March 8, 2022 - To celebrate International Women’s Day, the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia, Chicago, Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc., and EventLab.hr organized a virtual wine tasting this Sunday of wine from Croatia made by three women winemakers.
Displaying the quality of Croatian winemaking and the role wine makes in Croatian culture, the wines were tasted by three US wine professionals. All nine women showed impressive backgrounds in their respective degrees and experiences, from business and oenology to WSET certification, wine judging, education, and sommeliers.
Participants in 2022 Woman of Wine, Source: Croatian Premium Wine
The event was opened by Sanja Laković, Consul General of the Republic of Croatia, Chicago who explained the long winemaking history in Croatia and stated that “even during the pandemic, wine found a way in events like this to connect people. Wine makes a big impact on the Croatian economy, I am happy to say that today we find a growing number of women in the Croatian wine making industry.”
Sonja Laković, Consul General of the Republic of Croatia, Chicago, opened the event, making a patriotic statement with a suit with Glagolitic letters.
Source: Croatian Premium Wine
Mirena Bagur, the co-founder of Croatian Premium Wine, the online store with 70+ Croatian wines shipped to the US, moderated the event and gave an overview of Croatia, its wine regions, and its indigenous varieties. She encouraged all to pay tribute to the people of Ukraine and raise a glass for peace, which immediately got a response from the audience, including a comment by Carol Ann Gartner “Yes, toast for peace. Hvala for acknowledging Ukraine.”
Croatian Winemakers and American Tasters
Participating winemakers included Jasna Antunović-Turk, owner/winemaker of Antunovic Vina, Dalj, Slavonia; Eva Krištof, wine production manager, Dubrovacki Podrumi, Konavle; and Gorana Dominikovic, assistant winemaker of Terra Madre Winery, Komarna Appellation. While the winemakers commented on their decisions to work in the wine industry, their American colleagues focused on tasting notes and conversations about Croatian wine in the US. Below are excerpts from the tastings.
Anyone interested to hear the full tasting video can send a request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The wines are available for shipping to most US states, and in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, the discount for these wines is extended till Friday, March 11 at midnight Eastern Time.
Croatian and American Women of Wine, Source: Croatian Premium Wine
Ksenija Matić, based in Dubrovnik, is a wine judge, sommelier, and co-founder of Eventlab.hr, a Dubrovnik-based company focused on organizing concerts and events, and she also teaches a summer semester wine class at the Rochester Institute of Technology Dubrovnik campus. Ksenija introduced the tasting notes for the first wine, Tango with Life, Antunovic Vina, a non-vintage red blend made of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, applauding its freshness and liveliness.
The second red wine was Zinfandel, which originated in Croatia by the name Crljenak or Tribidrag. Luciana Braz, based in Seattle, Washington, an engineer by training and wine lover with a WSET diploma entry approved status, who created a wine talk Alexa skill for audio, is an international wine observer who has visited over 100 appellations across the globe. Luciana tasted Zinfandel/Crljenak 2016, Dubrovacki Podrumi, stating that the wine is smooth and a great choice to take to a party where everyone will like it.
Explaining the benefits of pouring a glass of wine at a time while preserving a bottle, by demoing how to use the Coravin Pivot, Mirena introduced Lindsay Buck, WSET3, and a manager of Coravin marketplaces. Lindsay explained the company’s offering including the Timeless device and an explanation of their marketplace, including the Coravin Wine Shop, a wine selection to inspire exploration for novices and long-time wine lovers, where she has included three wines from Croatia.
The last wine and the most robust red wine was Plavac Mali Premium 2016, Terra Madre Winery, which received a Decanter Silver from the London-based awards. The American Wine Society wine judge, and the director of Education and oenologist from Cornell, Annemarie L. Morse, described the wine as robust for food pairing.
For more information on Croatian wines in the US, go to: www.CroatianpremiumWine.com online store with 70+ indigenous Croatian wines shipped to most US states.
Wines by women winemakers from Vina Antunović, Dubrovački Podrumi, and Terra Madre Winery. Source: Croatian Premium Wine
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