15 March 2019 - According to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Mulutin Simović, Montenegrin wine growing and winemaking sector is making significant progress and will have even stronger government support in the coming years. As Simović assessed, Montenegrin dedicated wine growers and wine makers, as well as growing support provided by the Government of Montenegro, is responsible for the evidenced development of this sector, for which the country does have natural predispositions.
The support of the Government for the winemaking sector is crucial, as the agricultural budget funding is increasing by the year. The European pre-accession funds also support this sector.
During the visit of the IX International Wine Salon MonteVino 2019 held in Podgorica, Simović said that one of the indicators of the development of the sector is the fact that in 2019, Montenegro noted 227 wine growers and 108 wineries in the wine growing register. "We remind you that in 2007 when we embarked on a strong development project for Montenegro for this important sector, we had only four wineries in the register," Simović added.
He pointed out that it is essential that Montenegro has numerous old wineries with a long tradition, which can still keep track of modern trends and produce high-quality wine. Simović said that the optimistic predictions for the winemaking sector development are created based on the country’s valuable winegrowers and winemakers, who are following the latest technologies and standards, preserving the importance of Montenegrin winegrowing sector. Montenegro takes great pride in its unique and recognizable winemaking tradition that is passed through many generations.
During his visit to this prestigious wine event, Deputy Prime Minister Simović greeted all the exhibitors, including 22 wineries from Montenegro that took part in the manifestation/
The Minister also expressed encouragement with the fact that the number of domestic exhibitors at the MonteVino event grows year after year and the belief that the number of Montenegrin quality winemakers that take part in the manifestation will increase in the coming years.
He evaluated that the presence of wineries from other countries, especially the region, sends a message from Montenegro about the country’s openness, readiness and consistency in respect of signed free trade agreements. At the same time, the Montenegrin minister expects that local wines get the same welcoming reception when they perform on regional markets.
