Goran Velimirović, lawyer and founder of the winery “Velimirovich Heritage Winery”
Our magazine’s interviewee, Goran Velimirović, is an example of a person who proves that with strong ambition, a clear goal, and a willingness to make sacrifices, great achievements can be reached. He has had an outstanding legal career – from judge at the Basic and Higher Courts in Podgorica to founder of the prestigious law firm “Velimirović & Partners”. He has also succeeded as an entrepreneur in the real estate business, and, out of deep respect for his family heritage, he expanded the vineyards in his birthplace Malenza, a hamlet in Zagarač, and founded the winery “Velimirovich Heritage Winery”. Although fulfilled in all areas – both family and professional – Velimirović, through his candidacy for judge of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro, shows that dreams have no expiration date. While he does not hide his happiness at having fulfilled many of his dreams, he continues, confidently and with renewed enthusiasm, to set new challenges for himself.
Mr. Velimirović, you have a rich and respectable legal background. After a long career as a judge, you transitioned into the world of advocacy. What have decades of working in law taught you? Is justice attainable, or merely an elusive ideal?
Thank you for your observation! I truly do have a rich legal career, and I am genuinely proud of it. To put it figuratively – I have two ‘adulthoods’ in the two most significant legal professions, each with 18 years of experience: one in the judiciary and the other in advocacy. I have had the opportunity to witness how justice is carried out from two opposing positions – from the perspective of a judge, the one who must make the decision and who stands at the top of the pyramid called the pursuit of truth and justice; and, on the other side, through the lens of a lawyer, whose role is to provide legal assistance to people, sometimes guilty, sometimes innocent. The so-called adulthood I acquired in the judiciary convinced me that the role of a judge can be very solitary when it comes to the process of decision-making. When you make a decision after a longer or shorter court proceeding – whether in criminal or civil cases – you are left alone with yourself and there is no one else to share that kind of responsibility with. I believe justice is certainly attainable; if that weren’t the case, it would be deeply demotivating for me and for all legal professionals who have chosen this path. Of course, sometimes the road to justice is very long. However, the ideal of justice lies at the core of every social community, not just the state. I also think that we, as individuals who personify the legal professions, must always serve as a stimulus to younger generations and instill in them the belief that justice is attainable and remains the inviolable ideal of every democratic society. Furthermore, I must say that I am relatively satisfied with the state of the judiciary in Montenegro. If I were to grade it on a scale from one to five, I would give it a three. So, Montenegrin justice is not as bad as it is sometimes portrayed in the media, but it is certainly not excellent either, and there is significant room for improvement.
It is well known that the legal profession dates back to antiquity. In that sense, what sets this profession apart from other areas of human activity, and to what extent has advocacy, from ancient times to today, managed to preserve that original pursuit of a better and more just society?
Some professions or sciences have changed far less since ancient times compared to others. One such field is undoubtedly legal science and, within it, the legal (advocacy) profession. To this day, we continue to build legal systems on the foundations of Roman law, and we also know that Rome drew its roots from ancient Greece. Here, we can draw a parallel and point out that law, like philosophy, has not fundamentally changed over the past two thousand years. As I mentioned, we still rely on Roman law and frequently refer to Greek and Roman philosophers. On the other hand, medicine and technical sciences have advanced immeasurably more. Therefore, law is a traditional and conservative science, and the same applies to the judiciary as a profession. In that sense, the purpose and principles on which the legal profession is based have not significantly changed from ancient times to the present day. Advocacy seeks practical solutions to various situations, but it often does not aim to achieve justice itself. Therefore, the old Latin maxim “Ius est ars boni et aequi” (The law is the art of the good and the fair) I would more closely associate with the judiciary than with advocacy. Lawyers, in their efforts to protect the rights and interests of their clients, sometimes present facts in a different light than how they truly are in reality.
As a break from the demanding legal profession, you have dedicated your free time to developing the production of high-quality wine. You are the founder of the “Velimirovich Heritage Winery”, and your vineyards in Zagarač, where you come from, grace a significant part of the hamlet Malenza – whose name is also carried by one of your wines. What inspired you to step into the world of winemaking, and what story do you wish to tell through your wines?
