Albanian wine producers motivated to participate in the 'Wine Vision by Open Balkan'

Albanian wine producers, who won numerous awards at last year's fair in Belgrade, are ready for this year's participation in the "Wine Vision by Open Balkan", which will take place from November 16 to 19.

Fatbardh Belba, the owner of the winery of the same name in Kavaje, says he is very pleased with the contacts he made at last year's wine fair, and this year, at the "Wine Vision by Open Balkan", he will present four types of wines.

"I was at the fair in Belgrade last year, and it was a perfect experience. I can say it was one of the best fairs, and I can assess that because I have participated in many fairs at a very high European level. Perfect organization. This year, I am more motivated after last year's success. It's a fair worth participating in. The most important thing is that we received an award last year. This year, we are going with new products to test them. We will have four types of wines: white Chardonnay, Shesh i Zi, which is an indigenous variety, Papaz, and Merlot. I don't expect the maximum score for all types of wine, but it's enough for us to be at a high level. We believe in our product, we know what we offer. I believe we will have an even better experience this year because we have previous experience. I can't wait to go to Belgrade", Belba said.

Fatbardh Belba applied a decade of experience in Italian vineyards to five grape varieties planted on 21 hectares of vineyards in Albania.

He does not use insecticides and pesticides, nourishing the vines with manure. On the plateau above Kavaja, known as Little Tuscany because it is bathed in sunlight most of the year, he cultivates two indigenous varieties, 'Shesh i Zi' and 'Kabjuro'.

High-standard equipment, fermentation at controlled temperatures crucial for aroma, color, and taste, decantation, and aging exclusively in oak barrels are the guarantees for good wine.

"In our winery 'Belba', we have five different types of red wines. We have a basic red wine produced from three grape varieties such as Sangiovese or Merlot. This wine matures for six months in oak barrels and is licensed on the market. We also have a reserve wine, which we age for three years in oak barrels; it has 14.5 percent alcohol and an excellent taste balance, produced from two grape varieties. We also have 'Shesh i Zi', an indigenous variety, aged for three years in oak barrels", Belba emphasizes.

At the upcoming wine fair, Belba will showcase a particular wine, 'Papaz', named after a natural phenomenon in the vineyard - pockets of cold saltwater that boil when spoken to softly.

"That part of the vineyard has three grape varieties: Cabernet, Merlot, and Kabjuro, an indigenous variety that, unfortunately, is not yet certified or registered in the state archive for Albanian wine varieties. We also have a very tasty wine, 100 percent Merlot. Both wines are aged for two years in oak barrels for a balanced blend of aromas from different grape varieties. The wine 'Papaz' is produced from three grape varieties. From white wines, we have Chardonnay, 'Shesh i Bardhe', which are very flavorful. This is because our vineyards are well-exposed to the sun, located in the hills, and have no difference from the vineyards in Tuscany. We call them 'Little Tuscany' because there may be smaller quantities, but the quality of the wine is the same. I have 11 years of experience in Tuscany, and I honed my craft there. Our quality has stood out in the international arena; in various Balkan and Albanian competitions, we always received the first or second prize". Belba proudly states.

Approximately 450 professional visitors from 48 countries have announced their participation in this year's wine fair. These include distributors, importers, wholesale and retail chains, buyers from the HORECA sector, and sales agents, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce announced.