Winemaker Kolar’s guests come from Germany, the Netherlands, even from the US
A small village in Baranja called Suza has a lot to offer to those who are looking for a true vacation and want to learn some new, yet old trades. Family farm Kolar takes pride in its wines, suited to everyone’s taste, and its well-organised camping site.
Baranja is known for its fertile fields, vineyards and premium wines. The proof of the latter is the family farm owned by Ljudevit Kolar from Suza, whom we visited at his estate, comprising the winery, family accommodation and the camping site “Suza Baranje”.
“I grew up in this room. Everything we own has been built upon this wine cellar. Now you can see the new barrels, while only two years ago the old barrels, my father’s, were still here. I inherited everything from him. My parents started building this from scratch, first planting half an acre, then an acre, and only after I got the business running, I planted some two acres. I paid for the house I live in mainly with money made on grapes, not wines”, the owner of the winery Ljudevit Kolar told us about his beginnings.
His daughters came up with the idea to develop a rural tourist site, wanting to try something new and bring life to the area. Remembering it with a tear in his eye, Ljudevit says it is funny they first mentioned it during a Sunday lunch. “We started building our tasting room, restaurant and accommodation area in 2004, pouring our hearts and souls into it. We offer our guests only the best, what we would gladly eat or drink ourselves.”
Maja Celing Cerić and Nenad Trifunović
13 grape varieties at 10.5 hectares
“Our grapes cover 10 hectares. Rather than tell you which grape varieties we grow, it would be easier to tell you which we do not”, our host laughed when we asked him about the size of the vineyard. They currently have 13 grape varieties, some of which they grow to make wines for their own collection, while others, such as Rhine Riesling, White Pinot and Pinot Gris, Green Sylvaner, aromatic Traminac (Traminer), Cabernet Sauvignon, Franconia, Chardonnay, Graševina etc are marketed to visitors and customers. They are also famous for their Cuvee Sunoir, a cuvée whose name is a combination of the words “Suza” and “noir”.
“I believe anyone can find a wine to their liking here. We also cater to hotels and restaurants, who suggest which types of wine we could make. We have all the technology, just like the top winemakers”, stressed Kolar.
He admits that winemaking can be hard work, especially at harvest time. Normally the harvest lasts for three to four weeks, but in the Kolar vineyards it can last for up to three months because they have so many different grape varieties that do not ripen simultaneously. Machinery is used to perform most field jobs, while pruning and harvesting have been performed by the same people for years, the locals and their six employees.
They sell most of their wine in Dalmatia, dealing with more than 100 restaurants, with 2000 to 3000 bottles annually being sent abroad, mostly to Germany.
Maja Celing Cerić and Nenad Trifunović
Camping site as an addition to the tourism offer
Five years ago, the family decided to expand their tourism offer. They opened the first small camping site in Baranja, investing almost 700,000 kuna. Although their intention was, says Kolar, to open a camping site for cyclists only, as three international cycling routes pass through Baranja, the law required them to make a larger investment.
“It is anticipated that most visitors would spend one night in the camp, but sometimes they stay for two or three nights, even a week. If they wish, our guests can have breakfast in the camp, and we recommend them various restaurants afterwards. Families from the Netherlands, Poland and Germany comprise most of our guests, either en route to the seaside or on cycling tours”, Kolar says, adding that they invested a fair amount of money in the camp, considering that they had to change the infrastructure.
Maja Celing Cerić and Nenad Trifunović
