Oszkár Maurer has been involved in winemaking since 1994. Wine has always played an important role in his family’s life, as his great-grandfather was also an oenologist. The small hobby winery began to evolve into a more serious one in 2003, when Oszkár built a new cellar and expanded his property to include more vineyard area. Today, he cultivates 14 hectares of vines across two wine regions. The winery has 9.5 hectares of vines in the wine region of Srem in Serbia as well as another 4.5 hectares in the Subotica-Horgos region.
Maurer Winery mainly grow native varieties of grapes, such as Szerémi Zöld, Kövidinka, Piros Magyarka, Bakator, Mézes Fehér, Furmint and Kadarka. They are also experimenting with Olaszrizling (Welschriesling), Riesling, Sárgamuskotály, Kékfrankos, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on the 15 individual vineyard parcels in the two wine regions, where you can often find 70, or even 130-year-old vineyards. The winery prefers the practice of bush training; on the one hand to keep customs alive, while on the other, to provide good quality. Therefore, they stick to this even though their cultivation costs are twice as high.
Oszkár Maurer’s aim is to grow grapes which are most suited to the best areas as well as using environmentally friendly methods to do so. Considering nature not only gives a return in his wines, but counts as a principle: he uses spontaneous fermentation as he does not use any additives, so that the aromas given by the ‘terroir’ are not affected and he also uses a low level of sulphur. He uses no chemical fertilisers, herbicides or insecticides; Oszkár avoids all kinds of chemicals that could be absorbed. He states:
“I am most definitely proud of our vineyards, which are oases and shelters for those living cultures, in which not just insects and birds, but also flora are included. While winemakers all over the world want to banish all other forms of life, other than vines, from their land, I would like to reset the original balance of nature (which is called mutualism. Hey, if I could, I would even expand it.”
The French Master of Wine, Isabelle Legeron, is a big fan of Oszkár’s wines, and counts as a regular visitor to the cellar with its aim of maintaining the conventions of winemaking in Szerémség (Syrmia), previously one of the most famous wine regions in Hungary. The winery attempts to preserve the previously mentioned naturalness and purity, while at the same time, giving the countryside, both in the highlands and on the sandy plains, back its traditional grape varieties, such as Kadarka or Furmint, which unfortunately disappeared from these areas during the last century. Probably this is why Serbian oenologists and wine-writers also set great stock on the work of the Hungarian-born Oszkár, mentioning him first of all when someone is looking for authentic, unique and natural wines in the country. This is a perfect representation of the fact that the Maurer Winery has chosen its best way with its perseverance and naturalism.
