July the 26th, 2022 - A Kutjevo tourism project to turn this continental Croatian town which is well known for its local wine into a tourist hit could well come to fruition. Kutjevo is seeking a partner to whom it will provide a large sum to if they can complete what's necessary for the vision.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, Grasevina House, the centre just like those in some of the largest wine regions in France, Spain and Switzerland, has long been aimed for by Kutjevo's winemakers, and such a project has been being strategically designed and prepared for some time.

Finally, thevery first steps are beginning to be taken, because Kutjevo, as the project holder that will be the basis for the development of gastro-enological tourism in that part of Croatia, has announced a tender for a partner in the preparation of project documentation for this large Kutjevo tourism project.

Grasevina House, an interpretation centre, is expected to be built and arranged on land located in the very centre of Kutjevo, and it would be the perfect addition to this continental town with a rich history which is rightfully proud of its viticulture and winemaking traditions.

Grasevina is originally a Croatian and not an Italian wine variety, as it has been wrongly portrayed, and at the same time it is the most widespread white wine variety in all of Croatia. This variety is a symbol of wine production in Kutjevo, and when it comes to just how important it is for Croatian viticulture, Kutjevo locals state that as much as 27 to 33 percent of the area is covered by the growth of precisely this variety.

They want to bring the rich history and traditions of the production and culture of wine drinking in Kutjevo closer to those interested through a large Kutjevo tourism project, and in designing it, they studied how such museums and centres were organised by the French in Bordeaux, where La Cite du Vin was under construction for three years and opened its doors in 2016. Then came the Vivanco family museum which was opened in Rioja (Spain) back in 2004, and the Valais wine museum, which was established in Switzerland by the local community of winemakers there.

In all these museums, in addition to nurturing the culture of local wine, visitors are offered a much broader content, which Kutjevo wants to apply in its case as well. The Kutjevo tourism project also envisages a gallery space for both permanent and temporary exhibitions, an ethno-bar inside the museum and in the garden, a viewpoint with a view of the vineyards spanning the area, spaces for congresses, seminars and corporate events, as well as celebrations, and much more.

The project documentation will also include Greta Park, a city park named after Greta Turkovic, an area and name important for Croatian wine and art culture, and which is located between the Kutjevo Castle and the future Grasevina House. The Kutjevo tourism project also envisages the organisation of a thematic trail called Vinogradarski put, through which visitors will be able to meet local winemakers and visit their cellars.

Kutjevo is willing to pay 1.5 million kuna plus VAT for the creation of the design and technical documentation, which includes the conceptual solution for the project, the removal of the building, the main and executive design, the preparation of cost estimates and the elaboration for obtaining a building permit, and the tender will remain open until August the 16th, 2022.

They expect the documentation within ten months after the conclusion of the contract, after which they will begin the implementation of the project which, they hope, will include the area on the map of top tourist and cultural destinations.

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

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 5, 2021 - When it comes to Croatian tourism, wine and camps are always part of the conversation in almost all regions of the country. In Međimurje, a family has combined both concepts, and it is thus that the Hažić Wine Camp has recently been recognized for its wine and accommodation offer.

This year, the Hažić family opened the first wine camp in Croatia, located in Međimurje, more precisely in Sveti Martin na Muri. As Turističke Priče reports, the aforementioned wine camp received the OK Mini Camps quality award and was thus included among one of the best small camps in Croatia.

''We are pleased to announce that based on the analysis of the quality of the content and service of our camp by the KUH commission, we are included in the list of 46 best small camps in Croatia'', said the Hažić Wine Camp.

This wine camp is the first camp of its kind in Croatia. It is located in the untouched nature of upper Međimurje, on the famous tourist route in the immediate vicinity of Terme Sveti Martin and the Mill House by the river Mura.

Photo: Hažić Wine Camp Official Facebook Page

The camp on the family farm Hažić offers 12 pitches for campers and eight wooden mobile homes, electricity, water, wi-fi, toilets, children's playground, grill area, laundry service, and pets are allowed. Otherwise, the entire Hažić Wine Camp was built according to the highest environmental standards with the category of four suns.

The camping pitches range in size from 80 to 110 square meters and bear the names of the most represented grape varieties in the Međimurje vineyards, which is another great example of connecting with a local and authentic story.

Međimurje got its first Wine Camp thanks to the Hažić family, which has been recognized for more than 30 years for quality local products such as wine, apples, and honey, and to their Hažić Family Farm and Wine House, they have now added the third in a series of investments, but certainly not the last.

Photo: Hažić Wine Camp Official Facebook Page

Apart from quality products, the Hažić, Biserka, and Radenko family, with their daughters Tatjana and Valentina, who continued the family farm, is also known for innovative ideas aimed at tourism and the agriculture sector, which is confirmed by this investment.

Međimurje is a top wine region

Međimurje is a top wine region, and proof of that are the numerous medals from last year's, but also this year's Decanter World Wine Awards, where it was confirmed that the best Croatian sparkling wines come from Međimurje. And this is no coincidence, since in 2016, for the first time in history, the first two medals arrived in Međimurje.

The camp offers accommodation to tourists who want to enjoy nature, fine wines, sparkling wines, juices, and other products from the workshop of the Hažić family.

Campers in the area can enjoy cycling, wellness services of Terme Sveti Martin, getting to know local cultural sights, enjoying numerous adventurous activities organized by the Accredo Center or a picnic with excellent local food and drinks of the restaurant Međimurski dvori, and at the request of the guest will offer delivery breakfast in the form of a pinklec basket on the plot. Guests and tourists of the camp can also enjoy local products from Međimurski štancun.

