December 7, 2021 - The first business presentation and tasting of representative Hvar wines was held at the Cornaro Hotel in Split, called '' The Best of Hvar '', a collaboration between the Hvar Winemakers Association, the Wine Stars Evaluation Project, and the Jelsa Tourist Board.

On Friday, December 3, 2021, at 4 pm at the Cornaro Hotel in Split, the Hvar Winemakers Association organized the first business presentation and tasting of Hvar wines for representatives of the HORECA sector called The Best of Hvar. This event is designed as a continuation of good cooperation between the Hvar Winemakers Association and the Wine Star Evaluation Project which, with the support of the Jelsa Tourist Board, has been organizing a large island wine evaluation for the third year in a row. Every year the wines are getting better, and this is shown by the ratings that we monitor from year to year.

(Photo: Julio Frangen)

At the Split presentation, Bell'Iakov, Vina Carić, Hvar Hills, Vina Leše presented their young wines and new vintages "en primeur" according to the evaluation categories of the 3rd Jelsa Summer Wine Tasting by Vinske zvijezde - bogdanuše, other white wines, plavci - Luviji, Pavičić vina, Vina Svirče, Vina Tomić, Vina Ventus, Podrum Vujnović and Zlatan Otok. The winning wines of this year's evaluation were at a special exhibition place: Bogdanjuša Carić 2020, Pošip Tomić 2020, Hvar Hills Plavac mali Pharos Maxvmus 2013. The wines were accompanied by excellent Hvar extra virgin olive oils, awarded at domestic and international evaluations: Božić Uje, OPG Eva Curin, and OPG Magdalena Plenković oils of Athens.

From left to right: Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board; Marija Marjan, director of the Jelsa Tourist Board; Ivana Klarić, director of Cornaro hotel; Marija Vukelić, Wine Star project manager; and Ivana Krstulović Carić, president of the Hvar Winemakers Association. (Photo: Julio Frangen)

The winemakers and business representatives were greeted by the director of Cornaro, the host hotel, Mrs. Ivana Klarić, emphasizing the satisfaction that a special event for Hvar's top winemakers is taking place in the top hotel. Mr. Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, praised the initiative, reminded of previous collaborations with the Hvar Winemakers Association, including an important presentation in Rome, and expressed the wish that such events continue. The director of the Jelsa Tourist Board, Marija Marjan, presented two significant Jelsa projects involving winemakers, oil producers, and family farms - "Wine, Olive and heritage festival" and announced the framework program of the jubilee 70th Jelsa Wine Festival, which is planned for last week in August 2022, Ivana Krstulović Carić, president of the Hvar Winemakers Association, reminded that the association has been operating successfully since 2010: "When we first met, we realized that the branding of island wines is extremely important, The island of wine, from 384 BC. Kr. In conclusion, Marija Vukelić, Wine Star project manager, praised the better ratings of Hvar wines, which give winemakers better visibility and placement in our and foreign markets.

(Photo: Julio Frangen)

Representatives of the caterers were able to taste for the first time at the first joint exhibition place young bogdanuša, wines of the original white variety of the island of Hvar. In the second exhibition place were other white wines of the island of the varieties prč and pošip, and cuvée of white wines, and in a special place were plavci, new vintages on the market and some already existing and renowned. Three categories and three exhibition places gave an insight into the community of winemakers and the top quality of wine from the whole island. Winemakers and guests at The Best of Hvar event were satisfied with the way of presentation, expressing a desire to organize the Zagreb "En primeura Hvar wines".

The wines were accompanied by excellent Hvar extra virgin olive oils, awarded at domestic and international evaluations. (Photo: Julio Frangen)

The Best of Hvar 2021 is the first business event of winemakers on the island of Hvar, popular "B2B" - business to business, which provides caterers with the opportunity to (early) assess the quality of new harvests, purchase (larger quantities) in advance for next season, on favorable terms - but also a reminder of existing harvests and Hvar wines that can be found on the holiday table and under the Christmas tree.

