The competition was fierce, choosing from 12 attractive events in Istria. A successful year for Istrian winemakers was marked by the annual assembly, where the30th jubilee wine and winemaking equipment fair Vinistra was announced.

Vinistra, the association of Istrian vinegrowers and winemakers, received the Golden Goat for the best event of the year. In competition with 12 prestigious events, the award was given to them by the Tourist Board of Istria for organizing the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, a well-known global wine competition held this year in May in Poreč, just a week after the 29th edition of Vinistra. This annual award from the Tourist Board of Istria for the best tourist products was presented at a ceremony at the Grand Hotel Brioni in Pula, and the recognition for the new cellar in the category of tourist product of the year went to the Tomaz winery, whose owner Klaudio Tomaz is a long-time member of Vinistra.

"We are proud of this award, as well as the fact that Vinistra was the first in this part of Europe to host the prestigious wine competition Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The importance of this wine event is evidenced by the fact that more than 10 thousand bottles from around the world were opened at it. Its independence and strict selection process provide consumers with the confidence to buy award-winning wines. All of this confirms the growing international reputation of Vinistra, as well as Istrian wines," said Luka Rossi, president of the Vinistra association, after one of its most successful years since its founding.

This was confirmed at the annual assembly at the Morosini-Grimani Castle in Svetvinčenat, which gathered more than 90 winemakers just a few days before winning the Zlatna Koza (Golden Goat). At that time, Ezio Pinzan, the county head of the Administrative Department for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting, Fisheries, and Water Management, emphasized that Istrian winemakers deserve such a professional association.

"Vinistra is at a high level and continues in the right direction for the development and promotion of Istrian winemaking in Croatia and the world," said Pinzan.

The assembly also announced a spectacular program at the 30th jubilee Vinistra fair, which will take place from May 10th to 12th in the Žatika hall in Poreč. Before the assembly, two educational sessions were held for association members, where there was a full house. Interested winemakers and vinegrowers were introduced to the new EU Regulation on wine labeling, which prescribes what must be added to the wine label. Winemakers were also informed about the new Winemaking Regulation, which defines that every winemaker must obtain a certificate for wine sampling without which they will not be able to put the wine up for sale.