The two-day wine festival WineRi 2026 once again turned Rijeka into an essential meeting point for winemakers, hospitality professionals and wine enthusiasts. Held in the distinctive industrial setting of Exportdrvo, the festival again showed how Kvarner is successfully building an identity as a serious eno-gastronomic destination.
This year’s edition gathered a large number of exhibitors from as many as 10 European countries, with an impressive range of over 600 wines and spirits that drew both professionals and the wider public. The tasting tables offered a cross-section of current wine production – from sparkling wines, fresh and aged whites and rosés to complex skin-contact macerations and seasoned reds. Thanks to its timing, WineRi is particularly well positioned for the premieres of young wines, the updating of wine lists and the announcement of the tourist season. Especially pleasing is the large number of indigenous Croatian varieties, which grow more numerous every year, accompanied by a noticeable rise in quality and diversity of styles.
In recent years, certain wine festivals have been undergoing a transformation from promotional events into complex platforms that connect different sectors, from the production of wine and spirits to tourism and hospitality. In this context, WineRi has established itself as a relevant event with a pronounced international character and continuous growth.
On a broader level, through such events Kvarner is positioning itself as a destination that actively develops an identity founded on gastronomy and wine, while the synergy of local producers, the hospitality sector and public institutions further strengthens that process.