Photo: Croatia.hr

Located in the fertile lowlands between the rivers Mura and Drava, Međimurje justifies its nickname – the Garden of Croatia. The neat little villages and towns intertwine with an enchanting landscape. The region might be small, but it offers a bounty of attractions to impress any visitor. Whether you are into food and wine, relaxation and outdoor activities, or exploring local history, Međimurje is a garden full of possibilities. If you want to learn more about the ''Garden of Croatia'', be sure to read Total Croatia's Međimurje in a Page HERE.

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, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

September 5, 2021 - The "Land of Wine" project connects Baranja and Erdut with the Hungarian town of Villány through wine and tourism.

It is part of an EU project, "Wine tourism without borders - a unique wine tourism destination," carried out by the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food (HAPIH). The partners are the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board and the non-profit winery company from Villány, Hungary, “Tenkes Nonprofit Kft.” The project focuses on developing wine and gastronomic tourism in part of the Croatian Danube region and part of Hungarian Baranja and positioning the destination on the wine and tourist market, reports HRturizam.

The Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board is in charge of developing the wine and tourist offer. At the same time, the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food is developing and better positioning Graševina as one of the most important wine varieties in Croatia. Villány, on the other hand, is further promoting their most important variety - Cabernet Franca.

Romulic & Stojcic

The project is important because it connects one of the most visited wine regions in Hungary - Villány and the vineyards of Baranja and Erdut, and aims to promote the cross-border region in both regional and international markets.

A study trip took place last week, and members of the expedition, which consisted of wine journalists, wine distributors, and travel agencies, discovered part of the adventure mosaic offered by the new wine tourism destination. The trip was organized by the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board in cooperation with Villány winemakers.

“Slavonia and Baranja have extremely high resources for the development of wine tourism; it is an area with the most planted vineyards in the whole of Croatia. Another important rarity offered by Slavonia and Baranja is the presence of historical, old "noble" wineries, from Ilok, through Belje, Erdut, Đakovo, Feričani, all the way to Kutjevo," said Ivana Jurić, director of the county tourist board. The activities carried out by the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food in the wine field will certainly contribute to the 'Land of Wine' promotion.

“As the holder of the project, through numerous activities, it will focus on the development and better positioning of Graševina as one of the most important wine cultivars in Croatia. With this aim, we are also working on developing a specification of a protected geographical indication for the wine-growing area of ​​Slavonia and the Croatian Danube region, i.e., wines produced from Graševina. Graševina, along with Istrian Malvasia and Plavac mali crni, is certainly the flagship of Croatia's wine offer, and it is in this area that it gives its best results," said Darja Sokolić, director of HAPIH.

Small family wineries are increasingly raising the level of wine quality in recent years and changing the perception of Slavonia and Baranja. He adds that the surduci and gatori offered by Baranja, and on the other side, the views of the vineyards along the Danube in Erdut, are especially attractive for tourists. But the most important thing in the story of wine tourism, he points out, is an excellent basic product: wine, in which a lot has been invested.

Romulic & Stojcic

"Oenology and gastronomy are our strong tourist trump cards that, in addition to natural beauty, attract tourists who enjoy indigenous food and excellent wines. The wines of our four vineyards are widely known globally, and not a year goes by without one of the winemakers from Osijek-Baranja County winning one of the most prestigious world awards, such as Decanter. Nevertheless, there is a lot of room for improvement, especially in the promotional sense, and the experiences from Villány speak of the direction in which wine tourism can develop in the long run," said Prefect Ivan Anušić. The study trip participants were delighted with the creation of a new destination and a multi-day stay in the Croatian and Hungarian wine regions.

"When we mention Croatia, everyone mostly thinks of the sea. But Croatia has a wonderful continent, which we have been happy to discover in the last few days. In addition, we discovered another part of Croatia, the northeast. We traveled through beautiful landscapes along the Danube and enjoyed beautiful views, historical sights, vineyards, and of course, wine. I was impressed by nature, and I think that a special adventure is to meet the wine east of Croatia by bicycle," says Anne-Wies van Oosten, a Dutch journalist.

By creating a joint wine story with Villány, we can expand the tourist offer, so guests who stay with us for two or three days will extend their stay and go on a day trip to Villány, 45 minutes away or vice versa. The guiding thought of the whole project is simple and logical, especially since each region is branded with special wine varieties. While Villány is recognized by the Cabernet Franc variety - the Villány Franc brand, Srijem, and Slavonia are certainly recognized by the top Graševina.

“I will definitely recommend both destinations we visited as a unique tourist destination. I am thrilled with what we have seen, from the beautiful scenery to the excellent wines and especially the interesting gastronomy. The similarity between our two countries is reflected in the production of Graševina, and I must emphasize that Croatian Graševina is excellent. I am glad that you will brand it more strongly through this project," said Eszter Borbely from Hungary.

Through this project, it is planned to create a database and a mobile application on the wine tourism offer in the cross-border area. Furthermore, the organization of a large international conference on Graševina and the development of wine tourism in Osijek is also scheduled, with a tour of Baranja and Erdut and the development of regulations for branding and marketing Graševina for Slavonia and the Danube region.

Villány has two thousand inhabitants and achieves around 60,000 tourist nights a year. And all thanks to wine tourism. More than 200 winemakers in Villány have a license to bottle and sell wine, while about thirty more serious producers with a higher reputation. They produce about 12 million bottles of wine a year, named Villány, reports Večernji List. Also, their wines achieve great prices in the market. The first line does not go below five euros, the premium cabernet franc is up to 30 euros and more, while the super-premium ranges from 50 to 60 euros.

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