Increasingly Popular Croatian Sparkling Wines Most Sought After in Germany
December the 31st, 2021 - Croatian wines are extremely popular throughout the world and that isn't really news, but what about Croatian sparkling wines? It seems that the Germans have a real taste for it, with a lot of it being exported there.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, according to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), in the first nine months of this year, Croatian winemakers exported 403 hectolitres of sparkling wines worth as much as 870,000 euros.
The main markets for the wine were Germany, where 122 hectolitres worth 471,017 euros went, followed by the Netherlands, then neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia. One year earlier, when assessing the first nine months, exports were slightly higher, totalling 457 hl worth a massive 1,173,292 euros.
Growing demand...
The Belje winery is aware that Croatian sparkling wines are an important export asset, and just this week this winery launched a top-quality sparkling white wine - La Belle Grand. As they say from there, their new sparkling wine is a brut style wine, which is one of the most sought after in the world, and is characterised by "beautiful pearls" of many small bubbles.
“This summer, we installed a new line and equipment for bottling Croatian sparkling wines in our winery in an extremely short period of time, in order to expand our range and meet the growing market demands for this category of wine. La Belle Grand is our first sparkling wine prepared just for this year's festive period. With it, we're celebrating the end of the year in which we won 52 medals,'' points out Marijan Knezevic, head of winemaking development at Vina Belje. Another new brand on the market is the Slavonian Enosophia from Fericani.
“In the first year of Enosophia's existence, we achieved some really nice results. Although we've only been present on the market since July, we've distributed almost 16,000 bottles of sparkling wine. For next year, we plan to produce and distribute a total of 77,000 bottles of sparkling wine, Nice to see you, Today Blance and Today rose. Enosophia is a brand that is focused on combining innovative technologies and traditions in the development of new flavours. We create light and modern Croatian sparkling wines, produced by the Charmat method and by following the demands of the market,'' explained Martin Kovacevic, chief oenologist of the Enosophia winery. Their Nice to see you sparkling wine is a combination of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Today blanc is made from the much loved and very well known Croatian Grasevina variety.
"We're currently present in 50 outlets, meaning in restaurants and other catering and hospitality facilities. In the first year, our focus was primarily on presenting the brand here on the Croatian market, but despite that, we've already achieved positive results in terms of exports. Enosophia has been launched on the Japanese market with the sparkling wine called Nice to see you and we expect this trend to continue in the future. Our Croatian sparkling wines under the Feravino brand have also found their fans across many European countries, such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the countries of the more immediate region,'' added Kovacevic.
As he explained, their Today blanc sparkling wine is primarily intended for retail sale, while in the HoReCa channel it is marketed as a ''welcome wine'' or as a wine for the preparation of cocktails. Nice too see you is also available through the HoReCa channel, but can also be purchased through the Enosophia brand website. "As for our plans for 2022, we plan to present the second Today - Today rose, which will be produced from the Frankovka variety, which is the most represented in our vineyards," revealed Kovacevic.
The Pavlomir wine house from Novi Vinodolski also has a few export trump cards under its belt, producing four Croatian sparkling wines in the top category, an impressive 15,000 bottles a year.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
Indian Film Producers Could be Interested in Filming Varazdin
December the 31st, 2021 - Croatia is certainly no stranger to international film crews, with Game of Thrones (GoT) placing the City of Dubrovnik very firmly on the global filming map, and the likes of Star Wars doing the same. What about continental Croatia, however? The Fiddler on the Roof had scenes filmed there, but that was a long time ago. The Indians now have their eyes on possibly filming Varazdin for various scenes.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, this charming Northern Croatian city, which has the Trash Film Festival and Vafi - an international festival of animated films for children and youth, definitely has a friendly relationship with the world of film, and with the founding of the Varazdin Film Office, its goal is to promote the city as being film friendly.
In addition, Varazdin aims to become a desirable location for filming movies, series, commercials, videos and other such productions. Lana Velimirovic Vukalovic, the director of the Varazdin Public Open University, which founded the Office back in 2017 with the support of the City of Varazdin, recently had an online meeting with the Indian company Europa Media & Entertainment at the Focus 2021 international event in London. This company usually represents film locations in Mumbai (Bombay). How did it turn out?
