BEGIĆ BOUTIQUE WINERY
Our story
Our story begins in the small village of Prolog (Ljubuški – Bosnia and Herzegovina) and its “Rastok” field, which spans two countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, and two famous wine regions, Western Herzegovina and Dalmatia.
Centuries-old tradition
Our story begins in the small village of Prolog (Ljubuški – Bosnia and Herzegovina) and its “Rastok” field, which spans two countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, and two famous wine regions, Western Herzegovina and Dalmatia.
The Rastok field, the village of Prolog, and the people in it, never knew the border between the two countries, they lived connected, in harmony with nature, respect and tradition, using only the best they could get from both sides. This very fact will create a beautiful story, which will be recognizable throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond.
100 years of tradition
Our story begins with the return of great-grandfather Luka from America.
At the beginning of the 20th century, great-grandfather Luka returned from emigration from America, and planted the first small vineyards in the Rastok field and produced small quantities of wine for family and friends. After him, in the early 1960s, the vineyards were taken over by our grandfather Jakov, who went to visit a friend on Pelješac (Croatia – Dalmatia) and brought the first vines of “Plavac Mali”, the most famous and highest quality variety of Dalmatia, to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is interesting that grandfather Jakov wanted to plant the “plavka” variety, which was then being planted en masse in our and Vrgorje’s region, and by mistake he brought in Plavac mali vines. The result, due to the specificity of “plavca mali”, was a smaller harvest, but on the contrary, a higher quality of wine, and it became known in the area that the best wine was drunk in the Begić family’s house.
Until 1998, wine production was intended exclusively for family, relatives and friends. Then our father Leon, a young banker and wine enthusiast, started more serious, professional production, as an addition to his job. That year, for the first time in our cellar, wine was bottled, the first label was attached and the year ended with the first 600 bottles, which were quickly distributed to relatives, friends and business partners.
The reactions to the quality of the wine were more than positive, Žilavka stood alongside other Žilavkas from large wineries, and Plavac mali found its way onto the Bosnian and Herzegovina market for the first time as a domestic product. Seeing the potential of Plavac mali, which gives excellent results in this micro location, where Herzegovina meets Dalmatia, efforts were made to protect the geographical origin, and the solution was obtained in 2001.
Year after year, we have increased our wine production and planted more vines, and the most attention has been paid to investing in modern technology. Today, our cellar produces approximately 20,000 bottles of top-quality wines per year, with the famous labels Plavac mali, Plavac mali Barrique, Plavac Rose and Žilavka. We have also expanded our production to include strong alcoholic beverages, domestic Loza and Travarica, and liqueurs Višnjevača and Orahovača.
Over the following decades, wine remained an integral part of our family life. New generations grew up in the vineyards, inheriting the love for the vine and the knowledge of its cultivation. Although production was still modest, the wines from our cellar were recognizable by their character and became an indispensable part of every family celebration and holiday. The tradition was passed down from generation to generation – quietly but steadily – until the time came for the story to take a step further.