December 7, 2020 – Sisak-Moslavina County plans many new projects for 2021. Among them, the construction of the Croatian Wine House (Hrvatska kuća vina) in Popovača stands out, as a promotion center of Moslavina wines, especially the indigenous variety škrlet.

As Lokalni.hr reports, the administrative department for the economy, agriculture, and rural development of the Sisak-Moslavina County will have a budget of more than50 million at its disposal next year, and a much higher amount is expected for projects from EU funds.

New crafts and businesses

For the economic development in 2021, 8.8 million kuna will be allocated: 4 million kuna for the development of entrepreneurial infrastructure, 3.85 million kuna for subsidies to craftsmen, small and medium-sized enterprises, and 750,000 kuna for capital aid for new investments in production.

The development of tourism will be supported next year with 4.572 million kuna. 1.4 million kuna will be invested in transport and communal infrastructure. Co-financing of passenger transport and co-financing of public road transport in municipalities continues. For regional development and projects co-financed from EU funds, 32.2 million kuna is allocated.

Most of it goes to the work of the Regional Coordinator of the SMC, which prepares and implements projects, and to the Natura SMC project – an educational and presentation center that will include all the richness of the county's natural heritage.

Among other planned projects, which should be co-financed from European funds, is the project "LIFE in Zone Ozone". With this project, a new model of disinfection should be developed, and its value is 7 million kuna.

Croatian Wine House - the future recognizability of the county

Also, a 34-million kuna project "Croatian Wine House" is planned, which would contain two segments. The first would be a tourist segment for which a tasting room, a restaurant, and a viewpoint would be built. The second segment would be scientific and educational and would consist of a laboratory, a wine cellar, and a test field intended primarily for the development of the indigenous wine variety of the Sisak-Moslavina County – škrlet.

The project will be implemented in the area of the City of Popovača, where it was presented in February. The prefect of Sisak-Moslavina County, Ivo Žinić, said on that occasion that the Croatian Wine House is the future recognizability of the county, emphasizing that it is just a continuation of all efforts for better promotion of Moslavina wines, especially the indigenous škrlet variety.

"This is an important project primarily because a lot of people here are involved in winemaking. Wine, vineyard, and wine cellars are the tradition of this area and status symbols of the City of Popovača. Thus, we will complete one story in which it will be possible to present everything that is produced, not only in the area of Popovača but also in the entire County," said then the mayor of Popovača Josip Mišković, Radio Banovina reports.

A special feature of this project is a viewpoint with flower petals that give a new character to this vineyard area.

"Everyone who comes to this area will have the need and desire to visit the wine house, see which wines are produced in this area, but also taste them and all other wines to help our winemakers. They are investing more and more every year, especially in škrlet, which has an increasing value on wine lists. I think that this project will be the capital crown of the entire investment in the development of wine and winemaking," said Mišević.

Other projects – battery development center, photovoltaic power plant, business incubators...

Other planned projects are the renovation of Villa Zelengaj in Topusko (5.5 million kuna), project "Research-development-production center for batteries and design and production of furniture" in the Entrepreneurial Zone Glina (150 million kuna), Photovoltaic power plant Martinska Ves (86 million kuna) and establishment of a network of business incubators in Popovača, Novska, Glina, Kutina, Donja Kukuruzari, Velika Ludina, and Lipovljani, with an estimated value of 192 million kuna.

Sisak-Moslavina County continues with the implementation of the project "County Entrepreneurial Loans", which enables the launch of new crafts and companies, and the growth and expansion of existing ones. This project has been implemented in SMC for years in cooperation with cities, municipalities, and commercial banks, which achieves an interest rate of 0.25 or even 0 percent for entrepreneurs.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Unique opportunity to taste nine young Škrlet wines in one place: Advent evening organized by the Moslavina Škrlet Association.

The foremost Škrlet producers of Moslavina region will premiere their 2019 harvest Škrlet wines to wine lovers at the Forum Gallery in Teslina 16, on Friday, 6th of December, 2019, from 17 to 22h.

Five medals from the recent Decanter awards for Škrlet wines are proof this variety is claiming its deserved spot on the wine list of Croatia and the world, one out of 120 indigenous Croatian varieties.

Visitors will have the opportunity to be the first to taste 9 young Škrlet wines from the 2019 harvest, one of them produced jointly by the Association members.

