As part of the program of the 58th Zagorje Wine Fair and Exhibition Bedekovčina 2026, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, i.e. the Directorate for Professional Support for Agricultural Development, an expert roundtable entitled "The Role of Wine Evaluation and Fairs in Strengthening the Market Recognisability of Wine" was held on Wednesday.
The round table brought together leading representatives of the wine sector, institutions, regional organizations, wine event organizers, producers and experts with the aim of opening up key topics of the development of Croatian winemaking, positioning domestic wines on the market and strengthening cooperation between institutions and the wine profession. They discussed the importance of wine evaluations and fairs in creating market recognition of wines, their impact on sales, export opportunities and promotion of Croatian wine regions, as well as the need for stronger connections between marketing, the profession and institutions.
Croatia has an exceptional wealth of wine events – from local and regional to international fairs and expert reviews – which play an important role in education, knowledge exchange, connecting winemakers and promoting Croatian wines to domestic and foreign markets. The importance of preserving and promoting Croatian indigenous varieties as the foundation of the identity of Croatian winemaking was particularly emphasized.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Zdravko Tušek highlighted the significant development of Croatian winemaking in recent years. "The quality of domestic wines, the richness of wine regions and the increasing recognition of producers represent a strong foundation for further strengthening the sector. Croatian wines, especially those produced from indigenous varieties, have an important role in presenting the identity and tradition of Croatian wine regions and an increasing potential for positioning on demanding domestic and foreign markets," said State Secretary Tušek, emphasizing the need for a strong national project that will unify the Croatian wine sector.
The discussion highlighted the importance of cooperation between producers, regional wine organizations, professional institutions and the tourism sector in creating quality promotional activities and strengthening the visibility of Croatian wines.
In addition to State Secretary Tušek, the panel was attended by Vice President of the Regional Organization of Central Hilly Croatia Ivana Puhelek, Director of the Regional Organization of Slavonia and Croatian Podunavlje Tomislav Panenić, Director of the International Wine and Culinary Festival VINOcom Zagreb Ivan Dropuljić, President of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Međimurje "Hortus Croatiae" Robert Horvat, Boris Vuglec from the Vuglec Breg winery, and Zdravko Žuža from the Bora winery as a representative of Dalmatia.
Vice President of the Regional Organization Central Hilly Croatia Ivana Puhelek emphasized the importance of expertise and credibility of wine evaluations as the basis of quality and market relevance. "It is extremely important that wine evaluations are professionally organized, transparent and professionally managed, with the participation of certified evaluators and enologists. It is precisely the quality of the organization that gives credibility to medals and awards that represent an important marketing tool for winemakers today," said Puhelek. She particularly emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting Croatian indigenous varieties, emphasizing that wines produced from our national treasure - indigenous varieties have the potential to further stand out on the market with their uniqueness, authenticity and connection to Croatian wine regions.
The Director of the Regional Organization of Slavonia and the Croatian Danube Region, Tomislav Panenić, said that Croatia must make more use of the potential of joint national wine promotion. "It is extremely necessary to organize a national wine fair modeled after the most important wine countries. Such an event would promote Croatian wines on the domestic and international markets, further connect producers and open up new business opportunities for the entire sector," concluded Panenić.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries continues to actively support the development of Croatian viticulture and winemaking with expert support, the promotion of indigenous varieties, the strengthening of regional wine organizations, and the linking of agriculture, tourism, science and economy with the aim of creating a stronger and more competitive Croatian wine identity.
