I Kept Feeding the Soul of My Father's Winery

Gevgelija is among our favorite regions when it comes to a good glass of wine, told through the unique stories of local heroes who enrich our list.

Today, we will share the story of Venera Gelebesheva Krstic, a professional oenologist, who is now on our list of local heroes making small yet significant contributions to the development of tourism.

Venera graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture in Skopje and has dedicated her entire life to viticulture and fruit growing, which for her is a lifelong passion, love, and way of life.

She has worked as an oenologist for around 20 years. Throughout her career, she has had engagements in several renowned wineries, eventually ending up in her own winery, which is known to the people of Gevgelija as 'Jostela.

The 'Jostela' winery is located on the road to the Kozuf ski center, and in front of the winery, there are family vineyards from which the famous red wines are produced.

The passion for viticulture and wine is not only with Venera. In fact, her father, who is also an oenologist, decided to open his own winery where he would produce wine that, as he says, will awaken all the senses of people who are in love with this divine drink.

The 'Jostela' winery has been around since 2005, when her father opened it as a hobby, not expecting that one day it would grow into a family business. With his retirement, the reins were taken over by his daughter, who, together with her son, takes care of the winery's operations.

Jostela is primarily known for its red wines and, of course, the rosé made from Cabernet Franc, which is the most famous and best-selling wine.

The guests who visit the winery are mostly tourists in search of small and unique wineries, and there are also buyers who specifically seek out their wine.

Venera is happy that her winery can provide seasonal work for the local population, both in viticulture and in wine production.

This small family winery has ambitions to grow and develop. Currently, they sell their wine at the winery and through delivery, and soon it will also be available in Skopje.

You can find the contact and location for the winery in our 'GASTRONOMY' category or with a single click HERE.