The Montenegrin stand was visited today by the representative of the ProWein fair, Nemanja Hadži-Pavlović, who pointed out the importance of the presence of Montenegrin winemakers at this prestigious wine and spirits fair.
"We are very pleased and honored that Montenegro has chosen ProWein as the platform for presenting Montenegrin wineries on the international stage. ProWein is one of the world's leading wine and spirits fairs with a tradition of more than 30 years, and every year it brings together more than 3,000 exhibitors. I believe that this is an exceptional platform for internationalization, establishing international contacts and finding distributors on the global market. ProWein provides Montenegrin wineries with the opportunity to connect not only with large distributors, but also directly with large restaurants, hoteliers, bars, wine shops and end sellers who come into contact with consumers. Some of the Montenegrin wineries that are participating here already have exports to foreign markets, but I believe that even those smaller wineries that have not yet established contact with international distributors can do so here," said Hadži-Pavlović.
In the process of internationalization of the Montenegrin wine market, Hadži-Pavlović emphasizes the special role of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro. "The Chamber of Commerce has a vision that Montenegrin wineries should present themselves and market their products on foreign markets. It believes that this long-term vision will enable the results to be visible in a few years and that wineries will be increasingly present on foreign markets, among other things, thanks to appearances at fairs such as ProWein," added Hadži-Pavlović.
Although the company "13. jul - Plantaže" has already built a recognizable brand that is present on the international market, the export director of the company Plantaže, Aleksandar Rajković, points out the importance of the joint participation of Montenegrin wineries at the ProWein fair. "The company Plantaže exports almost half of its production to over 40 international markets - from Europe, Canada, America, China, and all the way to Australia. What we have experienced from these markets is that the wine market is extremely developed, that the competition is huge from all countries, not only those traditionally known for wine production. The presentation of Plantaže, other wineries and Montenegro in general as a country of wine is therefore extremely important. This way we can meet the competition, see how the wine world functions at the highest level and see what we need to do in order to position ourselves as best as possible on the global market. For us as winemakers and someone who has been trying to position Montenegrin wines on the global stage for decades, any help is welcome, and the Chamber of Commerce is working more and more in that direction, which makes us particularly happy," said Rajković.
The representative of the Krgović winery, Bojan Krgović, emphasizes that the support of the Chamber of Commerce was crucial for their participation in this important fair. "As a small winery, we do not have the conditions to appear independently at such a fair - both logistically and financially. It is very important for us to participate in the ProWein fair together with other wineries because this is an excellent promotion of the Montenegrin wine scene, which is insufficiently known on the European market. It is also important for us personally because we can potentially create contacts for export to the European Union, and perhaps to some other markets in the world," said Krgović.
Miloš Rajković from the Buk winery also sees participation in the fair as a potential for further business development.
"We are not large producers, we produce about 15,000 bottles per year from seven labels. Our plan is to remain a smaller winery that will produce 25,000 to 30,000 bottles per year, and to try to establish cooperation with some collectors, smaller restaurants or wine bars," said Rajković.
With its diverse and authentic offer, the Lipovac winery is presenting itself to potential new markets at the fair. "At the moment, we are exporting wine to three countries - Russia, Japan and Taiwan. We plan to expand the market further, we are currently in negotiations with several more countries. Our range includes ten different labels, from white, orange wines, to rosé, to red wines. We have a special edition of amphora wines, which makes us unique in the region. We also produce sparkling wine using the traditional method, as well as grape brandy. I think we have something to offer at the ProWein fair, we hope for new cooperation and opportunities for export," said Pavle Mićunović, a representative of the Lipovac winery.
