The project "4 soils", developed by Brtonigla Municipality and its tourist and development agencies was presented at the 24th Vegeta Croatia Open in Umag. The aim of the project is to evaluate specificity and diversity of vines that grow in Brtonigla, a little town of wine. Started two years ago, the project was developed in collaboration with scientific institutions, making the basis for increasing the quality and recognition of Brtonigla's wine and winemakers, based on research and education of young winemakers. Today, it brings concrete results and encourages the development of young winemakers which are now expected to make great wines.

At a special dinner organized in Istria Gourmet Restaurant by San Rocco, the vine growers of Brtonigla - Veralda, Ravalico, Cattunar, Capo and Novacco - presented their products alongside the most prestigious restaurant of Brtonigla, San Rocco. Chef Zoran Čobanov prepared dishes that presented a wealth of gastronomic delights of this small municipality, from continental delicacies such as truffles to seafood specialties made from the best fish and other riches of NW Istria seawaters.

Municipality of Brtonigla is characteristic for its "four soils", beacuse it includes all types of soil known in Istria: black, red, white and gray, concentrated in one of the smallest of Istrian municipalities. This is a unique case in Istria and probably in the wider area. According to the census of 2011, Brtonigla has 1,684 inhabitants. Most of the inhabitants are in the business of agriculture, particularly viticulture, so that more than 85 percent of income comes from agriculture and about 97 percent of land is arable.

"The project is very significant for the overall development of Brtonigla Municipality, and for the contribution that will bring to the development of rural tourism and to giving our local products greater visibility, not only in nearby areas, but also internationally. We expected that this project will significantly increase the recognition of Brtonigla and wines from this region", said Dorian Labinjan, Mayor of Brtonigla.

Presentation of the project was attended by Istria county prefect Valter Flego, who used the logo of the project "4 soils" as an example of how Brtonigla Municipality is collecting experiences from tradition and translates them into modern content, giving Istria more added value.

"We expect that the development of this project, which is investing in the education of young winemakers, analysis and research on the impact of soil on indigenous varieties, will significantly increase the quality of wines from Brtonigla area. Since Croatia became a full member of EU, local winemakers have the opportunity to compete in quality and promote local indigenous varieties throughout the European market. The idea is that the project will give our winemakers more recognizable special label and a logo that would guarantee the quality of the product, which would further promote Brtonigla as a wine region", concluded Ingrid Palman, Director of Brtonigla's Development Agency.