The region of Banat ( South Banat subregion with three vineyards: Vršac, Bela crkva and Deliblato and North Banat subregion with two vineyards: Kikinda and Banat – Potisje ) .
One of famous wines from Banat region is Krokan.
There is a story about the origin of grapevine and wine:
” It was a warm night in the plain, huge fields and vineyards which stretched endlessly were slumbering. Only crickets could be heard and the light wind rattling around the grapevines and freshly harvested wheat. In such infinity, on the fringe of the forest, there was a beam of light coming out of a house. It was the house where Count Rohonczi and Count Mikloš played poker among the wine barrels. Two bon vivants were trying to outsmart each other. The competition had started in their youth years: Who will marry a better wife? Whose wife will bring a larger dowry? Who will cultivate better fields and orchards? Who will have better horses and carts? By that time Count Rohonczi was more successful. He had won several prizes for his fruit in Paris; the fruit he produced was consumed by the renowned aristocracy of Europe, even by the kings.
Count Mikloš was winning that night and commented that he grew a high quality Merlot grapevine hoping to outweigh his rival in grаре sort and wine quality. Count Rohonczi promised to his friend to give him two black horses in case he failed to grow grapevine of higher quality than count Mikloš’ s by that time next year. Then many nights and days passed in Pest, Vienna and Paris. Finally, in one part of his estate called Pearl Island, near Novi Bečej, a new grapevine was growing . . . ” Next autumn the barrels were filled with precious liquid, a unique wine type in Europe – krokan. Count Rohonczi kept his horses and we inherited the wine . . . Count Rohonczi paid special attention to many things such as barrels for wine and strainer ; he even constructed the narrow gauge tracks leading from his estate to the railway station in Bečej. The count was fond of money, women, cards, hunting, actually a playboy of his time. The legend has it that he lost and returned his estate and his wife Isabel in a single day playing cards!
Viticulture in the region of Vršac dates back to the реriod of the Dacians and the Roman Empire with the first written records from the 15th century. At the end of the 19th century, with over 10,000 hectares of vineyards, it was the largest in Hungary, according to some statistical data for Europe of that time. The most important product of this region is Banatski rizling, dry white wine with protected geographical origin. The traditional wine has been produced for over 80 years and stands for a specialty and pride of vineyards in Vršac. It has been produced from the following grape sorts: Italian rizling, Smederevka, Župljanka and Kreaca.