At the Wine Festival on 21 and 22 August visitors will be able to taste the wines of all Kvarner Wines members, along with guest wineries from other Croatian winegrowing regions, local gastronomy and the rich programme of Ružica Vinodola
Kvarner Wines is taking part once again this year in Ružica Vinodola, one of the most recognisable wine and heritage events of the Kvarner, which will be held from 20 to 22 August in Novi Vinodolski.
The central place of the wine programme will be Frankopan Square, which on 21 and 22 August becomes a grand stage of Kvarner wines and a meeting point for winemakers, local residents, tourists and wine lovers. Over the two festival evenings visitors will be able to taste the wines of all member wineries of Kvarner Wines, meet their winemakers and discover the richness of contemporary Kvarner winemaking.
At the shared Kvarner Wines stand, the wines of Vinarija Nada, PZ Vrbnik, Šipun, Gospoja, Kuća vina Ivan Katunar, Katunar Estate Winery, Plovanić vina, Vinarija Kapić and Vinarija Ružić will be presented, while the members Vina Mandić and Vinska kuća Pavlomir will present themselves at their own festival stands.
In this way the wines of all Kvarner Wines members will be brought together on Frankopan Square, giving visitors a unique opportunity to discover in one place the different styles, terroirs and wine stories of the Kvarner, from the island of Krk and its autochthonous varieties to the vineyards of Vinodol and Novljansko polje.
Alongside the members of Kvarner Wines, the guest wineries Tudor vina, Vinarija Perak, Vina Đurinski, Vina Bernobić and Vina Radoš will also take part in the festival, further enriching the festival offer with wines from other Croatian winegrowing regions.
Kvarner wines at the heart of the Vinodol tradition
This year’s edition is special because the Wine Festival is being held on Frankopan Square itself, in the historic centre of Novi Vinodolski and right beside the main events of Ružica Vinodola. Wine thus receives the place it deserves, at the very heart of an event born out of the centuries-old winegrowing tradition of this region.
“Ružica Vinodola is one of those events that connect wine, history, local identity and a contemporary tourism experience in the best possible way. It is particularly important to us that on Frankopan Square we can present the wines of all Kvarner Wines members and show visitors the breadth, quality and diversity of Kvarner winemaking. Our task is to build together the recognition of the Kvarner as a wine and eno-gastronomic destination, and to connect wine with the landscape, gastronomy, culture and the people who give it its identity,” points out dr. Žarko Stilin, director of the Kvarner Wines Association and of the winegrowers’ cooperative.
“We invite all wine lovers, the residents of the Kvarner and our guests to join us on Frankopan Square, to meet the winemakers, taste the wines of all Kvarner Wines members and experience the grand finale of Ružica Vinodola 2026 together with us,” adds Stilin.
The Wine Festival is of a sales character, so visitors will be able to taste wines by the glass, talk to the winemakers and buy selected labels to take home with them. Tokens for consumption will be sold at the central festival cash desk, and quality Italesse wine glasses will be handed out against a refundable deposit.
Alongside the wines, Frankopan Square will also present the Novljanski pijat, a dish created especially for Ružica Vinodola, which through a combination of local ingredients brings the authentic flavour of the Novi Vinodolski area. The sweet part of the festival offer comes from Tonkine fritule.
Three days of competition, heritage and entertainment
Ružica Vinodola is inspired by a historical custom from the time of the Frankopans, when the most industrious and skilful grape picker, the Ružica, was chosen after the harvest. Today’s event turns that valuable heritage into an attractive programme in which the candidates for the title of Ružica Vinodola compete in nine disciplines connected with work in the vineyard, household skills, and the serving and presentation of wine.
This year’s candidates were presented to the public on 14 August in Bribir, while the main competition programme begins on Thursday, 20 August, in the vineyards of Vinska kuća Pavlomir. In an authentic winegrowing setting the candidates will show their skills, and the programme will be rounded off by Antonio Krištofić and Trio Nebuloza, along with a gastronomic offer and wines.
On Friday, 21 August, the programme moves to the picturesque Old Town of Novi Vinodolski, where the candidates will compete in household tasks accompanied by Trio Nebuloza. At the same time the band Insula will perform on Korzo hrvatskih branitelja, while the first evening of the Wine Festival begins on Frankopan Square.
The grand finale will be held on Saturday, 22 August, in the Old Town. Accompanied by Trio Arka, the candidates will compete in the final disciplines connected with pouring and presenting wine, after which Ružica Vinodola 2026, her attendants and the most charming Ružica will be proclaimed.
Valuable prizes await the winner, among which a cruise along the Adriatic for two people and an autumn weekend in Rovinj particularly stand out. The music for the closing evening will be provided by Petar Dragojević and Trio Mirakul, and the programme will be hosted throughout all three competition days by Borna Šmer.
On the Square of the Vinodol Law, special emphasis will be placed on preserving traditional knowledge and skills. Visitors will be able to discover basket weaving, blacksmithing, herbalism, wood carving, raku pottery, mosaic, wool felting, tatting, old games and other crafts that testify to the rich cultural heritage of Vinodol.
Wine Festival opening hours
- Friday, 21 August 2026, 19:00 to 01:00. Tokens on sale until 00:00, glasses returned until 01:00.
- Saturday, 22 August 2026, 19:00 to 02:00. Tokens on sale until 01:00, glasses returned until 02:00.
Entrance to Frankopan Square and the festival zone is free.
Year after year, Ružica Vinodola confirms how tradition can be alive, contemporary and appealing to new generations. The combination of wine, local gastronomy, music, customs and competitive spirit gives visitors the chance to discover Novi Vinodolski and the Kvarner in an authentic and unforgettable way.
Kvarner Wines invites all visitors to come to Frankopan Square on 21 and 22 August, taste the wines of all member wineries and experience Ružica Vinodola there where its historical, winegrowing and contemporary wine stories meet.
The organisers of Ružica Vinodola are the Tourist Board of the Town of Novi Vinodolski and the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Vinodol, with the co-organisation of the Town of Novi Vinodolski, the Municipality of Vinodol, the Centre for Culture of the Town of Novi Vinodolski, Vinska kuća Pavlomir, the Association of Friends of Grapes and Wine “Ružica Vinodola”, the Kvarner Wines Association, the KUD Ilija Dorčić and the Chakavian Assembly Chair “Novljansko kolo”.
Support for the event was provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Kvarner Tourist Board and the Croatian National Tourist Board.
The sponsors of the event are Katarina Line, Adria Mare Travel Agency, Bartelo Mali, Skipper, API Kvarner, Galerija suvenirnica Leut, the flower atelier “Zola” and Vinska kuća Pavlomir.
Photo: Matej Paluh Photography and the organisers of Ružica Vinodola
