Belgrade’s Wine Vision Ignites China-Serbian Culinary Chemistry That Travel Lovers Can’t Miss: All You Need To Know!

Published on December 1, 2025

Beneath the vast domes of the Belgrade Fair complex, the attendees of the 2025 Wine Vision by Open Balkan fair saw an incredible moment of cultural-culinary combination, a Chinese cook delicately doing a dragon out of fruits and vegetables, attracting the notice of an excited audience, representing the increasing cultural fusion of cuisine between China and Serbia.

From November 22–25, the fair brought together 535 exhibitors from 34 countries in its fourth edition, drawing global wine, food, spirits and tourism professionals to Serbia’s capital.

Wine Vision: Where Belgrade meets the world

The Wine Vision fair is held at the Belgrade Fair, a vast exhibition complex on the right bank of the Sava River, which has become a key venue in positioning Belgrade as a major capital of wine and gastronomy in Europe.

This year’s edition underlined the fair’s global reach and business ambition. Alongside traditional European and Balkan participants, exhibitors and buyers from Asia, notably China, attended in record numbers. The event included masterclasses, panel discussions, food tastings, and B2B matchmaking sessions that sparked new trade relationships.

The fair’s reputation was further cemented when it received the internationally recognised UFI Approved Event status, a quality guarantee that reflects high standards for exhibition area, exhibitor count, and visitor turnout, placing Belgrade among world capitals of wine and gastronomy.

China’s debut pavilion: East meets Balkan on a plate

A major highlight this year was the debut national pavilion organised by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA). 14 Chinese exhibitors showcased traditional Chinese alcoholic beverages, accompanied by chefs from Xiamen (Fujian Province), who presented a curated journey of flavours blending Eastern and Western culinary traditions. This included Southern-Fujian staples such as taro paste, Shacha sauce and crispy rice.

Dishes served were inventive fusions, for example, a crystal jellyfish terrine using Fujian’s sea-worm jelly techniques, and truffle and shredded chicken rolls combining premium Serbian truffles with Chinese culinary methods. The vivid dragon-shaped fruit sculpture created by a Chinese chef was emblematic of this East-meets-Balkan spirit.

Organisers and participants suggested this integration could work not only as a culinary novelty but as a bridge of cultures and trade: Chinese liquors and wines are increasingly seen by Serbian consumers as gateways to Eastern flavours and Serbian wines and brandies (particularly rakija) are finding growing interest in China.

Industry insiders from China reportedly left with strong impressions: one Chinese exhibitor recalled that three years ago China wasn’t even represented; this time, they felt their presence contributed meaningfully to building a Sino-Serbian gastronomic narrative.

Wine Vision as a travel draw: Belgrade, more than just a fair

For travellers and food enthusiasts coming to Belgrade, Wine Vision offers more than trade tastings, it provides a glimpse into how Belgrade is positioning itself as a hub of international gastronomy, culture and hospitality. According to the city’s tourism promotion authority, Tourist Organization of Belgrade (TOB), Belgrade aims to become a top European destination, leveraging events like Wine Vision to highlight its cultural, culinary and business potential.

The Belgrade Fair venue itself, well-connected and iconic, offers easy access to the city’s historic districts, riverside promenades and cultural sights, making it an attractive proposition for travelers who enjoy pairing their wine tastings with city explorations.

Looking ahead: What Wine Vision 2025 signals for future cooperation

Participants and organisers believe the success this year, from Chinese pavilion debut to near sell-out of Chinese wine & liquor samples, will incentivise even more cross-cultural collaborations. Chinese producers signalled they will return, seeing Serbia (and Belgrade) as a launchpad into European markets, while Serbian wineries hope to deepen penetration into China’s large consumer base, especially in premium segments like rakija and boutique wines.

If the fair continues on this trajectory, some experts suggest, Belgrade could emerge as a modern crossroads not just of Balkans wine and food, but of global culinary dialogues, bridging East and West over wine, food and shared experiences.

Final Note: Belgrade’s fair leaves a personal imprint

By the time the fair closed, many attendees, from chefs to travellers, reported they came not just for business or tasting, but to experience something beyond the usual: the smell of rakija mingling with Chinese sauces, the sight of a fruit-dragon towering over a Serbian wine barrel, the buzz of conversations across continents.