RARE GRAPE VARIETAL RESOURCE

The surac grape variety has medium-sized bunches (10-15 cm); that weigh between 200-300 grams. The shape of the bunch is curved, the colour of the berries is yellow-green. The surac grape has an excellent and balanced sugar-acid ratio. This is due to the particular geographical area in which the grape variety is grown, where both Mediterranean and continental climates meet.

The surac variety is grown in the area of Trebinje in Herzegovina, along the banks of the Trebišnjica, in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro and in southern Dalmatia. It is a particularly disease-resistant variety. It grows in sandy soils, which ensure that the grapes have a high sugar content. They are harvested during the second half of September.

Due to the small quantities and low levels of production, surac is not vinified as a single variety. It is normally mixed with other varieties such as zilavka and smederevka. Like other red wines, in the area it is usually consumed with red meat, both cured and smoked, or with smoked carp.
As with other native local varieties (plavka, kadarun), its cultivation in the area around Trebinje dates back to Roman times, although more substantial production levels were recorded during the Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th century. During the 1960s, the cultivation of local vines decreased in favour of more productive imported varieties.

Today, very few growers sell this variety; most farmers grow it for self consumption. Furthermore, since the surac grape is vinified with other varieties – both traditionally and because of its low production levels – the risk of losing it altogether is even greater: there is a tendency to cultivate more of the better known and more profitable international varieties.
It is therefore important to promote the value of the surac grape variety. It should not be saved just for its unique organoleptic properties, but also because of its adaptability to the local climate and its resistance to pests and diseases.

(Courtesy of Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity – Ark of Taste) https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/grape-variety-surac/