Croatian wine tasting at the 2012 IWINETC

A 2,500 year old wine region will take center stage at two events this winter. The Ancient Greeks brought vines and winemaking to the coastal region of Croatia while the Ancient Romans forged through the mainland with their vines and winemaking. For thousands of years, wines were crafted by families for families. Recently, Croatia is becoming noticed by wine enthusiasts around the world.

Two upcoming events will spotlight Croatian wines. New York City’s Astor Center will house the Vina Croatia 2nd Annual Grand Portfolio Tasting on February 26th from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm. Members of the wine trade and media are encouraged to attend. On March 15th and 16th, Zagreb, Croatia will be the host city for the 5th Annual International Wine Tourism Conference, IWINETC. The conference reaches out to members of the wine industry, wine tour operators, tourist industry and media.

Matoševi?, one of the producers at Vina Croatia

Close to thirty Croatian producers will have wines for tasting at the Astor Center in New York City. Attendees will notice some international varietal wines including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However it will be the common Croatian varieties that may leave a mark. Attendees can look for wines made from Grk, PošipTrnjak, Babi?, Plavic Mali, and Teran. Participating producers include: Badel 1862, Bakovi?, Belje, Bibich, Bodren, Bolfan, Boškinac, Damjani?, Franc Arman, Gospoja, Grgi?, Ilo?ki Podrumi, Ivan Katunar, Korta Katarina, Kozlovi?, Krauthaker, Kutjevo, Matoševi?, Meneghetti, Mokalo, Nada, Pelješki Vinogradar, Roxanich, Šipun, Škegro, St Hills, Trapan, Vinoplod and Zlatan Otok. A Masterclass seminar will be held at 11:00 am and repeated at 2:00 pm. Registration details are at: http://vinacroatia.eventbrite.com.

International wine tourism groups, winery owners, winemakers, importers and distributors as well as media representatives descend on Zagreb, Croatia in March. The two-day conference has 30 sessions offering education, issues, and hot topics revolving around wine and culinary tourism. The conference will be held at the Regent Esplanade Hotel, an iconic Zagreb architectural landmark that has been a resting place for travelers for nearly nine decades, some making a stop off the Orient Express. In addition to the sessions, participants may attend special events such as a Croatian Cooking Class, Wines from the Balkans Grand Tasting, and Blues and Wine at Bolfan Winery.

The International Wine Tourism Conference does have an international appeal. Of the attendees, 15% are from the United States, 14% from Italy, 12% from Portugal, 10% from the United Kingdom, 9% from Germany and 5% from Spain. The remaining 35% of attendees hail from Europe, Africa, South America, North America and Australia. For information and registration visit: http://www.iwinetc.com.

Wine Trail Traveler staff is pleased to announce that we will be covering both events. We look forward to learning more about Croatia and Croatian wines. We are looking forward to visit wineries in Croatia and participate and present at the International Wine Tourism Conference.

Cheers,
Terry