Vinistra 2018 will be officially opened on Friday, May 11, but some of the most exciting events at the most important Croatian wine event will take place today, Thursday. The brilliant Brit Steven Spurrier will hold a masterclass workshop about his view of Malvazijas. Eight wines will be presented, including a sparkling from Misal, the legendary Matošević Alba Barrique from 2006, Kozlović Akacija 2009 and this year’s Vinistra champion, Arman G Cru 2017.
To recall, Steven Spurrier is one of the most important global wine critics in the past half a century. Spurrier organized, among other things, the famous Paris Judgment where Californian wines beat the best French wines. Spurrier is one of the main judges and honorary president of the Decanter World Awards, and in the past six to seven years he has participated in the global promotion of Croatian wines.
On Thursday evening in the Poreč hotel Parentium, a gala dinner will be held for some 60 guests named Remembering Tony Hodges. Hodges was an English marketing genius who was invited first by Ivica Todorić and then other Croatian wine associations to reshape the image of Croatian wines. Tony, whom we knew personally quite well, articulated the new language of the Croatian wine industry, from regional divisions to individual style directions. Tony Hodges, who also married in Croatia, dying of a malignant tumor shortly after, is one of the people who permanently indebted the modern Croatian wine industry. Vinistra thus should be praised for devoting the introductory dinner to Tony Hodges.
Translated from Plava Kamenica, for the original click here.