Decanter 2025 Winners Showcase by Vinistra confirmed its leading role on the Croatian wine scene. Silver and gold Croatian winemakers from this year’s Decanter awards promoted their wines on one of the most beautiful beaches.

Where there is top-quality wine, there is always a great atmosphere. This was proven at the exclusive event organized by the Vinistra association – Decanter 2025 Winners Showcase by Vinistra, held on the private beach of Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Savudrija.

The combination of summer, a unique setting, and exceptional wines was a perfect match. In a walk-around tasting style, around two hundred wine professionals and guests enjoyed wines that scored at least 90 points at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), earning silver, gold, and platinum medals.

To recap, Croatia won a total of 386 medals at this year’s Decanter, placing it an impressive eighth in the world at the London-based competition.

“Istrian winemakers have once again achieved great success, and Malvasia has become the most awarded and recognizable Croatian variety. Five Malvasias were awarded gold in London, and the dessert wine San Salvatore Benvenuti from 2021 received a platinum medal. Once again, we have confirmed the undeniable quality of our wines, but quality alone is not enough to be at the top. Good promotion is essential, and our association is working hard on this. Also you need to have the courage to compete with the world’s best,” emphasized Luka Rossi, president of Vinistra, the association of winegrowers and winemakers of Istria.

Croatian wines increasingly interesting every year

Caroline Gilby, Master of Wine and Regional Chair of DWWA for the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, Croatia, and Slovenia, is convinced that every medal is absolutely deserved.

“I want to highlight that good wine is not like any other drink. It is strongly connected to its place of origin and is a direct product of the landscape, climate, weather conditions, and soil. But it is more than that – culture, history, and tradition are also important, as well as the people who shape the wines. All of this comes together in the glass,” said Gilby.

The event was also attended by Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair, Beth Willard, who emphasized that Croatia is an extremely important wine country. Wines are becoming more interesting every year, and the quality continues to improve.

Among the top ten wine countries in the world

Sandra Zokić from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries expressed hope that Croatia will win 400 medals at next year’s Decanter.

“We are winning top awards and positioning ourselves among the top ten wine countries in the world. The Ministry will continue to be your partner because the whole story has become serious with the adoption of the Wine Act and the establishment of four regional wine organizations in Croatia, while at the same time we have applied the Istrian know-how to all of Croatia,” said Zokić.

According to the Vice President of Istria County, Jessica Aquavita, the excellent results of Istrian winemakers are the result of targeted policies of Istria County and institutional support for the wine sector.

“A glass of wine represents the dedication and hard work of those who have invested their time and resources for years here in Istria to make Istrian wine and Istria itself a brand,” said Aquavita.

Pleased that Vinistra chose Umag and Savudrija for the second year in a row to host such a prestigious event, the Director of the Umag Tourist Board, Milovan Popović, congratulated all medal winners and thanked international guests for promoting Istria.

An evening to remember

“As Robert Louis Stevenson said, wine is bottled poetry, and so on the beach of Kempinski Hotel Adriatic we had the opportunity to host an outstanding evening of 'liquid poetry' and treat our palates with unique pleasures made possible by some of the best Croatian winemakers. I would like to thank Decanter and Vinistra for organizing and allowing us the honor of hosting this prestigious event,” said Ninoslav Vidović, General Manager of Kempinski Hotel Adriatic, after a beautiful evening.

Istrian and Croatian wines continue to affirm their quality, and the Vinistra association has once again proven to be an excellent organizer of prestigious wine events such as the Decanter 2025 Winners Showcase by Vinistra.

The walk-around tasting on the beach in Savudrija was preceded by a masterclass led by Caroline Gilby and visits to Istrian wineries that are examples of good practice.

This event was organized with the support of the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Istria County Tourist Board, the Umag Tourist Board, and Kempinski Hotel Adriatic.