320 evaluators from 50 countries arrived in Poreč, more than 7.5 thousand wines were evaluated, including 220 Croatian ones. Vinistra prepared a great accompanying program for the participants. 

The most prestigious world competition, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Istria, gathered 320 judges from as many as 50 countries who will judge 7,504 wines by Sunday, May 14, in the Žatika Sports Hall in Poreč, among which are more than 220 samples from Croatian.

"This is a historic moment for Croatia and Istria. Istria is a small wine region with excellent wines, among which our autochthonous Malvasia and Teran varieties, winners of numerous international awards, occupy a special place. I believe that at this most important global evaluation, numerous Croatian wines will be adorned with excellent marks", said at the opening ceremony in the Žatika hall, Luka Rossi, president of Vinistra, the association of winegrowers and winemakers of Istria, which has been preparing for this unique household and for the participants of the evaluation for a whole year. prepared a great program to experience the best that Istria has to offer.

"Being the host of one of the world's largest wine evaluations is a great honor and pride for all of us. There are many associations associated with Istria, and one of them is certainly wine, as well as the rich wine and gastronomic offer, which, after natural beauty, is the second reason why many guests come to our region. Even in ancient times, wine played an important role in Istria, which today is widely known for its vineyards, wine roads and cellars, and the exceptional quality of its wines. As I always point out, we are too small to be average and that's why we strive for excellence in everything we do, which turned out to be a winning combination in our wine story as well", said Istrian prefect Boris Miletić.

Promotion of Croatian tourism

Even Kristjan Staničić, the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, did not hide his satisfaction with the host, pointing out that Poreč and Istria are in the prestigious company of destinations that have the opportunity to host one of the world's largest wine evaluations.

"Croatia is the ideal host for this event primarily because of its long tradition of wine production, which also represents the identity and culture of our many regions, from the coast to the continent of our country. I am sure that together we will be able to take advantage of this opportunity in the further promotion of Croatian tourism, but also in the development of Croatian enology, which is becoming more and more high-quality and recognizable among top wine connoisseurs every year", said Staničić.

The mayor of Poreč, Loris Peršurić, also welcomed the judges and representatives of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, and Dragan Pujas, president of the board of Plava Laguna, a long-term partner of Vinistra, said that he is extremely glad that this event takes place in the pre-season, because even in this tourist company, guests are given superb experience throughout the year.

Great recognition for Istrian and Croatian wines

The selection of Istria for the jubilee 30th edition of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is a great recognition of Istrian and Croatian wines, and the president of the evaluation, Baudouin Havaux, confirmed his satisfaction with the selection of this year's destination.

"We are extremely happy that the jubilee 30th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is being held in Istria. The goal of this assessment is to reflect market trends, and Croatia is a country with a long history and growing potential in the world of wine. "More than ever before, wine has become an integral part of tourism, and the evaluation will introduce the evaluators to the most beautiful parts of this wine region, which combines impressive landscapes, top cuisine and quality wines," Havaux pointed out.

Each edition of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is unique. On average, more than 10,000 bottles from all over the world are opened during the three days of evaluation, its independence, strict selection process and implemented tasting protocol provide security to consumers who can buy award-winning wines with full confidence.