Homemade wine, ukleja, honey, olives, sausages, homemade cheese and prosciutto... - this is part of what could be found at the stands in Virpazar on the first day of the Wine and ukleja Festival.
The rain did not stop numerous local and foreign guests from trying specialties from Crmnica and other parts of Montenegro.
The queue for free samples was long, some haggled and some didn't ask for the price after trying some wines. The smell of fish could be felt all the way to the main road.
President of the Crmnica Local Community, Tomo Uksanovic, told "Vijesta" that the rain did not disrupt the plans because they had good preparation and that they were very satisfied with the number of visitors.
"In the coming years, we plan to have the festival at the beginning of March, which would also mean the beginning of the tourist season in Virpazar, that is, in the Skadar Lake National Park. As soon as the weather is nice, we have visitors here, we have cruises, and it was always our goal that this event symbolically marks the beginning of the season," he said.
In the competition for the best wine, as Ukšanović said, there were 35 samples, of which six won gold medals, and there were more than 10 silver and 10 bronze medals.
"We, as organizers, can only be satisfied with the quality of those wines," he concluded.
At more than twenty stands, you could try and buy wine, calamari and other fish, cured meats and cheese, dried meat, fruits and vegetables, honey, olives, souvenirs and various handicrafts - from carp to earrings.
Code Spring Đurišić on the table yesterday there was mostly bream, but also marinated carp, trout, and grasshoppers.
"There are people, but we will see because we have just started. This festival is usually in December, so we will see how it will be in March", is a short comment she made while serving customers.
Good wines - good friends too
Budimir Miranović from Donji Kokot, last year's winner of the award for the best wine, in front of the various bottles, he highlighted the numerous awards he received for his product. As he said, he has everything - white, black and pink.
"I have wines from our autochthonous varieties, from Vranc and Kratosia, and I also have introduced varieties such as Istrian Malvasia, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon... and Mali Plavac. This year I did not participate in the competition for the best wine because I had certain health problems, but my son poured a rosé wine from...", said Miranović.
He has a hunch that one of the best awarded wines is just that. He is happy that his son found himself in winemaking, as he did, because it is his hobby that, as he points out, makes his life better.
"Life is much shorter than people think and you should live beautifully," he said.
His message is accompanied by the banner of his stand, which says that life is too short to drink bad wines.
Miranović said that there is a lot of interest, however, he thinks, everything depends on what the weather will be like and whether they will allow visitors to come. He believes that the festival should not be in December, so he is satisfied that this year it is in March. He hopes, as he said, that it will be sometime in April or May.
"Then people will have the opportunity to take a walk, to enjoy fine wines, music and everything that makes life beautiful, that it can offer. I say that whoever pours good wines - also has good friends", said Miranović.
Student stand
The prices are modest at the stand of the students of the elementary school "Jovan Tomašević" from Virpazar, where they sold their handicrafts, decoupage and homemade soaps, collecting money for the school. They honestly said that, despite the low prices, they do not refuse if someone offers more.
In the first hours of the festival, there were many guests, and cars were parked along the highway. There was also a crowd at the train station in Virpazar, where mostly foreign guests came from Russia, Ukraine and England.
Some of them told the "Vijesti" reporter that they found out about the Festival of Wine and Ukleve through social networks, and some of them were personally invited by the Crmnik hosts when they visited Virpazar earlier. They always like to try, as they say, local specialties and excellent wine.
Local restaurateurs are also satisfied with the first day of the festival, as most of the visitors stop by for coffee and cakes in the occasional bursts of rain.
The unique offer of Crmnica
The 26th Wine and Wine Festival was opened by the President of the Municipality of Bar Dušan Raicevic, pointing out that it promotes the wealth of Crmnica and that it was initially designed to promote the production of wine and gastronomy.
"However, the fact is that Virpazar and Crmnica itself become a recognizable tourist destination year after year, and that the season may begin here at Virpazar the earliest. This confirms the increase in the number of visits that we record from year to year, and in agreement with the festival organizers, we came up with the idea that this will be the first year that we organize the festival in March", he said.
Raičević said that in the coming years the festival will be held in March, unlike the past when it was traditionally held in December. According to Raičević, the men and women of Crmničan managed to create a unique offer for tourists that is a combination of natural beauty and gastronomy.
Crmni residents and guests were entertained yesterday by the "Rumija" folklore ensemble. Rajko Jolicic, Tanja Sheter, Bane Mojićević i Nikola Bušković. Prizes for the best wine will be presented today, and they are in charge of the entertainment Ema Čivović, Knez and Cuba band.
The festivals are organized by the Crmnica Municipality and the Association of Winemakers, under the auspices of the Municipality of Bar and the Tourism Organization of Bar.
Bonus video:
