Under the vineyards in Serbia, there is an area of almost 20,000 hectares, as shown by the official statistics of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and there are around 470 registered wineries. Market experts emphasize that this number has grown to over 600 in recent years because there has been significant investment in expanding vineyards, as well as in the construction and equipment of wineries.
The most fertile soil for vine cultivation in Serbia is undoubtedly in Fruška Gora and Šumadija, especially in the areas of Aranđelovac and Topola. In these regions, the most well-known and oldest wineries in our country have emerged. However, grapevine cultivation and the establishment of wineries in Serbia are becoming an increasingly interesting venture for entrepreneurs with experience in completely different economic sectors such as construction, banking, real estate, wholesale trade, or hospitality.
Thus, among the “vineyard owners,” the most well-known are Miodrag Kostić, the owner of the MK Group, and Rodoljub Drašković, who oversees the Svislajon conglomerate. Interestingly, in the last few years, numerous vineyard plots and wineries have also been acquired by Ivan Bošnjak and Stojan Vujko, owners of the powerful construction company Milenijum Tim. Several entrepreneurs from Vojvodina have also shown an inclination towards vineyards.
The well-known duo, Ivan Bošnjak and Stojan Vujko, embarked on the purchase of vineyards, at least on a large scale, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At that time, Milenijum Tim, through its subsidiary, Alea konsalting doo, acquired vineyards from Navipa in bankruptcy, located near Leskovac, through a public auction in September 2020. Along with the vineyards, they also acquired several buildings. The total initial estimated value of the vineyards and properties was around 135.4 million dinars, and they were sold for 67.7 million dinars (approximately 577,150 euros).
In a statement to Južne vesti, in an article from 2021, Bošnjak, who is also the director of the company Alea konsalting, confirmed the purchase of vineyards, disclosed the price at which they acquired them, and mentioned that it involves 186 hectares of vineyards.
The sales contract for Alea konsalting was concluded on October 5, 2020. Additionally, at that time, Južne vesti reported that a few months later (in December 2020), Milenijum Tim leased the remaining 521 hectares of state-owned land in that area for a period of 30 years.
Incidentally, in the Business Registers Agency (APR), the subsidiary company of Milenijum is registered under the name Alea konsalting doo Donje Stopanje, and its stated activity is precisely grape cultivation. The company is 100% owned by Milenijum Tim, with Bošnjak serving as the director.
According to the latest financial report from 2022, Alea konsalting had a revenue of around 56,570 euros (approximately 6,636,000 dinars), but also incurred a loss of about 638,380 euros (74,882,000 dinars). The company has 39 employees.
In their next foray into vineyards, albeit in a more transparent manner, Milenijum Tim made a move in 2022. At that time, Bošnjak and Vujko acquired Barik doo, namely Vinarija Šapat, from Miodrag Kostić. According to the Business Registers Agency (APR), Kostić was listed as the owner until April 2022 (not to be confused with Miodrag Kostić, the owner of MK Group).
The vineyards cover an area of over 12 hectares in Novi Slankamen. As stated on the Vinarija Šapat website, the entire winery complex was recently renovated “according to the highest standards and prepared for visitors who will be able to enjoy this unique place just an hour away from the capital city.” It is also mentioned that the complex spans 1,000 square meters, offering a view of the Danube.
In the Business Registers Agency (APR), the owners of the company Barik doo Novi Slankamen are listed as Ivan Bošnjak and Stojan Vujko, each with a 50% stake. In 2022, Barik had 14 employees, generated revenue of around 373,000 euros (approximately 43,757,000 dinars), but the company also recorded a loss of about 518,900 euros (60,878,000 dinars).
Another builder among the winemakers
The owner of Fruškogorskih Vineyards is Novi Sad businessman Gordan Bašić, who is not widely known to the public. The scope of activities of companies in which Bašić is a majority owner, co-owner, or has exited from in recent years is diverse. Among them are companies in the fields of construction, marketing and advertising, consulting, as well as firms dealing with video surveillance and computer equipment, with almost all of them registered in Novi Sad.
