The first pruning of wines in the biggest vineyard in the RS, known as “Carski Vinograd” (Imperial Vineyard), the Vukoje family from Trebinje marked the day of Saint Tryphon, the patron saint and protector of vineyards.
Celebrating the patron saint of wine tasting of the varieties that are native to this area, from 2008, 2009 and 2010, the Vukoje family said that its new project is to expand its market from Europe to Asia and the USA, as well as in areas of tourism and healthy food.
‘’Our wines have been on the Asian market for a few days, which will expand our exports and contribute to a better reputation of Herzegovinian wine from our basements. Our wines are a pioneer in modern winemaking in this part of Europe”, said Radovan Vukoje, the Director of “Podruma Vukoje”.
He said that their ambitions are to enter the US market, and markets in other continents. Recalling that the first champaigne in the RS was well received in the market, Vukoje says that this year from their cellars there is a new novelty, which is the first desert wine from a 2011 harvest and from dried berry indigenous to the Herzegovinian black variety.
“What we can announce for this year is the opening of the first wine gallery, which will represent the first such facility in Eastern Europe. Well-known wine countries like Italy and France already have something like this, so we wish to provide a different picture of wine from our region’’, said Radovan Vukoje.
The wine gallery will be around 600 square meters and will be one of the most prestigious places of this kind in the region, and tourists with an affinity for wine will be able to pass through it.
In this way the Vukoje family, which places quality before quantity, have limited produced to 120,000-150.000 bottles of excellent wine a year. They are leading in the wine tourism in the region, and last year they had around 15.000 tourists.
Radovan Vukoje announced plans for new projects regarding the question of the export of olives, which represent an essential part of the Mediterranean and Herzegovinian diet.
‘’Next to our vineyards in Zasad Polje, during this upcoming spring we will begin to plant olive trees. We only serve authentic regional dishes, and olives and olive oil are essentials in our kitchen’’, said Vukoje.