Kresimir Kozic led a beautiful journey through Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and North America on Wednesday, 19 November, at Zagreb’s Hotel Capital. The Australian Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling 2024, the New Zealand Two Rivers Juliet Riesling 2023 and the American Nine Hats Riesling 2022 were simpler but lovely examples of everyday wines that suit a range of dishes, above all Asian food and seafood. The South African Orpheus & The Raven The Swansong Riesling 2024, the Australian Grosset Springvale Riesling 2023 and the American Ravines Dry Riesling 2021 Finger Lakes, meanwhile, recalled in style the harmony of freshness and fullness of the most important European Riesling regions such as the Pfalz, the Mosel and Alsace. Tasting these collectible wines, quite hard to find even in Europe, symbolically opened the second Rizling Raj(n)ski festival, whose main part will take place on Saturday, 22 November, from 6 p.m. at the Hotel Capital in central Zagreb, Jurisiceva 22. 
After the trip around the world with Riesling, Wednesday also brought a journey through time with archive Rizlings of Upland Croatia (Bregovita Hrvatska). Like a football squad, there were eleven of them from vintages between 2020 and 2002, and they nicely showed how wines from this heavenly variety mature in Croatia’s smallest wine region, one brimming with great wines. As for vintages, 2015 certainly stands out: the Rizlings of the near-neighbouring Zagorje wineries Kopjar and Bolfan from that year were a delight, and most were also very taken with the Medimurec, Cmrecnjak’s Rizling 2019. 
Two masterclasses will also be held at the Hotel Capital on Saturday, before the Festival itself opens. From 2 p.m. Kreso Kozic will present Austrian Rizlings from the beautiful blue Danube, and at 4 p.m. begins the multi-decade story of Ivan Enjingi’s Rizlings. The main part of the Rizling Raj(n)ski festival opens at the Capital at 6 p.m. More than 30 wineries from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Macedonia will present wines from this royal variety, along with a few other whites they are especially proud of. In previous days we introduced the guests from other countries and the exhibitors from Podunavlje, Slavonia, Moslavina, Medimurje, Prigorje and Zagorje, and tomorrow we will present those from Plesivica, the wine district for which Rizling is a hallmark. For more information about Saturday’s Festival, the two remaining masterclasses that precede it, and tickets, read here.
20.11.2025.
