At this year's first En Primeur, Graševina, the most important wine variety in Croatia, was mostly tasted. In the organization of Graševina Croatica, at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, winemakers from Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem presented their novelties, and the most attention was attracted by young Graševina wines from the 2023 harvest. The event was opened by Tugomir Majdak, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Croatia, Josip Pavić, president of the association Graševina Croatica, and Dragan Kovačević from the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK).
Although some of the presented Graševina samples still need to mature in the cellar for at least two to three months, the first impressions of visitors are excellent. As every year, the Esplanade proved to be a great place for the first big annual wine meeting in Zagreb, which was attended by professionals and wine lovers, especially of Graševina, from all over Croatia, because the aim of the premiere tasting (En Primeur) is to present the diversity of Graševina and its connection with microlocations from where it is coming and to show the potential of the vintage that is being prepared for the market so that restaurateurs, as well as the wider wine audience, can know what awaits them when the wine is fully mature.
Tomislav Panenić, director of the Graševina Croatica association, is extremely satisfied with the public's interest in Graševina, which is increasingly winning over young audiences as well. "Winemakers from Slavonia and the Croatian Danube region showed wines that will appear on numerous wine lists this year. Almost 400 presented samples of the highest quality wines, which could be tasted, show what the top wines are in the east of Croatia. We are particularly pleased with the increasing number of younger wine audiences at wine events, which will surely contribute to the development of table culture and haute gastronomy in Croatia," Panenić said.
On this manifestation presented were the following wineries: Antunović, Apolitico, Belje, Buhač, Consul Winery, Erdutski vinogradi, Fakultet agrobiotehničkih znanosti Osijek, Galić, Graševina Croatica x2, Iločki podrumi, Jakob, Jakovac, Kolar, Krauthaker, Kutjevo, Markota, Mitrović, Orahovica, Papak, Pavlomir, Perak, Royal Hill Estate, Soldo, Sontacchi, Svijetli dvori, Škoro, Vinum Academicum and Zlatno Brdo.
For many visitors, this was one of the most anticipated En Primeurs because the year behind us was one of the most challenging in the last ten years according to the ratings of experienced winegrowers and winemakers. Regardless of climate changes, weather disasters and everything that befell the winemakers, from Feričanaci and Orahovica, through Kutjevo and Baranja all the way to Srijemo, experience and dedication to work in the vineyard and cellar has once again given birth to wines that exceed all expectations. Professionals, the professional public and the wine audience at En Primeur found their favorites this year among the numerous labels of exceptional wines.
Photos: Vedran Barić