Croatian wines and grapes are among the best in the world, and you can find more information about them in Total Croatia’s Guide to Croatian Wine HERE.

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December the 7th, 2021 - The very well known Istrian winemaker Ivan Damjanic is set to strengthen his position on the neighbouring Montenegrin market.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, back in mid-November, Istrian winemaker Ivan Damjanic travelled south down to Montenegro as part of the project "Wine Envelope and Measures" which is the promotion of wine in third country markets to acquaint consumers there with their labels.

It's worth mentioning that promotion on the markets of third countries refers to wines with a protected designation of origin, geographical origin and wines with an indication of the grapevine variety produced in Croatia.

Istrian winemaker Ivan Damjanic held four eno-gastro presentations, which included the pairing of various dishes and his wines, and the list of restaurants that hosted Damjanic included Conte in Perast, Cattaro in Kotor and Podgorica's Restaurant 100 manira i Hemera.

The audience included renowned wine connoisseurs, sommeliers, caterers, hoteliers, bloggers, journalists and other wine lovers. While some of the wines, such as Damjanic's Malvazija, are already fairly well known to the Montenegrin audience, some labels of this popular Croatian winery have yet to find a place on that particular market.

The audience thus tasted labels such as Borgonja, Dura Istriana, Clemene blanca, Clemente and Suncerus, which will soon be on the shelves of Montenegrin wine shops. By the way, the winery or perhaps better to say the Damjanic family farm has existed since back in 2004, and their vineyards currently cover 10.5 hectares.

The last investment was in the reconstruction of the vineyard and equipping the winery, also as part of the wine envelope.

"Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, we exported about 25 percent of our production to Montenegro, the United States, Germany, Austria and Poland. This has slowed down a bit at the moment, but the Canadian market has opened up for us in the last two years.

We currently have eleven labels and the most sought after are Malvazija, Borgonja, Clemente and Clemente blanc. We cooperate with many people in the catering industry and hoteliers throughout Croatia, and guests from all over the world come to our tasting room. Most of them are from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy,'' Istrian winemaker Ivan Damjanic said.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

November the 28th, 2021 - Could the Croatian term Prosek finally be protected by the European Commission (EC) and put an end to the dispute between Croatia and neighbouring Italy?

As Morski writes, On Friday, November the 26th, 2021, State Secretary Tugomir Majdak, in the presence of Member of the European Parliament Tonino Picula, participated in a panel entitled "Croatian quality on the European table - the protection of the traditional term Prosek".

The event brought together Prosek producers, oenologists and legal experts to discuss the course of protection, Croatian and Italian arguments and the problems of producers, and a day later, on November the 27th, from 10:00 to 16:00 on Petar Preradovic Square, a public blind tasting of Prosek and Prosecco was planned, with the shooting of a promotional video about the important and undoubted differences between these two wines, all with the tasting and sale of Prosek made by Croatian producers.

Back in 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture submitted a request to the European Commission for the protection of the traditional Croatian term Prosek, and this year, the European Commission closed the application review process and approved it as well-founded and justified, with an expected objection from an Italian organisation.

In order to advocate for successful protection of the Croatian term Prosek at the European level and in order to promote this Croatian wine, a panel was organised at which State Secretary Tugomir Majdak stated:

''I'm satisfied with the development of events in the process of the protection of this wine, which is extremely important for all of us in historical, tourist and gastro-oenological terms. I'd like to remind you that relatively recently, we successfully resolved another wine dispute, which was both legally and technically extremely demanding, and then our producers from Istria were given the opportunity to continue marketing the wine "Teran".

In the same way, the Republic of Croatia now has an answer related to Prosek and that's the only way in which our approach can be based in this case because we really have all the professional, historical and legal arguments for its protection. Croatian producers certainly have a legitimate right and expectation to have their products protected, which have all been produced in the traditional way and with full access to the market as their European counterparts have.