Bašić was linked to an abuse allegation in the privatization of the Rolling Bearings Industry (IKL) over 14 years ago, but he was later acquitted of the charges in that case.
Fruškogorski Vineyards were indeed purchased earlier, in 2006, at that time with 46 hectares under vines, and the winery in Banoštor was established in 2007. It goes by the name Kvet and is 100% owned by Bašić.
Information about the gradual expansion of the vineyards can be found on the winery’s website. It is mentioned that with the help and collaboration of renowned winemakers and grape growers, an additional approximately 25 hectares of vineyards were planted as early as 2007, and in 2009, another 8.5 hectares were added. The winery’s capacity was increased to 300,000 liters in 2016 and further expanded in the following years to reach 500,000 liters of wine. The total harvest is stated to be on approximately 80 hectares of vineyards.
According to data from the Business Registers Agency (APR), the company Fruškogorski vinogradi has 12 employees, and in 2022, it generated revenue of 640,200 euros (approximately 75,100,000 dinars), with a profit of about 8,580 euros (1,007,000 dinars).
Who is behind the name Zvonko Bogdan
It’s interesting that Zvonko Bogdan Winery is not owned by the well-known performer of old town music; he is only its “public face.” The owner of the winery in Palić is Lajoš Čakanj, a renowned businessman from Subotica. He is the owner or co-owner of several companies involved in wholesale trade of clothing and footwear, such as Ofis-šuz from Subotica, and the company Andeks, which is specifically engaged in grape cultivation. His family also owns Podrum Palić, which was visited by President Aleksandar Vučić along with the then-President of the Assembly of AP Vojvodina, Ištvan Pastor. They are also the owners of the most famous restaurant in Subotica, Boss.
In 2008, Lajoš Čakanj supported Zvonko Bogdan’s idea to start a winery. Initially, Zvonko Bogdan and several other individuals, both legal and physical entities, were involved in this business. According to the Business Registers Agency (APR) data, the company Andeks now holds a 38.8% stake in Zvonko Bogdan Winery, while Lajoš Čakanj personally owns 44.4% of the shares. His wife Judit holds seven percent, and their son Andor holds the remaining 9.8%.
The financial report from 2022 shows that Zvonko Bogdan Winery had revenue of around 3.39 million euros (397,574,000 dinars) and a net profit of approximately four million euros (470,761,000 dinars). The winery employs 48 people.
Incidentally, the winery in Palić was established in 1989, as mentioned on their website, and it spans 62 hectares of vineyards. They state that they produce 400,000 bottles of wine annually from their own vineyards.
Miodrag Kostić, along with his MK Group, founded in 1983, ventured into the field of viticulture and wine production in 2012 when he acquired Erdevik Winery. As stated on the winery’s website, Erdevik has 16.5 hectares of its own vineyards, and its storage capacity amounts to three million liters of wine. The website emphasizes that the winery is equipped with top-quality processing equipment and accommodation facilities for grape processing and wine production.
According to official data from the Business Registers Agency (APR), Erdevik Winery employs 29 people. The financial report indicates that Erdevik had a total business revenue of around 3.38 million euros and a profit of approximately 81,000 euros in 2022.
Miodrag Kostić’s MK Group celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. The group includes numerous companies in agriculture, food industry, tourism, hospitality, real estate, and banking.
Wine is also sweet for Rodoljub Drašković, the brother of the politician Vuk Drašković. He is the owner of the Svislajon Takovo conglomerate, which includes numerous food companies such as PIK Takovo, Banat from Vršac, a factory in Trebinje, and Vršac Vineyards since 2017. With the acquisition of the vineyards, Drašković became the owner of one of the largest and most renowned vineyards in our region.
