The popularity of Kutjevo wine and its cellars grows every year, as evidenced by over five million three hundred thousand bottles sold annually...
In Golden Slavonia, specifically in Kutjevo, there is now a vault where you can store 1,232 bottles of wine. This number is symbolic and refers to the year 1232, when the story of the oldest wine cellar in Croatia began. Kutjevo is located at the same latitude of 45.3 degrees as famous wine regions like Istria, Piedmont, the Rhône Valley, Bordeaux, and Oregon. Within the Kutjevo Wine Region, there are Čaglin, Kutjevo, Kaptol, and Velika, covering a total of 800 hectares of vineyards producing high-quality wines, such as Graševina (Welschriesling).
Photo: Vedran Bošković, Kutjevo d.d.
Even Empress Maria Theresa knew this, as she visited the then-new baroque palace in Kutjevo, which housed the oldest cellar below. The empress was there in 1741, a year after she ascended the throne, accompanied by her protector, Baron Franz Trenck, who had provided military support to defend her reign. European rulers did not recognise female sovereignty, which led to the War of the Austrian Succession.
It is believed that Maria Theresa and Franz Trenck were not planning war strategies in the cellar, despite locking themselves there for seven days, as evidenced by what the cellar workers found behind them – numerous scattered wine bottles and about seventy marks still visible today. It is assumed they were counting the bottles they opened, though it is possible they were counting something else... Wine has long been known as one of the strongest aphrodisiacs in various cultures. Speaking of which, the Kutjevo cellar also features a “table of love wishes.” A person who places their left palm in the hollow of this table is believed to gain luck in love.
Photo: Borna Subota, TZPSŽ
Since 1896, the castle and cellar have been in the hands of the Turković family, and today it is a symbol of Croatian wine culture. The popularity of Kutjevo wine and its cellar grows year after year, as evidenced by over five million three hundred thousand bottles sold annually. Besides being a tourist attraction, the cellar has also taken on a new role in recent years, becoming a vault where wines from the region are stored. Certain varieties reach their full taste potential only after a few years, and as we know, it is hard to resist a good wine, especially when it is within reach, as the story of the empress and baron shows.
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Photo: Kutjevo d.d.
The wines are stored under ideal conditions, which have been ensured by the oenologists, who also determine the date when each variety reaches its peak. Once that time arrives, the bottle owner is invited to the cellar, where they can enjoy the wine with friends in a fitting ambience, decorated with the largest barrel made of Slavonian oak, and where the oldest Graševina from 1947 is archived.
There is still the option to leave your wine with professional oenologists, who will give you an ID card with a location mark, a label with the date when the wine will be ready, a vial containing a sample of the "terroir" from the vineyard, and a membership token that allows you to participate in tastings in Kutjevo.
Photo: Kutjevo d.d.
The 1232 cellar thus becomes a recognisable part of the Golden Slavonia destination, connecting local winegrowers with tourists, a place that encourages the creation of better wine varieties while also preserving the essence behind making precious drops – tasting in good company, joy in life, and celebrating beautiful moments – none of this happens without wine. The vault is a beautiful project that demonstrates the happy fusion of tradition and modernity.