Today, Croatia has 31 products with their names registered in the EU with protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication, and is proud of seventeen protected wine designations of origin, six geographical indications on strong alcoholic beverages and one geographical indication of aromatised wine products.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

27 Nov 2021 - Central Croatia is rightfully getting more and more acclaim as a top-notch travel destination. This is especially true when it comes to its offer of food and wine. Another step in the right direction is the unveiling of the new project Gourmet Tourism – GoWine.

There are numerous attractive towns, villages, and micro-regions around the Croatian capital Zagreb. Some of them are well known among Croatians, most of them unfairly neglected by international travellers. However, things are changing at a rapid pace and we are seeing an increase in promotional actions uncovering the wonders of Central Croatia. The Gourmet Tourism project is a joint effort by tourism boards of three towns: Sv. Ivan Zelina, Jastrebarsko, and Samobor and aims at promoting the food and wine offer in these three areas. This project is backed by the Zagreb County Tourism Board and authorised by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Increasing visibility of Jastrebarsko, Samobor, and Sv. Ivan Zelina

The primary goal of the project is to communicate a local offer of authentic food and wine more clearly and efficiently by creating interactive and printed maps, a promotional website (www.gowine.hr), WebVR app, as well as to give the project its own recognisable visual identity. The most attractive parts of all these three areas covered in the project are their wine roads. Using stylised maps, the users will now have an easy time navigating them. The locations of numerous local wineries and countryside estates offering quality, authentic bites and sips are now there for all to find and enjoy. With plenty to explore in the area, the creators of the maps had their hands full at selecting those local businesses that will represent the area well.

The presentation of the project itself took place at the beautiful Mirnovec Ethno Farm. While there was plenty of information to go through, representatives of the three tourism boards and their associates kept the protocol dynamic and interesting. With plenty of mouth-watering local food and delicious wine, all gathered members of the press were able to taste for themselves exactly what wonders lie in the vicinity of Zagreb. Well-known names of the Croatian food and wine scene: Mr. Bakalovic, Mr. Spicek, and Mr. Spiranec created a lunch menu perfect for showcasing the finest this region has to offer. 

So, next time you get a chance, make sure to explore the areas of Jastrebarsko, Samobor, and Sv. Ivan Zelina. With gowine.hr and all the local information one click away, you now officially have no excuse not to do so. Just make sure you go hungry and thirsty.

For all the tourism information in Croatia, do not miss Total Croatia

October the 22nd, 2021 - Belje red wine has left quite the impression and left their Italian and French competitors behind in the dust. While this isn't a surprise for anyone who has enjoyed a glass of Croatian wine in their lives, it certainly helps to bring even more much deserved attention to the many varieties this country produces.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, Belje red wines have continued to sweep up various different awards throughout 2021 after winning 54 medals so far, of which 21 were ''golds'' and two were impressive championship titles.

They have now recorded yet another new global success: Belje red wine was declared the second best wine, which was evaluated with 91 points at the Emozioni dal Mondo Merlot e Cabernet Insieme in Italy, highly regarded around the world where many renowned producers of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc apply, and which this year boasted 220 samples from 22 countries.

According to the largest Croatian grape producer with 650 hectares of its own vineyards in the Danube region, the Belje red wine in question is a premium blend of cabernet sauvignon and Merlot vintage from 2019, which left some of the most famous Italian and French cellars, such as Bordeaux Grand Cru from Saint Emiliona, in the dust.

The top quality of red varieties from the Belje vineyards was confirmed by three gold medals (out of a total of 56), for the premium blend of cabernet sauvignon and Merlot, premium merlot and Goldberg Red, all of which are wines from back in 2019.

Cabernet sauvignon merlot Vina Belje was also chosen among the fifteen wines awarded by journalists. According to the President of the Management Board of Belje plus Andrej Dean, this success is a continuation of the recognition and award they received at the Decanter for their 2008 Merlot vintage, which showed the world for the first time how much potential they have in the production of excellent red wines.

