There are wine associations that organise events, and there are those that build a system. In its fifth year of activity, Kvarner Wines clearly shows that it belongs to the latter category. The anniversary was marked at the Wine&Co wine bar in Rijeka under the name Kvarner Wines Day, and it was a precisely staged announcement of the most ambitious year in the association’s history. Around a hundred people who count for something in Croatian gastronomy gathered in the centre of Rijeka: winemakers, chefs, sommeliers, restaurateurs, distributors, institutional partners and key opinion makers. That concentration of expertise and influence shows how Kvarner Wines has today become an indispensable operational and communications hub of Kvarner enogastronomy.
The symbolism of the moment was no accident. Kvarner is the first, and so far the only, Croatian European Region of Gastronomy, and it is precisely through the projects of Kvarner Wines that this title is being transformed from a ceremonial into a substantive category. This is not merely about promoting wine, but about the long-term articulation of the region’s identity through gastronomy, indigenous varieties and professional management. The programme was hosted by Frano Ridjan, who recalled that in 2025 Kvarner Wines took part in more than 60 events in Croatia and on key source markets: from Italy and Austria to Slovenia, Hungary and Serbia. That is not the result of enthusiasm, but of organisation.
Sparkling wines from magnums
Instead of the customary speeches, the gathering was addressed by video link by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture David Vlajcic, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect Ivica Lukanovic, Mayor of Rijeka Iva Rincic, director of the Kvarner Tourist Board Irena Persic Zivadinov, president of the Kvarner International Wine Trophy Ivana Puhelek, and the ambassadors of the Kvarner – European Region of Gastronomy project Ines Matic Mateskovic, Lucija Matijevic and Monika Neral. They symbolically opened magnums of zlahtina (Kvarner’s flagship indigenous white) sparkling wine, together with the association’s president for 2026, Egle Katunar, and Kvarner Wines director Zarko Stilin.
The model of association that Kvarner Wines pursues through the Vina Kvarnera Cooperative can be viewed as a case study of successful wine marketing in Croatia. The systematic linking of grape growers and winemakers with the HoReCa sector and distributors, backed by a clear market strategy, has proven far more effective than individual appearances. The quality of wines made from indigenous varieties, confirmed by international awards, now also gains a clear narrative: belonging, local pride and conscious consumerism. That level of professionalism, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, HAPIH, APPRRR, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Kvarner Tourist Board and a number of local institutions, has positioned Kvarner Wines as one of the most visible players on the Croatian enogastronomy scene, not only by its presence but also by its substance.
Expanding vineyard areas
In cooperation with Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, a Programme for the Development of Viticulture and Winemaking of the County has also been drawn up, a strategic document that clearly defines three key goals: branding the wines, raising quality and expanding vineyard areas. Operationally, the programme relies on education, marketing, digitalisation and smart agriculture, with particular emphasis on indigenous varieties. Today Kvarner Wines brings together the region’s most important wineries, from Vrbnik and Vinodol to Krk and Kastav, and stands behind projects that have already become a benchmark: WineRi, one of the few wine fairs in Croatia with a clear market function; the Kvarner International Wine Trophy, a competition that insists on certified judges; membership of the Iter Vitis route; and the development of the Kvarner Wines Route platform, which connects wine with gastronomy, tourism and cultural identity.
In 2026 the focus intensifies further. WineRi returns to Exportdrvo on 13 and 14 March, the Kvarner International Wine Trophy will be held in Vrbnik at the end of March, and the Kvarner Wines Route will be registered as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. In addition, more than 70 activities are planned in Croatia and abroad, in cooperation with key partners. Five years after its founding, Kvarner Wines shows that wine can be more than a product: it can be a tool of regional development, a serious cultural policy and a market-relevant project.
Photographs: Stills&Motion factory
15.01.2026.
