Three centuries of the reign of bishops in Đakovo is matched with wine production. Any not just any, liturgical ones. Even socialist government allowed the label liturgical wine, although in the beginning they thought it was – church propaganda. Bishop’s vines have been harvested from the slopes in Trnava, Rtl.hr reported on October 19, 2016.
“Liturgical wines are those we produce in our cellar with a three-century tradition,” says the enologist in the winery of the Đakovo-Osijek archdiocese Miro Bošnjak.
The history of liturgical wine dates back to the 13th century, with a rich archive in the cellar underneath the archdiocese building. They take pride in their Traminer.
“Our wines cannot contain any chemistry, they must be such the priest can take them and serve Holy Mass, otherwise they would not be allowed or valid,” says the economist of the archdiocese Nedjeljko Čutura.
Making sure the Đakovo priesthood has a quality drink is reverend Stjepan Karalić. He renovated the vineyards 40 years ago, protected their geographic origin and in socialism fought for the label Liturgical wine.
“At mass, on the altar in the cathedral we use an electoral harvest from 2007 when the wine should have been an ice wine,” says Stjepan Karalić, retired economist and winemaker of the archdiocese.
Archbishop Đuro Hranić prefers the Graševina, with slightly more acids.
“At mass I drink what the nun pours, usually the predicate Traminer. But personally from our liturgical wines I drink the Graševina,” says mons. Đuro Hranić.
“People take our Traminer and say ‘so good, so sweet!’, and then see two roads,” jokes Čutura.
Đakovo priests are not breaking the long tradition – with God’s blessing, but they joke and say: there is no protection from the heavens when the crop is in question.
