The award-winning wines from this year's Vinistra will once again be available at the wine tastings entitled Hidden Charms of the Istrian Wines during the 27th Konzum Croatia Open Umag, which will take place between July 15 and 24. These wine tastings have been traditionally held as part of the Istria Gourmet Festival. The award-winning winemakers will also showcase their wines to the visitors of the tournament at various wine tasting points inside the Taste Istria Zone.
The award-winning winemakers at this year's Vinistra, who were announced just before the start of the exhibition, include nearly all the winemakers who participated in the wine tastings in Umag. Vinistra particularly highlighted the mature Malvasia by Franco Cattunar from Brtonigla as the best mature Malvasia at the 2016 Vinistra. Franco Cattunar won the title of the ATP Wine in the Young Malvasia category in 2014.
"To be seen and to present oneself in Umag, alongside renowned winemakers, in a beautiful atmosphere with an audience that appreciates quality products, and then to win surrounded by serious competition, is both a pleasure and an obligation for the Cattunar family," Franco Cattunar said at the award ceremony in 2014.
Umag audiences know when they see true values in the Istrian winemaking world, as evident from the list of winners of the daily theme-based wine tastings in Umag; those winners are also the proud owners of the 2016 Vinistra medals: Bertoša, Degrassi, Kozlović, Veralda, Trapan and Tomaz.
The wine tastings at the ATP tournament last for seven days and each day select Istria's winemakers showcase wines made from autochthonous Istrian varieties in the following categories: Rose, Young and Mature Malvasia, Young and Mature Terrano, and Muscat. The tastings are open to general public who, in a very relaxed atmosphere, grade the wines on offer with the expert assistance of a sommelier from the Croatian Sommelier Club. The overall winner then wins the title of the ATP Wine and the award is presented by the patron of the Umag tournament, head of state Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.
The wine program of the Istria Gourmet Festival, which is an integral part of the Konzum Croatia Open, brings to Umag not just the leading Istrian winemakers but also the big names on the international winemaking scene. For instance, last year, the Masterclass for true wine enthusiasts was given by the world's best sommelier back in 2013, Paolo Basso, who analyzed in detail 12 different Istrian wines in the categories of young and mature both Malvasia and Terrano.
Winners so far:
2012 ATP Wine - Mature Teran: 2008 Gran Teran, Moreno Coronica
2013 ATP Wine - Rose: Rose Veralda, Luciano Visintin
2014 ATP Wine - Young Malvasia, 2013 Malvasia, Franko Cattunar
2015 ATP Wine - Mature Teran, 2010 Kabola, Marino Markežić
The award-winning wines from this year’s Vinistra will once again be available at the wine tastings entitled Hidden Charms of the Istrian Wines during the 27th Konzum Croatia Open Umag, which will take place between July 15 and 24.
