Vinceška

On the slopes of Banovo Brdo in Baranja, the traditional Vinceška celebration was held at the Vina Belje winery and vineyards – Baranja’s local name for the feast day of Saint Vincent, the patron saint of winegrowers and winemakers. Baranja is one of Croatia’s best-known wine regions, with centuries of viticultural tradition, which is why wine celebrations such as Vinceška are an important part of local culture.

In keeping with tradition, the Belje vineyards were decorated with Baranja kulen and sausages, and the ceremonial pruning was carried out by Martina Dalić, President of the Management Board of Podravka, Davor Doko, President of the Management Board of Podravka Agri, Damir Leko, President of the Management Board of Belje Plus, and Suzana Zovko, Director of Vina Belje. The vineyard and vines were blessed by the parish priest, Rev. Petar Belina, and the vines were “watered” with wine to ensure a bountiful harvest this year.

Speaking at the celebration, Davor Doko, President of the Management Board of Podravka Agri, highlighted: “We are extremely proud of the results and awards our wines received over the past year. Vina Belje has been named Croatia’s best winery four times at prestigious international competitions, and Goldberg Red has won nine gold medals, becoming Belje’s most awarded wine in 2025. These awards are a strong confirmation of quality and motivate us to continue investing in viticulture and winemaking. Podravka Agri is the largest agricultural company in the region, managing Belje, Vupik and PIK Vinkovci, and we have ambitious plans for further growth and development, set out in our development strategy through 2030. We are going to invest EUR 200 million in four new pig farms and in expanding, modernising and automating our dairy farms. We are also going to invest in irrigation systems to reach 21% of our land under irrigation, modernise our sowing plan, and continue investing in new technologies and the digitalisation of our business.”

Graševina is the dominant variety in the Vina Belje vineyards and portfolio, and leading international experts consider the Danube region (Podunavlje) and Baranja a global benchmark for Graševina. The variety accounts for nearly 30% of the domestic market, and demand continues to grow – so Belje’s young Graševina wines from the 2025 harvest are already ready for release.