The ticket price is 60 kuna, including wine tasting and meeting the winemakers. Visitors will also be able to purchase promotional materials with the Škrlet brand.

The entire event has been financially supported by Zagreb County.

Seven largest producers of Škrlet wine in Moslavina have presented their project: they've blended the best of their harvests, from best positions into one wine. 

Ilovčak, Jaram, Florijanović, Miklaužić, Mikša, Trdenić and Voštinić-Klasnić wineries are joined in the Association of the Škrlet makers. To further promote and improve the brand of their traditional variety, they'll be making a limited number of bottles of this unique blend (5000 bottles are planned for this, the first year). 

Tomislav Trdenić, president of the Association, told the press that this is the first such wine project in Croatia (although young Plavac Mali makers from Pelješac have been doing something similar for a while) and that it proves the togetherness of the winemakers of Moslavina. This year, the wine is of high quality (although low yield), so the blended wine has 12 % alcohol content and is not too strong. It's fresh, semi-aromatic wine with floral and fruity notes. Škrlet is a variety that makes wines with lower alcohol content and higher acids, which makes it refreshing and enjoyable everyday wine with specific varietal flavor. It goes well with any fish, white meat dishes, and pasta. 

The producers have been working together on branding the Škrlet and are satisfied with the position the variety has on the wine-map of Croatia. Now they need to work hard on solving their other big problem, which is the distribution and the quantity of wine they're able to produce. This blended Škrlet will be able to guarantee the high level of quality of the wine and will be able to compete with other varieties that are better known in Croatia and abroad. 

This Saturday, an event dubbed the "Evening of Škrlet and Moslavina Cuisine" (Večer škrleta i moslavačke kuhinje) was held on Popovača main square (Popovača is the center of the Moslavina region, in which most Škrlet is grown) where it was possible to taste the special, blended škrlet. 

It's autumn, and in continental Croatia that means that the centre of the pumpkin admiration focuses on Ivanić Grad, where a pumpkin festival has been organised for the past 15 years.

Bučijada, as it's known in Croatian, always takes place during a weekend in October, and this year it's next weekend, October the 5th and the 6th.

Organised by the Ivanić Grad Tourist board, this year's pumpkin celebration includes a meeting of producers of pumpkin seed oil from Croatia, several exhibitions by Croatian artists (including Ivan Lacković-Croata, probably the most notable Croatian naive artist of the 20th century, and an exhibition of sculptures and installations inspired by - the pumpkin!).

During the entire weekend, visitors will be able to purchase all types of pumpkin products: pumpkins themselves, pumpkin seed oil, flour, cookies made from pumpkins etc. (There is no Starbucks in Croatia yet, but if there were, they'd be there making their exclusive pumpkin spice lattes). Almost all restaurants and bars in Ivanić Grad will offer dishes made from pumpkins, and Crafter's brewery will offer their pumpkin ale on the main square. 

If you're not into beer, and rather prefer wines (NOT made from pumpkins!), you're in luck, as another Ivanić Grad tradition also takes place this week.

The association of producers of the indigenous Škrlet white wine planned their Škrlet week to coincide with the Bučijada. So, during the week there will be presentations of various Škrlet wines by different producers in Zagreb and Zagreb county, and during the weekend they will feature prominently on the main square in Ivanić Grad with their Šrklet Corner, where you'll be able to taste and purchase Škrlets by 8 producers. You should taste them, as they've won 5 Decanter's medals this year!

In order to make it easier for people to get from Zagreb to Ivanić Grad (and especially back, after all that Škrlet and pumpkin ale and bučnica), a special Pumpkin Train (Bučko-Express) has been organised to take the pumpkin-lovers from Zagreb to Bučijada. It leaves from Zagreb's main station (Glavni kolodvor) to Ivanić Grad on Saturday and Sunday morning at 09:20 and returns to Zagreb at 17:25. The return ticket costs 25 kuna, and you can return a bit earlier, or later as well.

There's really no excuse for anyone who loves pumpkins not to go to Ivanić Grad and their pumpkin festival next weekend!

Not even the rain could interrupt the "Škrlet at Gradec" event.

SkrletOVO, the first organised wine festival to promote the indigenous Skrlet grape variety, took place in Ivanic Grad near Zagreb on May 20, 2017, a fascinating place to be a foreign fly on the wall. TCN reports.