21 January Saint Vinco’s day or best known as Vincekovo is the day of the year when wines and vineyards are blessed.
St.Vinco’s day marks the start of the winemaking year.
Saint Vinco is the patron saint of vineyards and winemakers.
On Vinchekovo winemakers and viticulturists visit vineyards en masse for the first time at the start of the winemaking year. By symbolically pruning the vines, they declare the start of winemaking season. Owners hang sausages and jugs of wine on the vines, so that clusters in the new year are built as large as the kulen. Later those vines are christened with local wine.
Regardless of the weather, the owner of the vineyard gets to the vine and cuts off three branches with the buds. Then puts inside the house in a container of water by the window, in warm weather they bloom and small “grapes” appear. According to which the viticulturists predict what the harvest will be this year.
Viticulturists pray to their patron Saint Vinco for a good harvest in the new year and for the protection of their vineyard from everything that can harm it.
End of the Saint Vinko day is celebrated by wine and food prepared on an opened fire next to the vineyard.