For me, winemaking and viticulture are much more than just a hobby or a business. It was the desire to preserve tradition that truly motivated me to step more seriously into the world of grape cultivation and wine production. I am a very traditional person, in the sense that I have a deeply rooted desire to promote and maintain everything good – not only in my family’s heritage but also in the heritage of the Montenegrin people. In that context, I saw the care for and development of our family vineyards as a natural part of that mission. In Zagarač, where I come from, cultivating grapevines has for centuries been one of the primary agricultural activities of almost every household. Although I was born and raised in Podgorica, I have always felt Zagarač to be my true root, especially knowing that my family has been there for over 400 years. Our Velimirović brotherhood is known for producing people who have distinguished themselves as teachers, PhDs, doctors, university deans, academics, priests, and bishops. Quite simply, I felt a certain obligation toward my ancestors—to preserve the vineyards, to expand them, and to modernize them. Over time, our family vineyards grew. I also bought land from relatives who were selling their estates, gradually creating, by our regional standards, a respectable vineyard complex. To be honest, I have poured a lot of my time, energy, and spirit into crafting these wines. In addition to the “Malenza” wine you mentioned, and in the spirit of preserving tradition, I named our premium wine “Tomaš”. I hope the time will come when both Malenza and Zagarač become destinations that tourists will gladly visit. What truly makes me happy is that my relatives are returning to Zagarač. Family estates are being restored, vineyards are being planted again, as well as other agricultural crops traditional to this area. There are also several other wineries that have outgrown small-scale family production—most notably the “Keković” and “Otašević” wineries. The trend of wine tourism, which started in Italy, France, and Croatia, has begun to spread here as well. Tourists increasingly seek authentic environments that haven’t been spoiled by excessive construction. I genuinely believe that Zagarač has great potential for various types of tourism. In addition to its beautiful vineyard landscapes, it is an ideal location for adventurers who enjoy extreme sports, such as cycling or hiking up Mount Garač (1,450 m above sea level). Ultimately, I believe that in the near future, Zagarač will fully realize the potential of these types of tourism.
How do you see the role of family wineries in the development of the Montenegrin wine scene? Does the market recognize the value of authenticity and quality that such wineries offer?
We can say that the vast majority of wineries in Montenegro are, in fact, family-owned. Such producers, whose surname is part of their winery’s brand, have an even greater responsibility to ensure that the wine they produce is of the highest possible quality. This is because the wine produced in family wineries is always identified on the market with the owner and their family. You know that Montenegrins are known for valuing their name and reputation. Therefore, we all have an added motivation to deliver the best quality product possible. I believe that Montenegrin wines are very high quality, even though family wineries still have relatively small production capacities. I would appeal to decision-makers in Montenegro to contribute more to the promotion of domestic products. Certainly, hospitality providers should change their habits and offer tourists wines from Montenegrin producers, as these are authentic, and it is difficult to find them anywhere else outside Montenegro. Likewise, citizens need to change their mindset, because just because a wine comes from a well-known winery in Tuscany doesn’t necessarily mean it is better in quality than wine from a Montenegrin producer.
Nowadays, more and more young people don’t want to limit themselves to just one professional role — they strive to succeed in multiple fields at the same time, to follow different passions, and to combine seemingly incompatible careers. You are an example of someone who successfully balances the legal profession, real estate business, and the world of winemaking. How do you manage to reconcile these three demanding roles? And what advice would you give to young people who want to pursue multiple interests without losing focus and quality?
A person just needs to follow their instincts, which must be aligned with their personal abilities and their readiness to make sacrifices. Such a wide range of my activities required sacrificing my private time, and that sacrifice was felt first and foremost by my family. I was absent from home much more than I should have been. However, my motivations for engaging in all these endeavors were so strong that I found within myself the energy and will to carry them all out – it seems to me – in a quality way. Simply put, I had goals I wanted to achieve, and today I can say that I am happy to have realized my dreams. Therefore, if young people have a similar feeling that they can work two or more jobs, they absolutely should be supported. I repeat, it is important that they know themselves and their talents, and are prepared for lifelong learning and sacrifice. Young people must understand that if they want to pursue multiple interests, they will have to dedicate most of their private time to work, at the expense of personal rest, hobbies, and time with family or friends. I’m not saying it’s always easy, but it’s worth it when you know the direction you’re heading. Even though I will soon turn 65, I still set new challenges for myself. In that context, I applied to become a judge at the Constitutional Court of Montenegro, with the desire to complete my legal career as a whole and return to the position of a judge. I must emphasize that, of all my interests, a judicial career has remained my greatest passion. Perhaps, because of my age, there is some public skepticism about my candidacy. However, before the Constitutional Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro, I publicly stated that all countries in the world select experienced, fulfilled, and accomplished individuals for the position of constitutional court judge. According to the very letter of the law and the Constitution, prominent lawyers are chosen for this function. Therefore, to assess whether someone is a prominent lawyer requires a lot of time and proof. Decades of my legal career speak for themselves, and I leave it to the public to decide whether I am right.