become a Museum of wine-growing. Awards and recognitions are received. 2014. Year of 2014 brings great joy because Rose of The Kiš Winery wins the title of The Best Rose in Balkan. At the same time, grandfather Slavko testifies the unprecedented rain and tragically bad year for the winegrowers. And that year is passing, year which was bad for the entire region. Year of 2015. is comming. Throughout his life, every day visiting the vineyards, somewhere before picking, Grandpa Slavko sees Chardonnay and says he does not remember a better year. He is pleased. The year is good, and the grandchildren have grown to take care of their families, work, wine and vineyards. That’s why he can go, calmly. Quietly and unobtrusively, as he lived. He knows that there is someone who will follow his path…
Sremski Karlovci, Year of 2016.