Istrian wines will be presented across 11 pages in a special edition of Dutch and Belgian magazine Perswijn

Exceptional top-quality wines and a brilliantly organized tasting were one of the biggest positive surprises, said Ronald de Groot, editor-in-chief of Perswijn, after an exclusive two-day workshop organized by Vinistra and Istria County Tourist Board.

This widely read Dutch and Belgian magazine has a circulation of 12,500 copies, the portal has more than 175 thousand unique visitors, and in a special feature titled Alto Adriatico a report on Istrian wines will be published across as many as 11 pages.

The editor-in-chief was accompanied at the tasting by journalist Paul Balke, a well-known wine critic and author of the book titled North Adriatic. His first encounter with Istrian wines happened 14 years ago when he started visiting Vinistra.

An extraordinary leap in quality

“Since my first encounter with Istrian wines, I have noticed a big shift, wineries invest strongly in quality and today Istria has truly exceptional wines. The two-day tasting offered very interesting surprises. Malvasia and Teran as indigenous varieties are very interesting for the market, and I noticed that several varieties thrive in Istria, so great potential lies in that segment as well. This peninsula is definitely one of the most important parts of the northern Adriatic, which wine professionals must observe very carefully. I enjoy not only the wine, but also the peace, the beauty of the landscape, and the food is always good," said Balke.

Istria accepted the challenge

The strong duo from Perswijn was joined by sommelier Jasenko Selimović, who lives in Sweden and is currently writing a book in that language about the wines of Southeast Europe. Istrian wines will receive a special chapter therein.

“In Sweden, as in other countries of Western Europe, the habits of wine lovers have changed. They deal less with international varieties, and there is a growing interest in original, indigenous, unusual wines, so in this sense Malvasia and Teran have a great chance. Istria is one of the highest quality wine regions in this part of Europe, it has made the biggest leap in terms of quality, it has accepted the challenge, responded to the global trends, is open to new ideas and technologies, which results from its openness to other cultures," concluded Selimović.

72 wines from 24 wineries presented

Vinistra presented itself with 72 top wines from 24 wineries. The wines of the wineries Benvenuti, Tomaz, Fakin, Ipša, Monte Rosso, Degrassi, Sosich Wines, Arman Marijan, Pilato, Radovan, Ivančić, Cuj, Coronica, In Sylvis Wines, Domaine Koquelicot, Marcheta, Meneghetti, Vina Laguna, Damjanić, Franković, Kabola, Cattunar, Kozlović and Matošević were tasted.

“I am happy with the positive reactions of our guests, especially when it comes to the indigenous Malvasia and Teran varieties. This type of interactive workshops proved to be extremely important for the promotion of Istrian wines at foreign markets, such as that of the Northern Europe, which is relatively new and we are just opening it, although some of our winemakers are already present there. In addition, the eno-gastro offer is one of the key reasons for coming to the destination, so the promotion of Istrian wines is an important part of our tourist experience", points out Nikola Benvenuti, the president of Vinistra.