The opening of the renovated tavern of the Royal Winery on June 23rd in Oplenac, as part of the the fifth Sumadija wine festival, was a special event. The Royal Winery with a fully equipped degustation hall, shop and exhibition venue is the only regional center for presenting the rich offer of wines of Šumadija - the region in central Serbia.
The Royal Winery was built in 1931 by the Serbian royal family Karadjordjevic. Since its establishment, it was the main center for wine production in Serbia. The full revival of the Royal Winery took place only at the beginning of 21st century, as due to political regime there were no activities in the wine sector until late 20th century. Today, Royal Winery is the headquarter of the Association of Sumadija’s winemakers. The Association was established in 2013 in Topola and today has 16 members, which are all local wineries.
The renovation of the degustation hall is an integral part of the IMPULS wine project, implemented by the Regional Agency for Economic Development of Sumadija and Pomoravlje. The investment by the Swiss Government of EUR 60’000 includes the reconstruction and adaptation of 230 m2 of the winery. The venue will be used by the Association and its members for promotions, wine tasting, trainings and meetings, as well as for reception of tourists.
The IMPULS project is supported by the Swiss Government with EUR 438’000 as part of its Program Rural and Regional Development Support in Serbia. The total amount of the support in the first phase of this Program is EUR 3.36 million. The first phase will last until 2019.