Apart from tasting top-quality wines, the visitors were able to learn interesting facts about the featured wines from the well-known sommelier Emil Perdec. “This fresh malvasia is the real driver behind any winemaker’s wine cellar. It is quite refreshing and goes perfectly with the Mediterranean cuisine,” Perdec explained.
At the end of the wine tasting, all three wines were rated by the visitors, and the fresh malvasia made by the Tomaz Winery in Motovun got the highest scores, thus entering the final of the 2019 ATP Wine of the Year competition. “We often say that malvasia is our most elegant and most beautiful princess,” concluded Claudio Tomaz, last year’s winner of the Hidden Charms of the Istrian Wines.
Tomorrow, starting at 9 PM, the wine tasting at the Taste Istria Zone will showcase Istria’s aged terans. On the last day of the tournament, the organizers will announce the ATP Wine of the Year, and the award will be presented by the Croatian head of state.
The 30th edition of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag has continued holding its traditional wine tasting events titled Hidden Charms of the Istrian Wines. The first night was all about fresh malvasias, featuring wines produced by Franković, Benvenuti and Tomaz wineries.
This was also the first time Mario Franković of the Franković Winery participated in the event. “Even though we are a relatively new winery, we have grown gradually. Right now, our vineyards are spread over 12 hectares, mostly in the Santa Lucia locality. Half of it is malvasia,” Franković said.