Yugoslavian grape grower builds up wine business in Hamilton Township one bottle at a time. Just when you think you've heard your last "only in America" story of a immigrant making his way to U.S. shores, working hard and reaching a pinnacle of success, another tale comes along.
This time it's Bo Boskovic, of Yugoslavia, who in 1995 received his draft notice in his hometown of Belgrade. The Serbian Army was calling him to fight in its bloody Civil War. But Boskovic had other plans.
"It's was a terrible war, many people were killed, and I knew many men who joined up and were never heard of again," he said. "I came from a family of educators. My grandparents were teachers. I was not a soldier, but a pacifist, so I left to come to America."
He came to his Uncle Savo's vineyard on Route 40 in Mays Landing where Uncle Savo Balić sponsored his work visa by putting him out to work out in the 100 year-old vineyards, tying up grapes and pulling weeds.
Boskovic said a winery in Atlantic County, New Jersey is not a risky business as the climate - thanks to Global Warming - and soil are very conducive to a good wine product.
"Sandy soil of New Jersey is very good for the grapes, plus the mild winters you now have here." he said. New Jersey's soil adds acidity to wine, and acidity gives aroma. Without it, wine tastes like juice," he said.
Boskovic said that California grape growers are very envious of New Jersey vineyards because of the acidic soil.
Another condition here that makes for good wine is the fact that New Jersey has a healthy combination of sun and rain.
"It's similar to a European climate, (as opposed to California)." he said.
Spinning a globe sitting at his desk. Boskovic points to the 45th degree Meridian.
"We are south of (the 45 degree meridian) so we are in direct line with Portugal, which has great wine. and Spain and Italy. which also have great conditions for grape growing and also Macedonia."
From November through February, Boskovic is out trimming his vines, until the end of March, when the vines start getting little purple buds. "Some of these vines are from vines grown 5.000 years ago," he said with pride.
Even with all the different hybrid plants in the fields. Boskovic said he knows exactly where he has planted the Yugoslavian vines and the French hybrids and knows which is which.
"The grapes for each hybrid are different looking. For example the French grapes for the Chambourcin wine are big and in hefty hunches and are very sweet grapes. The Yugoslavian grapes look like Zinfandel grapes. You have to know your vineyard.' he said. "I know exactly where I've planted my grapes."
By July and August, the grapes are picked, actually sheared off and put in baskets. The partners hire workers to do that work, and pay them for the number of bushel baskets each fills.
By September, the grapes are put in the crusher, which thrashes the grapes, removes the stems, and distills the liquid down to a pure clear juice. That juice goes into a tank.
As the juice from white or red grapes is the same clear color, Boskovic puts the skins of the grapes in different tanks, ferments it for three days and from that fermentation gets the color of the wine that people associate with "red or white wine."
From there the juice itself is fermented for approximately seven months in tanks, and is ready for bottling in April the next year.
Right now, Balić Winery has about 2,000 to 3,000 cases or 30,000 or 40,000 bottles of wine in storage from last year's crop.
By MAUREEN McSHANE
This time it's Bo Boskovic, of Yugoslavia, who in 1995 received his draft notice in his hometown of Belgrade. The Serbian Army was calling him to fight in its bloody Civil War. But Boskovic had other plans.
"It's was a terrible war, many people were killed, and I knew many men who joined up and were never heard of again," he said. "I came from a family of educators. My grandparents were teachers. I was not a soldier, but a pacifist, so I left to come to America."
He came to his Uncle Savo's vineyard on Route 40 in Mays Landing where Uncle Savo Balić sponsored his work visa by putting him out to work out in the 100 year-old vineyards, tying up grapes and pulling weeds.
Boskovic said a winery in Atlantic County, New Jersey is not a risky business as the climate - thanks to Global Warming - and soil are very conducive to a good wine product.
"Sandy soil of New Jersey is very good for the grapes, plus the mild winters you now have here." he said. New Jersey's soil adds acidity to wine, and acidity gives aroma. Without it, wine tastes like juice," he said.
Boskovic said that California grape growers are very envious of New Jersey vineyards because of the acidic soil.
Another condition here that makes for good wine is the fact that New Jersey has a healthy combination of sun and rain.
"It's similar to a European climate, (as opposed to California)." he said.
Spinning a globe sitting at his desk. Boskovic points to the 45th degree Meridian.
"We are south of (the 45 degree meridian) so we are in direct line with Portugal, which has great wine. and Spain and Italy. which also have great conditions for grape growing and also Macedonia."
From November through February, Boskovic is out trimming his vines, until the end of March, when the vines start getting little purple buds. "Some of these vines are from vines grown 5.000 years ago," he said with pride.
Even with all the different hybrid plants in the fields. Boskovic said he knows exactly where he has planted the Yugoslavian vines and the French hybrids and knows which is which.
"The grapes for each hybrid are different looking. For example the French grapes for the Chambourcin wine are big and in hefty hunches and are very sweet grapes. The Yugoslavian grapes look like Zinfandel grapes. You have to know your vineyard.' he said. "I know exactly where I've planted my grapes."
By July and August, the grapes are picked, actually sheared off and put in baskets. The partners hire workers to do that work, and pay them for the number of bushel baskets each fills.
By September, the grapes are put in the crusher, which thrashes the grapes, removes the stems, and distills the liquid down to a pure clear juice. That juice goes into a tank.
As the juice from white or red grapes is the same clear color, Boskovic puts the skins of the grapes in different tanks, ferments it for three days and from that fermentation gets the color of the wine that people associate with "red or white wine."
From there the juice itself is fermented for approximately seven months in tanks, and is ready for bottling in April the next year.
Right now, Balić Winery has about 2,000 to 3,000 cases or 30,000 or 40,000 bottles of wine in storage from last year's crop.
By MAUREEN McSHANE
