Bosnian winemakers marked the end of a successful year with a special event in Sarajevo.
Thanks to the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Group of Wine Producers, in the presence of representatives of embassies, government institutions of all levels, sommeliers, distributors and other guests, the promotion of Bosnian winemakers began in mid-November in Istanbul, continued in Zagreb, Belgrade and Sarajevo.
Radovan Vukoje, president of the winemakers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an association that operates as a group within the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointed out that in 2021, great progress has been made in the promotion of Bosnia and Herzegovina winemakers, but also big steps towards the state Law on Wine.
“The law on wine was ready in 2009, but, unfortunately, it was overturned. We have been involved in this procedure for the last 18 months and I expect that it will be adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers next year. The law will sort out the market and the ambiguities that exist regarding imports, but also wines produced in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is very important that the law is passed and implemented as soon as possible. In parallel with the law, a vineyard register and a new reorganization should be made. In this way, the origin of the wine will be known, where it comes from and how it is sold. Winemaking is one of the fastest growing industries in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is functioning better and better. We have results, awards, top wines and all that is in our favor to regulate this area as soon as possible“, explains Vukoje.
As he emphasizes, it is very good that the winemakers have united and that everyone has one goal.
“We must present Herzegovina as one region. To convey all the features of the eastern part of Herzegovina, but also the western part, in the best possible light through our wines, and to feel those differences that give additional quality. This whole, which is associated with žilavka as an autochthonous variety, gives an unbreakable thread and viticultural history. Vineyards have been present in Herzegovina since the Illyrian period, which means that they have existed for more than 2,000 years. Our idea is to rely on the wine industry, which is highly developed, with specific products that our gastronomy has. We have really high-quality small producers of cheese, cured meat products, fish… These are the things that make the offer of enogastronomy at a very high level. We have a lot of organic vegetable producers. We want to include everything that is good in our wine road as a tourist product, in order to improve ourselves in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in the region and around the world. The role of restaurant owners, who need to cooperate with small producers from the area, is also important, as Toplik in East Sarajevo does. When we all join forces, nothing is difficult“, continues the owner of the Vukoje Cellar 1982.
For Vukoje Cellar, 1982 was the most successful year so far. They won numerous awards in America, and then had a notable performance at the Merano Wine Festival in Italy, where they received an invitation to present their best wines with the world’s most famous wineries, such as French Maison Champagne, Drappier, Rolly Gassmann and Joseph Perrier, Italian Antinori, Ornellaia, Cantina Terlan, Capanelle, Austrian Sepp Moser…
“The secret of our success is simply perseverance in terms of quality, primarily in the vineyard, because we strictly produce grapes for our needs from our two localities (Zasad polje and Carski vinograd) and we do not buy grapes. After a lot of work in the vineyard to produce good primary raw materials, diligent work in the cellar follows, so that what the land and the vineyard has given is poured into a glass. We patiently nurture our wines in the cellar, and let them mature and mature for up to eight years before they go on the market. Only in this way are they top notch when they come to the tables of restaurants, hotels around the world. This approach to quality as the only measure we want to have in our cellar, has led to our products being sold on three continents, in Europe, Asia and North America. We can be very satisfied. We are the leader in our country and among the best in the region. Continuity of quality is something that our consumers get and know how to appreciate all these years. In the end, my message is: buy domestic, because we have top-quality products. Stone is the soul of my country, my country is the soul of my wine“, said Vukoje, whose winery, in addition to wine, produces grape and herb brandies, but also olive oil and olives, because they have 1,000 olive trees of first-class quality.
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