The fact that they have won 91 points, he says, shows that the blend cabernet sauvignon - Merlot is among the best wines of these varieties, not only in the Republic of Croatia but also across the world, and the acceptable price and availability on the market will certainly contribute to its further popularity among consumers.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

October 17, 2021 - November sees the vineyards of Croatia paying tribute to their protector, St. Martin. Visit the largest St. Vincent statue in the world as part of Wine & Walk Ludbreg.

The one town in Croaita which has surprised me more than any other during my 18 years here has been Ludbreg, an hour north of Zagreb in Varazdin County. 

I have made several visits since my first back in 2016, when I penned Ludbreg, the Most Fascinating, Unusual Little Town in Croatia? 

And that was before I made many more discoveries about this town which appears to be similar to those around it at first glance, but...

I had no idea that Ludbreg was a wine town, for instance, or that it had its own wine road at a time that more celebrated destinations such as Dalmatia did not. 

I also had no idea that for 30 years Ludbreg has been hosting the biggest international festival dedicated to young wines, which takes place in the town each January. 

And i was truly surprised to learn that Ludbreg is home to the largest St. Vincent statue in the world, which overlooks the vineyards of the area. Sv Vinko as he is known locally, is a protector of vineyards.

The Feast of St. Martin falls on November 11, and it is celebrated each year on or around that date in many vineyards all over Croatia. Known as Martinje, the vineyards are blessed and the young wines sampled. It is an important and fun day for locals and visitors alike. 

In order to mark this year's event, the Ludbreg Tourist Board, together with the town's winemakers, has organised Wine & Walk Ludbreg on November 6, a chance to get to know the town, wineries, food and nature of Ludbreg and the surrounding area. More from the tourist board:

A new eno-gastro recreational event takes you on an adventure through the vineyards and forests of Ludbreg.

"Wine & Walk Ludbreg" is a new eno-gastro recreational event intended for lovers of nature, wine, authentic, local gastronomic products, and walking.

Visitors will walk a new route inspired by the pilgrimage tradition of Ludbreg and the roads of St. Martin. The route, about 12 kilometers long, connects two "saints" - statues of St. Martin and St. Vincent which adorn the two hills that surround the city.

Participants will be guided through a wooded hilly landscape challenging enough to spend an active Saturday, and yet gentle enough for anyone looking for fun, socializing and recreation to go through.

Along the way, there will be tasting points or rest areas where winemakers will offer their authentic wines, local "snacks" and a breath of local culture and customs.

All participants of "Wine & Walk Ludbreg" will, with a registration fee of 150 kuna, receive a starter pack in which a special practical bag contains: a tasting glass, a route map, a voucher for participation and water, and at the start and, in particular, the finish will be fun and motivating.

Wine & Walk Ludbreg pilot is a release of a new tourist product Ludbreg which is strategically oriented in the direction of excursion, outdoor and gastro tourism. The term is located on the eve of the important wine holiday of St. Martin, and the walking route is inspired by the pilgrimage tradition of the Ludbreg region, which connects it with a number of similar ones across Europe, related to the name of St. Martin. 

You can register here.

Ludbreg Wine & Walk will start on November 6 from 9:30 to 11:00, and completion is scheduled for 17:00.

For the latest news from Ludbreg, follow the dedicated TCN section.

October 16, 2021 - Red wine, chestnuts, nature and a British secret agent - the new James Bond movie No Time to Die kicked off a month of autumn wine promotion in Zagreb country, accompanied by cinema, art, food and music.

Good things are happening in the region just around Zagreb, where several initiatives to promote the authentic and traditional quality of the natural paradise that is Zagreb County are starting to pay off. The Around Zagreb portal, which was launched last year, has become a focal point of the richness of activities and experiences one can enjoy in a short trip from the city centre.  

The latest initiative to entice tourists into the hills is Via Vino, which opened in Plesivica yesterday. A month-long programme to attract more people to the excellent vineyards and wine roads of the island, Via Vino combines art, cinema, food and music with the region's wines, as previously reported on TCN.  

