For winemakers in continental Croatia, St. Vincent is one of the patron saints and St. Vincent’s Day (22 January) is one of the most important dates in the year’s calendar. Although the weather is usually still freezing and to the untrained eye there’s still nothing to anticipate the happy Dionysian days that lie ahead, it marks the beginning of the new cycle in the vineyards.

The winemaker’s duty is to go to the vineyard, ritually prune several young grape vines with buds and keep them at his house, to try to predict whether it would be a good year or not. The pruned vine has to be baptized, i.e. sprinkled with the old wine. And – the best part – the vines have to be symbolically decorated with things like sausages and bacon. Their role is to call for fertility, good harvest and success. The whole process suggests that this custom dates back to pagan times, especially since the saint himself had nothing to do with wine or wine making during his life.

(photo by Kutjevo)

After the official ceremony in the vineyard is done, of course, it’s time to celebrate with friends, family and fellow winemakers. This means plenty of good, hearty traditional winter food, wine and music. Many wineries and restaurants nowadays organize special theme parties and dinners in the honour of St. Vincent’s.

Our fearless reporter Ribafish spent St. Vincent’s Day, or Vincekovo, as it is known in Croatian, in Kutjevo, in the heart of Slavonian wine making industry. Since Slavonians are known to appreciate good, plentiful and artery-clogging food, there was more than enough to keep everybody full and happy: sausages rolled in bacon, roast suckling pig, slowly grilled carp (šaran na rašljama), sarma (sour cabbage meat rolls) and even ox roast. Let’s hope year 2012 will be equally plentiful and generous to Slavonian vineyards and their prime product – Graševina wine!