Pušipel - Summer Wine

Pušipel could become the wine of the summer of 2025 in Croatia. This was agreed upon by winemakers, sommeliers, and caterers at the Međimurski pušipeli wine workshop. It is a light wine with a low alcohol content and pleasant acidity.

"Thanks to its characteristics, pušipel, a wine that has long been in the shadow of famous international grape varieties, is finally gaining a well-deserved place on the wine lists of bars and restaurants and on the shelves of wine shops and other stores. Croatia, as a country for which tourism is an important economic sector, needs to recognize the value of indigenous wine varieties in the development of its enogastronomic offer - both on the Adriatic and in the interior of the country," said Miroslav Polovanec, president of the Association of Winemakers and Winegrowers Bregovita Croatia.

"Pušipel is produced in Croatia in much smaller quantities than, for example, Malvazija or Graševina, but it has an important place in our enogastronomy. People are familiar with pušipel, but there is another important step ahead of it. We need to show how it works in the hospitality industry. It is a nice wine at the table, but waiters are the ones who need to know how to present it to the guest," said Kruno Filipović, who led the Međimurje Pušipeli workshop.

He pointed out that pušipel goes well with a variety of food. In Međimurje, it is most often served with roast meat and meat from tiblica. Still, the wine workshop demonstrated how harmoniously it pairs with various dishes that combine traditional European cuisine with modern elements. Battuta di manzo from Croatian Simmental, served with yogurt and lime cream, Zagorje štrukla baked in full-fat cream with fried almond flakes, and boiled smoked buncek accompanied by grated potatoes and pickled turnips. "Pušipel has been recognized as a summer wine for the past few years, but this summer could be its own! Wine lovers love its airiness. Pušipel as a light wine, a good team, a nice terrace, and some small bites – it's all you need for a perfect summer," said Petar Kocijan from the Kocijan winery, whose pušipel wines are already well represented in restaurants on the Adriatic and in Zagreb.

The official Croatian name for pušipel is moslavac, but in Međimurje, the variety is known by the name by which local winegrowers and winemakers have always referred to it. In Slovenia, it is known as šipon; in Hungary, as furmint; and in Austria and Germany, as mosler. It was long thought to originate from Hungary, but the latest genetic research reveals that its roots are in Croatia or Slovenia. In Croatia, it is therefore an autochthonous variety, and the people of Međimurje take pride in considering it an integral part of their identity. "Now we want others to get to know our pušipel. Its whole story is fascinating - from the vineyard to specially designed bottles and glasses. We want as many people as possible to experience its charm through the classic, sparkling and prestigious, i.e., predicate variant of pušipel," said Robert Horvat from the Horvat winery, president of the Međimurje Winegrowers and Winemakers Association, Hortus Croatiae.

He invited wine lovers to experience pušipel in its natural environment. As part of Urbanova, the Pušipel Festival will be held at the Štrigova Cultural Center from May 16 to 18, and the Open Cellars on the Međimurje Wine Road on May 23 and 24.

The Međimurje Pušipel workshop presented pušipel wines from the following wineries: Cmrečnjak, Dvanajščak - Kozol, Jakopić, Hažić, Horvat, Kocijan, Kovač, Preiner, Novak, St. Jerome and Štampar.