As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, Grasevina House, the centre just like those in some of the largest wine regions in France, Spain and Switzerland, has long been aimed for by Kutjevo’s winemakers, and such a project has been being strategically designed and prepared for some time.
Finally, thevery first steps are beginning to be taken, because Kutjevo, as the project holder that will be the basis for the development of gastro-enological tourism in that part of Croatia, has announced a tender for a partner in the preparation of project documentation for this large Kutjevo tourism project.
Grasevina House, an interpretation centre, is expected to be built and arranged on land located in the very centre of Kutjevo, and it would be the perfect addition to this continental town with a rich history which is rightfully proud of its viticulture and winemaking traditions.
Grasevina is originally a Croatian and not an Italian wine variety, as it has been wrongly portrayed, and at the same time it is the most widespread white wine variety in all of Croatia. This variety is a symbol of wine production in Kutjevo, and when it comes to just how important it is for Croatian viticulture, Kutjevo locals state that as much as 27 to 33 percent of the area is covered by the growth of precisely this variety.
They want to bring the rich history and traditions of the production and culture of wine drinking in Kutjevo closer to those interested through a large Kutjevo tourism project, and in designing it, they studied how such museums and centres were organised by the French in Bordeaux, where La Cite du Vin was under construction for three years and opened its doors in 2016. Then came the Vivanco family museum which was opened in Rioja (Spain) back in 2004, and the Valais wine museum, which was established in Switzerland by the local community of winemakers there.
In all these museums, in addition to nurturing the culture of local wine, visitors are offered a much broader content, which Kutjevo wants to apply in its case as well. The Kutjevo tourism project also envisages a gallery space for both permanent and temporary exhibitions, an ethno-bar inside the museum and in the garden, a viewpoint with a view of the vineyards spanning the area, spaces for congresses, seminars and corporate events, as well as celebrations, and much more.
The project documentation will also include Greta Park, a city park named after Greta Turkovic, an area and name important for Croatian wine and art culture, and which is located between the Kutjevo Castle and the future Grasevina House. The Kutjevo tourism project also envisages the organisation of a thematic trail called Vinogradarski put, through which visitors will be able to meet local winemakers and visit their cellars.
Kutjevo is willing to pay 1.5 million kuna plus VAT for the creation of the design and technical documentation, which includes the conceptual solution for the project, the removal of the building, the main and executive design, the preparation of cost estimates and the elaboration for obtaining a building permit, and the tender will remain open until August the 16th, 2022.
They expect the documentation within ten months after the conclusion of the contract, after which they will begin the implementation of the project which, they hope, will include the area on the map of top tourist and cultural destinations.
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