"Indian producers are showing great interest in filming in Croatia. Through the exchange of emails, we'll present Varazdin and its surroundings in more detail as potential film backdrops,'' pointed out Velimirovic Vukalovic. In February 2022, a producer from Mumbai is due to arrive to look into potentially filming Varazdin.
"What I expect from this visit is the promotion of the city of Varazdin and the entire county, not only in terms of potential locations for filming, but also in terms of tourism. We talked about the possibility of bringing Instagrammers from India here who would document and photograph our region on their profiles.
We want to launch a series of activities related to the creative industries in POU, so I suggested a guest from India to give lectures in Varazdin on the topic of Bollywood and to show his two feature films in the Gaj city cinema,'' revealed the director.
The Varazdin Film Office takes on a dual role, the first being to be a contact point for all film crews in the city, along with the Tourist Board and the City, and the second to help teams find suitable locations for filming Varazdin and elsewhere, to connect them with site owners and so on… The office can ''direct'' economic opportunities as well, especially for local SMEs.
"In the case of larger production projects, they can be involved in providing their services, for example through the accommodation of camera crews, catering and hospitality, hairdressing, make-up artists, and so forth,'' explained Velimirovic Vukalovic. Currently, the Office is supporting one Croatian production company in its search for a place for a film with scenes from the middle of the nineteenth century.
"The goal is to attract filmmakers from Croatia, the region and the rest of the world. In this sense, we'll be able to explore the possibilities of designing incentive models for production companies with support provided by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre. Therefore, in the future, we want to connect the Varazdin Film Office with the Centre for Creative Industries, which we plan to develop in cooperation with the City of Varazdin.
The plan is to map the creative industries across the entire county and we've already started forming a working group. We'll see to what extent we can include activities related to the film industry in this domain, but a holistic approach would certainly make sense. It's crucial that in 2022 we implement the annual plan - drafting regulations on the Office, updating the website with information on services throughout the city, and additional networking with important stakeholders in the film industry at home and abroad,'' she concluded.
For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Lost Your Croatian Driving License or License Plate? Here's What To Do
December the 31st, 2021 - If you've lost your Croatian driving license, or any other document that it is necessary to have here, you'll know the headache involved in a country which just loves lines and paperwork. What about if you've lost your actual license plate from your car? Here's what you need to do in either situation, made clear.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the official instructions issued by the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), the loss or disappearance (and discovery) of a Croatian driving license issued either here in Croatia or in another country in the European Economic Area needs to be reported, without delay, to the nearest administrative police station. A request for the issuance of a new Croatian driving license should then be submitted at the same place.
The request can be submitted at any time, as there is no deadline for obtaining a new document of this type. The application form will be printed out by the clerk at the counter, and the applicant must then confirm the accuracy of all of the printed data with their signature placed on the form, writes HAK.
The applicant for a new Croatian driving license must enclose the following:
If the original Croatian driving license was issued in another EEA member state, proof from the competent authority of the issuing country that the person was issued a driving license from their national authorities must be enclosed.
One photograph measuring 35 × 45 mm. It is not necessary to attach a photo if the applicant has been issued (within the last five years) a biometric passport, an electronic identity card, an identity card containing their OIB or if they had a Croatian driving license (or one from the EEA) issued since the 4th of September 2017, for the publication of which a photograph was already attached, and the appearance of the person hasn't significantly changed.
Proof of payment of the administrative fee in the amount of 151 kuna. Payment can be made via payment slip or via internet banking. Under the description of the payment, it is necessary to state ''state administrative fees/drzavne upravne pristojbe'' and the payment should be made to the IBAN of the state budget, which is as follows: HR1210010051863000160, model HR64, reference number 5002-713-OIB.
Please note that any administrative fees in the amount of up to 100 kuna can be paid in state notaries.
Proof of payment of 151 kuna (regular procedure), 200 kuna (accelerated procedure) or 450 kuna (urgent procedure) for a Croatian driving license issuance form via a payment slip issued at the administrative police station, general payment slip or via internet banking, to the IBAN of the state budget: HR1210010051863000160, model HR65, reference number 7005-477-OIB.
