From an Excel sheet to the vineyard.
Meet Anja
Anja Džipković · Founder, Anjino Vino
I grew up in Switzerland and studied law and economics there. My internship in the tobacco industry was supposed to be the next step. Instead I spent my days behind an Excel sheet, and none of it made sense to me. By the end of that year I honestly felt useless, like I wasn't adding any value to the company, or to anything.
What I always loved was cooking, making something from scratch with my own hands. Cooking was my first love. Somewhere along the way, it turned into vines and wine.
"Find what you love and let it kill you."
Quick Five
01
Morning ritual in harvest season?
Honestly? I look at my phone. First the weather for that morning, then probably Anjino Vino's Instagram. Then I get on with the day.
02
First wine that truly hooked you?
A biodynamic Chardonnay from the Jura, in France. It completely changed the way I saw winemaking.
03
What do you drink when it's not wine?
Three things, and three things only: a gin and tonic, a good cold beer, or a margarita on the rocks.
04
Hardest lesson the vineyard has taught you?
You can nurture the vineyard as much as you want, but if the weather decides to go against you, it's going to be a hard year. That's when you have to make very fast decisions to save your crop.
05
What does Anjino Vino taste like, beyond the notes?
Precise. I want my wines to express the terroir, and I'm proud of where they come from. You'll feel a signature in every one of them. And at the end of the day, I just hope you feel good and enjoy it.
"It's my wine, but it's still a family story."
When we saw the land in Velika Plana, it was love at first sight. We decided together, as a family, and that's why the winery carries our family name: Vinarija Džipković.
The wines are called Anjino Vino, Anja's wine, because I'm behind every step: the vineyard, the harvest, the decisions in the cellar, the bottling, the labels, and selling every bottle. It's my wine, but it's still a family story. I couldn't have done it without the people closest to me.
It was really, really hard. But it was the first time I understood what my hands could do, and the first time in a long while that I felt I was creating something of value in this world.
The people in the vineyard taught me patience, and to keep a calm, steady mind. The vines can feel your energy, so the most important thing is to bring good energy with you.
3 hectares of Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Prokupac, Serbia's own grape. We stay small on purpose.
"When someone drinks my wine, I still feel like a little child who got a new toy. Going around bars and restaurants and seeing people laugh and enjoy something we made is the biggest reward I could have asked for."
Anja Džipković · Founder, Anjino Vino