A traditional Martinje celebration was held in a tent near the cellar of Kutjevo winery Zorica Tandara, bringing together more than 100 friends, guests and business partners from all over Croatia as well as from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The centrepiece of the ceremony was the baptism of the new wine, following the old Kutjevo custom, led by wine bishop Ivan Fistrić, better known as Fio Kutjevački. He was assisted by acolytes Željko Rebić from Vinkovci and Boris Krunovar from Samobor.
The new wine godmother was Ljiljana Prnjak Lile, an entrepreneur from Split. She thereby assumed responsibility for the young wine, regular cellar visits and monitoring its development. Former godparents were also present: Fra Jozo Tomas, guardian of the monastery in Kreševo, Robert Zvjerac from Usora, and last year’s godfather Zdravko Dedić Žuti from Zagvozd.
The Tandara family will no longer maintain the Vincelova customs, and the vincilirski key was returned by Mirko Joskić from Jaru.
Hostess Zorica, with the help of her collaborators, prepared 200 homemade sarma. These were served with various dried meat products, cracklings, sausages cooked in red wine, spit-roasted piglet, homemade salads and a rich selection of cakes. Guests tasted the baptised Graševina and older wines from the winery.
The celebration lasted until late in the evening with live music by the Germa band from Doboja.