Currently, as stated on the Vršac Vineyards website, there are a total of 530 hectares under vineyards, with more than half in their ownership, and the remaining land is under long-term lease.
Seven years ago, Svislajon signed a Sales Agreement with Vršac Vineyards in bankruptcy, thereby becoming the sole owner with 100% ownership of the company. At that time, a winery (Vinarija Drašković) was established at the foot of Vršac Hill, covering an area of around 8,000 square meters. According to the winery’s website, the facility is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for grape processing and wine production, with a capacity of 5.6 million liters of wine.
In 2019, the company Vršački vinogradi was deregistered from the Business Registers Agency and was merged into Drašković’s Svislajon Takovo.
Vinarija Čoka is indeed one of the well-known wineries. It was established in 1903, and after the Second World War, it was under state ownership. The winery was privatized in 2001. In the Business Registers Agency (APR), the company is registered under the name Vinarija Čoka plus, with its headquarters in Subotica. The ultimate 100% owner is the Cypriot company Spadier Holdings Limited. The actual owners of the winery, with a half share each, are Dragan Simović and Snežana Josipović.
Simović is well-known in Serbian football as the current president of the Football Association of Vojvodina. He is also the honorary president of the football club Spartak Ždrepčeva krv from Subotica, which is led by his son Nikola as the president. He is also the owner of the company Simeks, which produces strong alcoholic beverages.
The vineyards of Čoka cover an area of approximately 150 hectares, with an additional 150 hectares under arable crops. The annual production of the winery amounts to about six million liters of wine.
The financial report for the year 2022, according to APR data, indicates that the company is performing excellently. It generated revenue of over one billion dinars, specifically around 1.17 billion dinars (approximately 9.98 million euros), with a net profit of about 20.05 million dinars (around 170,950 euros). Čoka Winery employs more than 120 people.
Old winemakers are doing excellently
In addition to well-known and prominent names, in the vineyard waters, families Radovanović, Kovačević, Aleksandrović, and Aleksić have long established their names, exclusively associated with wine.
Miodrag Radovanović founded Podrum in Krnjevo in 1990 on his well-preserved grandfather’s vineyard, establishing it as the first Serbian private winery focused on producing high-quality wines. As stated on the Radovanović Winery website, they own 50 hectares of vineyards “scattered across the slopes of hills at 220 meters above sea level in the spacious basin in the heart of Šumadija, on the land where the first vineyards were planted as far back as 1831.” In 2022, this winery had a revenue of around 2.55 million euros and a profit of about 289,300 euros.
Kovačević Winery in Irig on Fruška Gora has a family tradition of winemaking for over 100 years. Miroslav Kovačević took over and established the modern winery in 2001. They own more than 75 hectares of vineyards across Fruška Gora, with an additional 55 hectares ready for new plantations. The revenue in 2022 amounted to around 6,190,000 euros, with a profit of 890,500 euros.
A new stage in the development of Aleksandrović Winery began in 2000 when a new winery was built, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for producing premium wines. As stated on the winery’s website, the Aleksandrović family, with its wines, is the leading Serbian private winery. They utilize 75 hectares of their own vineyards located just a few kilometers from the winery, spread across three different locations – Vinča, Ježevac, and Bokanja.
In 2022, Aleksandrović Winery generated revenue of around 4.2 million euros, with a profit of approximately 908,000 euros. Božidar Aleksandrović holds 70% of the shares in the winery, while his three daughters, Katarina, Anđela, and Jelisaveta, each hold 10%.
In 2006, three sisters established Aleksić Winery in Vranje. The winery produces 500,000 liters of wine annually. The most significant business endeavor for the three sisters, as stated on the winery’s website, was leasing 70 hectares of land for establishing their own vineyards. In 2022, the winery had a revenue of around 2.72 million euros and a profit of about 213,400 euros. Two sisters each hold 33% of the shares in the winery, while the third holds 34%.
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