With regard to registration/license/number plates, the owner of the vehicle is also obliged to report their disappearance, without delay, to the police. The fine for failing to do so is 300 kuna. They will then be provided with a police certificate which will remain valid for a period of 30 days, and when applying, people need to bring the following:
Proof of the vehicle in question's ownership
A valid ID card
A new license plate can be requested the next day at the vehicle inspection station. The police have also warned that if one plate is missing from the car, it is usually a loss, but if both are missing, they've probably been stolen, which is a criminal offense.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
Croatian Brist Olive: Vodnjan Family Business Sees Oil Shipped to USA
December the 31st, 2021 - The Croatian Brist Olive oils, made by a family business located in Vodnjan in Istria, have made their way across the pond to the United States of America, placing Croatian products firmly on the radar there once again.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, one family business from Vodnjan is busy diversifying all of its activities, but the basis of everything they engage in is authentic products which are then exported to a number of countries across the globe. On the eve of the festive period at Br00m44 on Zagreb's famous Dolac market, a presentation of extra virgin olive oils of the new vintage Brist Olive brand from Vodnjan was held.
Lena Puhar O’Grady, who leads the presentations, education and marketing on Brist’s team, presented her family business, told the story of their brand development and guided guests through three of the six types of Brist Olive oil they currently produce. One monosort was tasted - Vodnjanska Buza oil, as well as two blends.
“Our olive grove is located in the vicinity of Vodnjan, it's beautifully positioned, overlooking the Brijuni islands and spreads over nine hectares where 2,500 olive trees grow, mostly indigenous Istrian varieties. We produce about 8,000 litres of oil per year, with the expectation of growth when all of the olives grow well and come to fruition,'' said Puhar O’Grady.
Demand is growing...
Each of their Brist Olive oils was then paired with a type of cheese from the Istrian Mljekara Latus from Zminj, with sourdough foccaccia from the Zagreb bakery Breadclub, and the tasting was then rounded off with a chocolate tart with olive oil, designed especially for the occasion by food blogger Janja Benic. The chocolate tart was served with a few drops of Brist’s Exclusive Selection olive oil, and as Puhar O’Grady explained, this is a form of olive oil made in a limited edition from selected olives from century-old buza and rozinjola trees.
As she claimed, the Brist Olive oil team process their olives in the Grubic oil mill in nearby Bale, with which they have a long-term cooperation, and their main customers are individuals, mostly foreign citizens paying visits to Istria. They realise their biggest sales directly in their store in the old town of Vodnjan and through online sales.
"Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, our online sales have quadrupled since before. A large part of our clients come after participating in our guided tours and tastings in the olive grove,'' she said.
In addition, Brist Olive oil is exported through 20 international partners within the EU, Norway and Switzerland, and from this year for the very first time to America. They also cooperate with specialised stores, mainly in Istria and Zagreb, as well as restaurants throughout Croatia and the Milenij Hotel chain in Opatija.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
Croatian Athletes Win 189 Medals
ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - Croatian athletes in 2021 won a total of 189 medals in all age categories at major international competitions, including 60 gold, 49 silver, and 80 bronze medals, according to statistical indicators of the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO).
In the elite senior competition, Croatian athletes won 127 medals, including 42 gold, 33 silver, and 52 bronze medals, while junior athletes clinched 52 (14+15+23) and cadets 10 medals (4+1+5).
In addition to eight Olympic medals from Tokyo (three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals), senior athletes won 38 medals (12+10+16) at world championships, 31 medals (10+7+14) at the European championships, and 46 medals (16+13+17) at competitions for the World Cup.
Three team bronzes were won at world championships, while Croatian tennis players clinched a silver at the Davis Cup.
Junior athletes achieved the best result at world championships -- 24 medals (9+8+7), at European championships they got 21 medals (4+4+13) and at world cups seven (1+3+3).
Cadets clinched five medals (1+0+4) at European championships, four medals (2+1+1) at world cups, and one gold at world championships.
Also, our athletes were ranked 4th to 8th 216 times, which for many sports means they qualified for the finals.
The president of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mateša, thanked Croatian athletes for their excellent results in the pandemic 2021, which required sacrifice, great patience, and additional preparation, and he wished them good health and much better circumstances for sports competitions in the second consecutive Olympic year.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
ZSE Main Indices End Year at Highest Levels Since March 2017
ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - On Thursday, the last trading day this year, the Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE) main indices went up, with the Crobex gaining for the seventh consecutive trading day and the Crobex10 for the fourth day in a row, both ending the year at the highest levels since March 2017.
