VIDEO: 30th edition of Croatia’s big wine event in May

(Photo credit: Anto Magzan)

ZAGREB, April 23, 2024 – Everything is set for the 30th Vinistra, the wine and wine equipment exhibition that has long been a favourite meeting place for wine professionals and enthusiasts from around the world. 

This year, from May 10th to 12th, during this prestigious wine event in Poreč and its surroundings, there will be a high demand for accommodation, as stated at the presentation of its anniversary edition in Business Club 5 in Zagreb.

As Vinistra, both as an association and as an event, has grown, its three past presidents – Ivica Matošević, Nikola Benvenuti, and Luka Rossi – presented in a three-minute promotional film “Ahead of Vinistra,” which premiered alongside the new visual identity in Zagreb.

The modern visual identity, shaped like the Istrian peninsula and grapes of various coloUrs and sizes symbolising both large and small wineries, reflects the essence of the Istrian wine brand, which the people of Istria have collectively built over the past thirty years. 

Unlike the event which has a stalk at the top of this harmonious Istrian bunch, the Vinistra association has a geometric shape reminiscent of a roof. 

(Photo credit: Anto Magzan)

Thus, from this unique colourful logo, two almost identical ones were created, and the slogan “Where wine stories begin” perfectly describes the wine exhibition, which this year expects over a hundred exhibitors, including eighty winemakers.

“Istra has become a renowned wine destination today, and our wines have won numerous international awards, while young generations are also deciding to engage in this challenging profession,” said Luka Rossi, president of the Vinistra association, in Zagreb.

The significant role of Istria as a wine region

Minister of Agriculture Marija Vučković congratulated Vinistra on its anniversary, emphasizing that without people, unity, and specific generational renewal in the sector, there will be no success in tourism in the next 15 years.

“The Ministry of Agriculture has financed various projects over the past eight years, initially focusing on primary production, then processing, and the wine sector. Ultimately, we supported your efforts related to promotion, investing over 80 million euros in this sector nationwide during that time. 

(Photo credit: Anto Magzan)

We’ve utilised the Wine Envelope, increasing its utilisation rate from an average of 27 percent from 2014 to 2019 to 100 percent in the last three years. Almost all beautiful wineries were built with the support of the Ministry, and we’ve concluded that we need additional funds and new measures to tackle what’s most challenging: planting new vineyards and activating neglected plots. This is certainly our greatest task in the upcoming period,” said the Minister of Agriculture.

Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy for Agriculture and Tourism, Dragan Kovačević, added that Istria has about 2,800 hectares of vineyards, producing around nine million litres of wine, or about 16 percent of the total vineyard and wine production. However, Istria’s significance as a wine region far exceeds these figures.

A huge leap for Vinistra

The head of the Administrative Department for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting, Fishing, and Water Management, Ezio Pinzan, and the mayor of Poreč, Loris Peršurić, came to offer their support to the association in Zagreb. Both agreed that the 30th anniversary of Vinistra is a significant event for the Istrian County and the city of Poreč. Vinistra has made a huge leap, turning Teran and especially Malvazija into a brand that can compete with the world’s best wines, making it the most respectable and well-known regional wine event.

(Photo credit: Anto Magzan)

“Our wine story has been built over thirty long years, and today it has reached a very enviable position, comparable to many significant wine destinations on the Old Continent. Plava Laguna has been a golden sponsor for many years, which is a great honor and pleasure for us. We provide unconditional support in logistics, and through our facilities, we promote excellent Istrian wines,” emphasized Emil Perdec, the food & beverage manager of Plava Laguna, the golden sponsor of Vinistra, where this year, premium wines will be tasted from Riedel glasses Malvazija Istarska, in collaboration with the Miva Wine Gallery.

(Photo credit: Anto Magzan)

“This glass emphasizes the characteristics of Malvazija, its scent, fruitiness, aroma, and everything that makes Malvazija unique and globally recognized,” said Gordan Mohor, owner of Miva distribution.

The Croatian Tourist Board also supported the 30th edition of Vinistra, and its director, Kristjan Staničić, stated that this anniversary can be considered a confirmation that Istria, as well as Croatia as a whole, are continuously working on the quality development of wine production, thereby enhancing gastronomy as one of the most sought-after tourist products, often representing a significant motive for guests to visit the destination.

“Vinistra positively influences the positioning of Istria and Croatia as attractive, interesting, and sustainable tourist destinations, as well as further promoting the overall domestic tourism offer,” said Kristjan Staničić.