At a time when authenticity has become the greatest luxury, the Kvarner International Wine Festival WineRi confirms its standing as one of the most prestigious wine events in the region – a gathering no one attends by chance, but with purpose. This year Rijeka and the Kvarner once again become an essential hub of the Adriatic wine and gastronomy scene. The festival is organised by the Kvarner Wines Association, a marketing cooperative of professional winemakers from Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the Kvarner and Croatian Littoral wine sub-region. Born 15 years ago from the winemakers’ union into the Žlahtina Association, today it brings together producers who bottle nearly a million and a half bottles a year, farm around 200 hectares of vineyards and employ almost 100 workers in season. As one of the key drivers of the Kvarner – European Region of Gastronomy 2026 project, the Association is systematically raising the bar for the region’s professionalism and international visibility. WineRi has established itself as one of the largest wine fairs on the Adriatic, with more than 120 exhibitors from eight countries and over 600 labels of wine and spirits. This year the festival takes place on March 13 and 14, from 2 to 8 pm, at the Exportdrvo hall in Rijeka, with tickets sold at the door for 35 euros. 
Egle Katunar and Žarko Stilin, president and director of the Kvarner Wines Association
Particular professional weight is lent to the Kvarner Wines Association by the Kvarner Trophy, an international judging of wines and spirits. After last year’s exceptional success with more than 260 samples from five countries, the Trophy is becoming a benchmark for producers seeking confirmation of excellence. Entries are open until March 13 at kvarner.wine, and the winners will be announced in late March in Zagreb. The strength of the region’s identity is symbolised by Žlahtina – Kvarner Wines Queen, a project that created a dedicated glass for this indigenous white variety, while the Kvarner Wines Route marketing platform further connects winemakers, restaurants, destinations and experiences. Also announced were the launch of a Kvarner Olive Oil project drawing on the Kvarner Wines know-how, as well as the route’s application to Iter Vitis, the Council of Europe’s cultural route, through which the Kvarner steps ever more firmly into the elite circle of European wine destinations. 
Dr Ivana Puhelek, president of the Kvarner Trophy judging panels
From its very beginnings WineRi has carried a humanitarian dimension too. In cooperation with the Srce za nju (A Heart for Her) association, funds are raised to help women suffering from serious illnesses, alongside health education sessions that have so far gathered more than 40 speakers and nearly 200 participants. It is proof that a world-class festival can also have a big heart. Support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the City of Rijeka, the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Kvarner Tourist Board and the Rijeka City Tourist Board, the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development and the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County further confirms the project’s strategic importance. The Kvarner is a small but exceptionally significant boutique wine region whose wines from indigenous varieties track global tourism trends, and it is precisely this authenticity that draws an audience seeking more than an ordinary event. Kvarner Wines’ outstanding partners are the Wine&Co wine shop, which hosts many activities, tastings and presentations; Italesse, which produced the Žlahtina glass that is becoming the official glass of the festival and of all events organised by the Kvarner Wines Association; Jamnica water, which accompanies every event; and HalloIce, which supplies all events with ice. That is why WineRi is not merely a festival, but an experience, a platform of knowledge, a meeting place and a mirror of the ambition of a region that knows where it is heading.
19 February 2026
