SIAL Innovation Selection and Sabatina 2026 – Presentation of Our Grape Pomace Processing Line

At the end of 2024, we developed, designed, manufactured and commissioned a completely new processing line at a dedicated facility of a winery in Kutjevo, Croatia – a grape pomace processing line. The technological process and the basic concept of the line were developed by Mr. Mario Jakobović, an expert in this field with many years of experience and expertise in grape pomace processing.

It was a challenging project, but an exceptionally successful one. As early as 2025, we delivered a second, larger processing line outside Croatia.

Both plants are also equipped with grinding lines for processing the press cake obtained through cold pressing, as well as dried grape skins. These systems enable the production of powders with particle sizes of up to 100 µm, 100–250 µm, as well as coarser fractions of several millimetres, suitable for extraction.

With a relatively high input capacity of 1 tonne per hour, the Kutjevo line can process approximately 400 tonnes of grape pomace per year during the season under our local operating conditions.

This year, we are participating as a sponsor of the Sabatina 2026 conference and international wine exhibition, organized by the Cooperative Association of Dalmatia. On the morning of Friday, November 6, we will briefly present this technology to the participants.

We hope that this innovation will be recognized in Croatia in the same way it has been recognized by the expert jury at SIAL Paris, where we were awarded the SIAL Innovation Selection designation.

What can be obtained by processing grape pomace?

Clean, dried grape seeds, from which valuable grape seed oil can be extracted by cold pressing, with applications in the food and cosmetics industries.

The press cake, a by-product of the pressing process, can be milled into powders of different particle sizes.

A coarser powder can be used as a natural abrasive, for example in exfoliating creams. The 100–250 µm fraction is excellent as a flour ingredient for the bakery industry, while the fraction below 100 µm can, for example, be used in smoothies. It is a natural preservative, rich in fibre, as well as minerals, vitamins and polyphenols.

Clean, moist grape skins are an excellent raw material for the production of high-quality grape pomace brandy. Processing the pomace with this line makes distillation more efficient, improves the quality of the brandy and enables safe storage of the raw material.

Because the seeds and stems are removed, distillation produces fewer bitter compounds, resulting in a cleaner and more refined flavour, without oil impurities. The pressed grape skins can be stored in Big Bags with an inner liner, allowing them to be stored without alcohol evaporation while also significantly reducing the required storage space.

In addition, dried grape seeds and skins are highly sought-after commodities on the European and global markets, particularly when sourced from certified organic production. Although further processing into finished products generates the greatest added value – such as oil, powders and grape pomace brandy – the sale of separated, cleaned and dried fractions (seeds, skins, etc.) can itself be profitable and can exceed operating costs.

We believe that there is significant potential for this technology in Croatia. According to data from the Agency for Payments in Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development (APPRRR), in 2025 there were 1,201 hectares of organically farmed vineyards in Croatia, out of a total of 12,861 hectares of vineyards.

This makes the Nadin area particularly interesting as an ideal location for such a processing plant, primarily due to its transport and logistics advantages. Approximately 600 hectares of organic vineyards are located in the area.

Increasing the capacity to process grape pomace could significantly improve the economic viability of grape growing while reducing business risk through diversification. The key advantage of this business model is the availability of an almost cost-free raw material generated by wine production, which can then be transformed into high-value products.

This is why we believe in the future of this technology.

We hope that Croatian winemakers and grape growers, above all, will recognize the potential offered by this processing line. Croatian winemakers have already demonstrated their ability to successfully market high-quality Croatian wines on international markets, and we believe they can do the same with cold-pressed grape seed oil, grape skin powder and high-quality grape pomace brandy.

We are proud that our machinery and innovations have helped launch another economically successful project and, in doing so, contributed to strengthening the Croatian economy.

For more information about our grape pomace processing line, please visit: https://herbas.hr/processing-line-for-grape-pomace and https://herbas.hr/catalogues/?lang=en.