Winemakers Association Marija Bistrica was founded on 27 December 2000.
At the inaugural meeting were over a hundred growers from our municipality. After registration, the Association joined 208 of winemakers, as well as winemakers from the neighboring municipalities.
The association was founded with the aim to bring together winemakers and encourage them to raise the vineyards in a contemporary way, the selection of high quality varieties for better treatment and protection of vineyards and wine production in cooperation with scientific institutions in the field of viticulture, winemaking and crop protection, and to collaborate with production and other institutions engaged in manufacturing and trading of wine.
One of the most important guiding principle of the association was the establishment of a common cellar where the grapes would be processed under the supervision of members enologist. The idea was that members of the Association after picking submit their grapes to the cellar, where they get the card with the record of amount of grapes, and cardholder may take the amount of wine that belong to him from the wine cellar. This way all small production would be united, production quality would be equal and potential market surpluses would be created. It would certainly encourage small winemakers to increase the area of vineyards. The basis for all this are the 15 ha of vineyards that are owned bx winemakers. Despite the many actions that were taken by the Association, this attractive idea has not yet been realized, because of series of administrative obstacles. However, even this effort has not remained without results, because as a common good for the members of the Association flood filter was purchased.
During its existence, Winemakers Association Marija Bistrica, has developed significant activities. For the purpose of education members, only the first year 23 lectures in the field of viticulture and winemaking and one of horticulture were held,. Each year to this day the Executive Committee of the Association actively works to educate its members. Every year educational judging of wine of members is organized. It is worthwhile, for comparison, to note that the first year at the educational judging of wine were 98 samples of which 17 did not pass the threshold of quality wines. The purpose of this evaluation is to point out the shortcomings of the winemakers, but also to praise their good wine. Today we can boast that all wines are quality wine.
Members of the Association compete at Wine festivals in Croatian Zagorje, where they have won gold, silver and bronze medals.
Education of members has been contributed by a lot of  visit to other winemakers associtaions. Each year members of the Association visit the cellars and vineyards of Agricultural Faculty, as well as many wine roads in Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. They have also visited vineyards and cellars of Ilok, Baranja, Kutjevo, Plješivica, Ljutomer, Ormož and Ptuj, they have traveled to the Vinitalia Fair in Verona and on two occasions to Slovenian international wine fair in Gornja Radgona. In addition, the association is repeatedly presented to the general public – in 2002 at the Tourism Fair in Zagreb, and at the presentation of Krapina-Zagorje county in Zagreb's Hotel Opera, while the same year, as part of the Days of  Bistrica, Association for the visitors staged a tasting of wines.
In 2008 at the presentation of the Municipality Marija Bistrica in show of Croatian Television - Postcards from the Croatia the association prepared wine tasting focusing on representation of wines from Marija Bistrica for all visitors and participants in programs. Red wines (Franconia, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon) were especially brought to attention.
Association of winemakers Marija Bistrica has not neglected the social and entertainment programs. Since the founding of the Association the central event is a celebration of St Martin, and the ceremony marking the beginning of the work in the vineyards – St Vincent. In 2008 celebration of beginnig of work in vineyards captured on film by Croatian Television in the program - Cultural Heritage. This was the first film in Croatia that featured such ceremony.
Leadership of the Association is very active in the work of the County Committee of Agriculture and Economy, of which one of the priority tasks is tracing the future wine road of Zagorje. On behalf of the Such activities provide Association members with vine and help to progress in securing vineyards, etc.

Headquarters of the Association is in Marija Bistrica, Trg Pape Ivana Pavla II 34. Since the foundation of Association, the president has been Prof. Zdravko Petrinec, vice presidents have been Stjepan Muhek and Mirko Štagar, a secretary Zlatko Topolovec.

President: Prof. Zdravko Petrinec, +385 49469-115
Vice President: Stjepan Muhek  +385 98267-543
Secretary: Zlatko Topolovec, +385 49469-119