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At the official opening of the most attractive wine exhibition in the region, the message was clear: Vinistra is a story of identity, tradition, and culture.
The 32nd edition of Vinistra has officially opened. With its richest program yet, outstanding Malvazijas and Terans, this wine exhibition has rightfully held the title of the largest and most attractive in the region for years.
The fair’s program is packed with workshops and masterclasses: from guided tastings with sommeliers, discussions on orange wines and indigenous varieties, to lectures on artificial intelligence in the wine industry, as well as Sunday’s Family Day featuring entertainment and workshops for children.
This year also brings a surprise. Special attention has been given to GEN V, tastings of signature wines created by the new generation of Vinistra winemakers.
GEN V – A new era of Istrian winemaking
“I am especially proud of the establishment of GEN V – Generation Vinistra. We realized that the future of our winemaking lies with young people. We want to involve a new generation of winemakers, as well as young individuals who see a long-term future in this business, and give them space for their own ideas and styles. This year, visitors will also have the opportunity to taste wines created by young winemakers — their experiments, attempts, and new vision of Istrian wine. These may not be wines intended for the market, but they are certainly the wines of the future. We see collaboration and the transfer of knowledge as the greatest strength of Vinistra over the past 32 years,” said Vinistra Association President Luka Rossi at the opening ceremony held in Poreč’s Žatika Hall, also thanking everyone who has helped build this remarkable Istrian wine story over the past three decades.
In every bottle of Malvazija and Teran: Effort, knowledge, and passion
The new project encouraging the younger generation of winemakers was also praised by the Prefect of Istria County, Boris Miletić, who added that Vinistra is not merely a wine event, but a story about the identity, tradition, and culture of Istria.
“Behind every bottle of Malvazija or Teran stands enormous effort, expertise, and passion from our grape growers and winemakers, who today are among the finest ambassadors of Istria in Croatia and around the world. Thanks to their belief in quality and continuous investment in excellence, Istrian wines now stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s greatest. Istria cannot build its future on mediocrity, but solely on quality, innovation, and cooperation,” stated the Istrian County Prefect.
Tugomir Majdak, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and envoy of the Prime Minister, noted that Croatia has approximately €10.4 million in European funding available annually for the wine sector through the Wine Envelope program, emphasizing that the goal must be to fully utilize these funds — from establishing new vineyards and modernizing wineries to promoting Croatian wines. He also highlighted that the state additionally supports regional winegrower and winemaker organizations with up to €150,000 annually per organization, while a new call within the CAP Strategic Plan for plant production foresees an additional €30 million in support.
Istria defies trends: Vineyard areas continue to grow
Dragan Kovačević, Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy for Agriculture and Tourism, emphasized that Vinistra has become an example of successful regional branding.
“Istrian winemaking is moving forward with strong momentum, and this is best illustrated by the fact that, while Croatia as a whole has been experiencing a continuous decline in vineyard areas — having lost 20,000 hectares since 2020 — here in Istria, 80 new hectares of vineyards were planted in 2025 alone. Information from the field shows that this is no coincidence and that the trend will continue. We would like this outstanding Istrian wine story to serve as a model for the whole of Croatia, which is currently facing a wine shortage,” said Kovačević, highlighting the revitalization of indigenous grape varieties such as Malvasia and Teran as one of the greatest achievements of Istrian winemaking.
Poreč Mayor Loris Peršurić pointed out that Vinistra has become a symbol of success for the whole of Istria.
“When people around the world speak about Istria today, they also speak about Malvasia, Teran, and top-quality Istrian wines. We are proud that Poreč hosts an event which, for more than 30 years, has contributed not only to the development of winemaking and viticulture, but also to the overall economy of our region,” said the Mayor of Poreč, thanking the winemakers and everyone who has helped create the Istrian wine story over the years.
Wine lovers and enthusiasts of Istrian wines will not want to miss this spectacular event, which runs until Sunday, May 10, closing at 7 PM.