The first event was Via KINO, a screening of the new Bond movie, No Time to Die. No indoor cinemas here, the hit film was shown in a field in the Braje vineyard in Pelsivica. Bales of straw provided a more natural seating arrangement, and the evening featured young Portugiesac wines and traditional roasted chestnuts. Additional sustenance was provided by Marin Medak and his Food Truck. 

The event kicked off at 15:00, with several hours of mingling, wine tasting and enjoying the beautiful nature before 007 took over at 18:00.

Via KINO will be repeated next Saturday in Velika Gorica, with Via NOTE tonight in Sveta Ivan Zelena, where live music will accompany the wines of Litterarii in Nespes.  Via ART will take place on November 6 in Samobor. 

All through the month, until November 15, Via VINARIA will see the 50 or so wineries on the Zagreb County wine roads open their doors every Friday and Saturday.  

You can learn more about the Via VINO programme here, as well as enjoying more photos from yesterday below. 

October 10, 2021 - Dalmatian Wine Icons is a prestigious wine event where Dalmatian winemakers present exclusively their best wines. It is a one-day promenade tasting that, due to its limited duration, winemakers from all parts of Dalmatia bring only one or a maximum of two labels, the ones they are most proud of.

Dalmatian Wine Icons is a prestigious wine event where Dalmatian winemakers present exclusively their best wines. It is a one-day promenade tasting that, due to its limited duration, winemakers from all parts of Dalmatia bring only one or a maximum of two labels, the ones they are most proud of, reports Turističke Priče.

Photo: Dalmatian Wine Icons

By presenting only special wines, the so-called cellar flagships, winemakers want to draw the attention of the public and the media to the exceptional concentration of quality that is more than evident in Dalmatia in recent years, and then to varietal and stylistic diversity and wine authenticity.

Namely, in Croatia, no region has the varietal and stylistic richness of Dalmatia, because the number of indigenous varieties in Dalmatia exceeds the total number of indigenous varieties of all other regions together, and confirmation of the highest quality of Dalmatian wines comes from renowned international competitions such as British Decanter. more of the brightest medals than any other region from this part of Europe.

Therefore, the manifestation of the Dalmatian wine icon is an exciting event of an exclusive character where visitors are given the opportunity to taste in one place the most important wines of Dalmatia, which dissolve them and which the wine authors tell them personally.

Promenade tasting will be held on October 23 at the area restaurants Campus of the University of Split, and the event will be opened from 12 to 19 h.

The day before the promenade tasting, on October 22, wine workshops will be held in the same space, led by renowned lecturers - Branimir Vukšić, Manuela Plohl, Kruno Filipović, Monika Prović, and Saša Špiranec.

Photo: Dalmatian Wine Icons

Workshop program

Friday, 10/22/2021

• 14: 00h Dalmatian rosé - Dalmatia is Croatian Provence; Branimir Vuksic
• 15:30 Aged white wines of Dalmatia of collector's value; Monika Prović
• 17: 00h Small varieties with great potential - indigenous varieties with the authentic stamp of Dalmatia; Kruno Filipović
• 18:30 Plavac, babić and tribidrag / crljenak - three black locomotives; Saša Špiranec

Saturday, 10/23/2021

• 14: 00h Decanter laureates - wine tasting that won gold and platinum medals at the last DWWA competition; Manuela Plohl

The complete organization and protocols are harmonized with sanitary and epidemiological standards, to make visitors feel safe.

Croatian wines and grapes are among the best in the world, and you can find more information about them in Total Croatia’s Guide to Croatian Wine HERE.

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 6, 2021 - Just a short drive from the Zagreb is part of Croatia's fantastic wine story. A new autumn initiative from the Zagreb County Tourist Board brings art, music, food and cinema to Zagreb's vineyards. Meet Via Vino. 

One of the things that visitors to Zagreb often comment on is just how accessible it is.With its abundant parks, it is a great city to walk in. 

Those who are a little more adventurous are discovering just how accessible - and fascinating - the region around Zagreb is. The launch of the Around Zagreb initiative last year, bringing the very best of the city of Zagreb, Zagreb County, and now also Zagorje, has added a new dimension to Zagreb tourism.  

