Over a hundred samples from 9 countries entered this rating competition, which seems to have shown that the Portugizac wine has come to the new era. Samples were divided into several groups: the most recent harvest (2016), the more aged Portugizac (2015 and older), the blends in which the variety makes up for at least 25%, and white, rosé and sparkling wines made from Portugizac. Members of the jury were all well renowned wine experts from South Africa, China, Japan, Canada, Australia, Latvia, Italy, Spain and Hungary. 16 Croatian wines joined the competition, from Plešivica, Kutjevo and Ludbreg. Sparkling wine Griffin Rosé Plešivica (Ivančić Plešivica Winery) and Portugieser 2015 by Mihalj Winery from Kutjevo won the golds, while other Croatian participants won the silver medals: Mihalj Kutjevo Portugieser 2016, Franjo Gregurić Family Farm Purtugizec 2015 and 2016, Griffin Dark Side, Željko Gregorić 2016, PZ Plešivica 2016, Branko Pušćak 2016, Danijel Golubić 2016, PG Jagunić 2016, Josip Braje Family Farm 2016 and Stručić Winery 2016.
Croatian winemakers took the opportunity to visit the Trust Hungary Factory, where for decades the well-known oak barrels used for wine-aging have been made. They use the Hungarian, French and the American oak, two types of it specifically: Quercus petraea i Quercus robur, and their products are mostly exported to the US. The winemakers got the chance to see first-hand how the barrels are made, which technology is used to make the barrels, how they’re stored and quality assured…
A special recognition was given to the director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board, Ružica Rašperić, who was awarded for her contribution to the Portugieser Du Monde event.
Zoltán Győrffy, the manager of the VinOliva Company said that “The Portugieser Du Monde event is our investment into the future that might not be seen as too profitable now but we have to understand that it’s important to maintain our history. The wine world is always looking for novelties.” The company has started working with this variety more seriously give years ago, in order to maintain it, but also to motivate the winemakers to start making better wines from Portugizac. Mr. Győrffy believes that they have been successful, as more and more wines appear at the event each year, and the quality of them is also improving.
The VinOliva Wine & Food Communication Company has been working on promoting Croatia in Hungary, and Hungary in Croatia for years now. This year, as an addendum to the famous Hungarian food and wine magazine Pecsi Borozo a wine-guide to Croatia will be published, aimed at the ever-increasing number of Hungarian tourists coming to Croatia, hoping to show them which local Croatian wines and wine destinations deserve their attention.
(Originally published on fama.com.hr)
