HOW THE LALOVIĆ FAMILY TURNED THEIR OASIS INTO A FAMILY BUSINESS

The Lalović family exemplifies how dedicated work and diligence on one's own land can lead to a thriving business. In 2014, they planted a vineyard, and from it, they produce two types of homemade wine. Twenty-five-year-old Vasilije Lalović decided to stay on his family estate and, together with his family members, expand the family wine production business.

Today, their vineyard produces white grapes of the Bačka and Petra varieties, and red grapes of the Frankovka and Merlot varieties. From these, they produce two types of homemade wine – white and red.

“As they say, a vineyard doesn’t need a master but a servant. There’s work around the vineyard from early spring to early autumn. There's quite a lot of work around the vineyard – spraying, tilling, pruning. Right now, we are in the autumn pruning phase, preparing for spring to make things a bit easier. The grape harvest itself requires a significant amount of work that can't be done in one day. It takes 2-3 days to harvest, even though this is a small vineyard on one dunum. We have a lot of work to do,” Vasilije told ATV.

Vasilije has found his oasis of peace in the village of Donja Čađavica near Bijeljina, where he grows and harvests his crops. A small house, a vineyard, and a wine cellar are the places where he enjoys everything he does while creating the best wines. From harvesting the grapes to the final product, he says, his hands are always full. This process is his favorite, and he enjoys every new challenge.

“It’s a very fun process. From harvesting the grapes to waiting for the grapes to ferment in a vat, and then when we draw off the wine, to the fermentation process in the bottles that can be seen in our cellar, where we just wait for the wine to age, transforming from sweet juice to drinkable wine that we later serve at our celebrations, for Christmas, and to treat our guests,” says Vasilije, adding, “When the wine finishes its first fermentation, we have to transfer it to another bottle to remove it from the sediment because there are tannins and other impurities from the grape skins that need to be removed. We need to remove the young wine to prevent further spoilage.”

If the opportunity arises, Vasilije plans to expand the production.