The Zagreb County Tourist Board has been particularly active in recent times promoting the authentic treasures of the region, as well as helping to bring the indigenous products of its producers to the market. One small example of this is the development of the Zagreb truffle hunt, something that perhaps even many locals are not aware of. Local producers are bying into the brand of authentic Zagreb County and its local products, and one can now enjoy Zagreb truffles in strukli, as well as pralines. And the latest Zagreb truffle delicacy was unveiled at the Via Vino press conference this morning - ajvar with black truffles. 

A new initiative called Via Vino has been launched by the Zagreb County Tourist Board, which was unveiled at a press conference in their office in Zagreb this morning, complete with new promotional video of the wine roads of Zagreb County. The Croatian capital is blessed with several wine regions surrounding the city on all sides - Sveta Ivana Zelina, Samobor, Jastrebarsko, Ivanic-Grad, and Zapresic. 

From October 15 to November 15, the wineries of Zagreb County will be welcoming visitors to experience their wines, while also combining that experience with some signature events combining art, food, wine and music. 

Via Vinaria takes place every Friday and Saturday within the month, when more than 50 wineries in Zagreb County will open their cellar doors for wine tasting. A great day out from the city, and a chance to enjoy the county's alluring nature while sampling its finest wines. 

Looking to catch the latest Bond movie in some style?  Via KINO is the place to be on October 15 at the Braje vineyard in Plesivica, where chestnuts and Portugiesac will accompany 007's final mission. Additional sustenance will be provided by Marin Medak and his Food Truck.

Via KINO will take place on October 23rd. in the central park of Velika Gorica. Although this is not a wine region, the screening of the film will feature an exhibition of photographs of winemakers, accompanied by homemade spirits by Brigljević distillates and gin. As this area is known for truffle hunting, you will have the opportunity to taste truffles in typically continental dishes.

Via VINO will also enrich the Via ART event, which takes you along the picturesque Samobor road of pleasures, with recognizable wines, selected delicacies and an exhibition in the vineyard! It takes place on November 6 and follows the well-known feast of St. Martin, patron saint of winemakers. Take a look at the exhibition of photographs of winemakers from Zagreb County in the Samobor Museum.

Have you ever experienced a classical music concert in a vineyard? A good wine is like a good concert, it lasts a short time, but it is remembered for a lifetime. It’s new in every sip and changes with each new note. Therefore Via NOTE on October 16 brings concerts to the fairytale environment of the falling slopes of the vineyards of the Schwartz manor in Nespeš, in Sv. Zelini. The atmosphere will be enriched by the offer of dishes from Food Truck by Marin Medak, as well as a selection of wines from the Litterarii winery.

"We all already know that Zagreb County is the green living room of Zagreb. It offers sustainable tourism, numerous outdoor facilities but also an unforgettable eno-gastronomic experience, 365 days a year," said the director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board Ivana Alilović.

"As a year-round destination, it offers new facilities every season. Thus, our wine roads and events related to eno-gastronomic content are currently very attractive. The rich gastronomic offer and the increasingly strong development and branding of wine roads - from Plešivica to Zelina and Ivanić-Grad as the home of škrlet - are one of the strongest assets for the tourist and economic development of Zagreb County.

"We are proud that for the first time the Zagreb County Tourist Board is conducting such a large destination campaign in which over 60 key entities in the area of ​​the Zagreb County wine scene are participating. For us, this is a big step towards positioning the entire Zagreb County as an authentic boutique destination." 

For visits to wineries it is necessary to make an appointment in advance.

Admission to the events is limited, and for those who do not have a Covid passport at the entrance, a Covid test will be organized which is included in the ticket price.

The Via VINO event is organized by the Zagreb County Tourist Board, who you can contact for more information.

Learn more about the direction of tourism in Zagreb County in this TCN interview with Zagreb County Tourist Board director Ivana Alilović.