More than 80 winemakers, visitors from all over the world, excellent workshops, the finest delicacies, and a great atmosphere marked the second day of the 29th Vinistra.

When champion wines from Kadum, Dobravac, Fakin, Benvenuti, and other Istrian wine veterans, as well as relatively new names in the Istrian wine scene, are presented in one place, such an event cannot be missed. Therefore, this weekend, all roads lead to Poreč for Vinistra, which once again brought together 80 Istrian winemakers in the Žatika Hall.

The atmosphere is great, so wine lovers, including foreign guests, do not mind that the 29th edition of the oldest and most prestigious wine exhibition is taking place on two-thirds of the surface of the sports hall. Part of it is fenced off due to the accelerated preparations for the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, which will also take place in Poreč from May 11 to 14, and this most prestigious world wine competition has its exhibition space at Vinistra. There is quite a crowd there because there is no wine enthusiast who does not want to taste some of the hundreds of top-rated wines in the world.

Award-winning Malvasias alongside awarded world wines

"As the organizer of the fair in Belgium, I know how much effort and work is behind such an event, but seeing so many people and well-known Istrian wineries in one place is truly impressive. I had the opportunity to taste Malvasia and Teran for the first time a few years ago, I am well educated about these varieties, I participated in Vinistra's evaluation last year, and I have to admit that I am in love with Malvasia and its wide range of styles, and I really like Poreč and Istria," says Thomas Costenoble, director of Concours Modnial de Bruxelles.

There is also a crowd at the neighboring Malvasia World exhibition space, where award-winning wines from all over the world arrived for this year's Vinistra evaluation, which can be freely called a world competition of this variety.

"Considering the extremely dry period last year, fresh Malvasia from the 2022 harvest will have a shorter lifespan, those aged from 2020 and 2021 are in great shape, as confirmed by the platinum medals from this year's Malvasia World. The aged Teran from 2019 and 2020 are excellent, and the young ones from 2021 and 2022 are also very good, although there are fewer of them on the market because winemakers are opting for aged variants," commented Emil Perdec, a well-known Croatian sommelier and F&B manager of Plava Laguna, on the symbols of Istrian winemaking.

Vinistra ends on Sunday at 7 pm, and the organizers are announcing a real spectacle for the jubilee 30th edition next year.