As ancient wine growing-winemaking traditions dictate, January 22nd is the celebration of Vincekovo; the beginning of a new wine growing year. Winemakers will use the occasion to visit their vineyards, drench a few vines with good wine, gift it with homemade sausage and prune the first branches to take home and place in water, in order to see how the vines are doing in the winter. The host of this year’s celebration of Vincekovo in the town of St. Ivan Zelina will be the Winemakers and Wine Growers Association Brina, while the customs will take place in the vineyard of an association member, Zagrebancija reported on January 16, 2017.
The Vincekovo 2017 programme in St. Ivan Zelina begins on January 22, 2017 at 14h with a mass dedicated to St. Vinko, the deacon, with a blessing of the vineyards in the St. Spirit chapel in Vrtače. At 15h the pruning and drenching of vines follows as per the folk customs of the Zelina area, with the Croatian Singing Society Zelina. From 16h there will be refreshments in the form of mulled wine and homemade sausages, with a performance by Brina band.
Celebration organisers are the town of St. Ivan Zelina, local tourism board and the Brina association.