The Crobex rose by 0.15% to 2,079 points, while on the week it went up by 1.79%.
The Crobex10 rose by 0.06% to 1,262 points, while on the week it rose by 1.36%.
The main indices gained on the year as well, with the Crobex going up by 16.6% and the Crobex10 by 16%.
Today's regular trading amounted to HRK 6.3 million, around HRK 700,000 more than on Wednesday.
The only stock with a turnover of more than one million was the Adris tourism and insurance company, which generated HRK 1.24 million in turnover, with its price dropping by 0.72% to HRK 415 per share.
Forty-two stocks traded today, with 23 seeing price increases, 12 price decreases and 7 staying stable.
(€1 = HRK 7.508094)
For more, check out our business section.
COVID-19 Response Team Head Says Cannot Rule Out Greater Presence of Omicron
ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - Deputy Prime Minister Davor Božinović, who heads the national COVID-19 response team, said on Thursday that considering a rising number of new infections in the last two days, one could not rule out that there were more cases of the Omicron variant than the 24 cases confirmed by sequencing so far.
Speaking to reporters after a government session, Božinović said that some link the sudden rise in new infections to the Christmas holidays while some rule that connection out.
"We cannot prove it. If the rising numbers are not related to Christmas, they are related to Omicron," he said.
Speaking of New Year Eve's celebrations, the minister said that in force was a decision on longer working hours for hospitality establishments, allowing them to work until 2 am in the night between 31 December and 1 January.
Inspectors will be visiting cafes but considering their insufficient number, not all such establishments will be covered, Božinović said, noting that he believed people would not go to places where they believe their health would be at risk.
Sinj mayor's invitation irresponsible, risky
Considering that the coastal region of Dalmatia has the highest number of infections in the country, Božinović said that local public health institutes were monitoring the situation and would decide on a possible tightening of restrictions.
As for the invitation by Sinj Mayor Miro Bulj of the Bridge party to all to attend "a free" New Year's party in Sinj in the Dalmatian hinterland, Božinović said the invitation was irresponsible and risky.
"We cannot support such calls, in Istria, all public gatherings have been canceled, and some counties have organized New Year's Eve parties but with strict checks. That is a responsible approach," he said.
For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.
Croatia's Industrial Output Rises for 12 Months in Row
ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - Croatia's industrial production grew in November 2021 by 3.7% compared to November 2020, thus rising for the 12th straight month, according to data provided by the national statistical office (DZS).
The 12-month rising streak indicates that Croatia's economy continues to bounce back from the corona crisis.
The 3.7% rate was higher than the rise of 2.7% in industrial production in October 2021 compared to October 2020.
All five sectors saw growth this November, and the highest one, of 12.5%, was registered in capital goods production, and the lowest rate, 0.7%, was in the production of non-durable consumer goods.
This November, the industrial output shrank by 1.4% compared to October.
Croatia's industrial production in the first eleven months of 2021 increased 6.7% in comparison to the corresponding period in 2020.
For more, check out our business section.
Magnitude 3.2 Earthquake Registered Near Sisak
ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - An earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale was registered west of Sisak at 2.47 pm on Thursday, Croatia's Seismological Survey said.
The epicenter of the tremor was five kilometers west of Sisak.
For more news about Croatia, click here.
Gov't Adopts 2022 Plan of Legislative Activities
ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The government on Thursday adopted a plan for legislative activities in 2022, envisaging 195 laws, with the Justice and Public Administration Ministry expected to put forward 33 bills and the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior 30 bills.
Twenty-one bills refer to the assessment of the effect of legal regulations, 78 bills refer to the euro changeover, and 11 laws will be amended in the context of indicators determined in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The government adopted a conclusion obliging the competent state administration bodies to fully meet the obligations taken over and entrusted the Legislation Office to regularly report to it on the implementation of the plan as well as on the implementation and status of procedures for the assessment of the effects of regulations and consultations.
The government also adopted a draft program for the takeover and implementation of the EU's acquis in 2022, as well as a draft plan for the alignment of Croatian legislation with the EU acquis in 2022.
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