A major wine event for northern Croatia.
The Croatian region of Međimurje provides a unique and unforgettable experience, thanks to the beauty of its magnificent landscape, rich heritage and hospitality of always friendly locals, but also with its top quality wines and gastronomic delicacies. All this has put Međimurje on the map of attractive tourist destinations visited by a large number of tourists.
Wine is certainly one of its main highlights, and the Urbanovo festival is an essential part of the whole experience. The 2018 Urbanovo Wine Festival started yesterday in Štrigova, in the very heart of Međimurje. It is jointly organized by the Hortus Croatiae Society of Wine Producers and Wineries, Međimurje County, the Municipality of Štrigova, the Međimurje County Tourist Board and the Štrigova Municipality Tourist Board.
This year, a new concept of the event was presented for the new generation of wine connoisseurs, and the guests were delighted with the new look and presentation of the festival hall. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of distinguished guests and representatives of various state and local institutions: Assistant Minister of Agriculture Krešimir Ivančić, President of the Board of HAMAG BICRO agency Vjeran Vrbanec, Međimurje County Prefect Matija Posavec, President of the Assembly of Međimurje County Mladen Novak, Mayor of Municipality of Štrigova Stanislav Rebernik, President of the Hortus Croatiae Society of Wine Producers and Wineries David Štampar, Prefect of Varaždin County Radimir Čačić, Assistant Head of the Department of Economy and the Sea of Dubrovnik-Neretva County Ivo Mujo, and Marshal of Województwo Kujawsko Pomorskie in Poland Piotr Calbecki.
A unique bottle was presented at the festival opening ceremony, specially designed for the Pušipel wines, which will be used by all local winemakers for this autochthonous Međimurje variety. The design of the bottle is a product of creative efforts of a team from the Hortus Croatiae Society of Wine Producers and Wineries, the Reci Da design studio and the Vetropack Straža company.
The bottle was presented by famous winemaker David Štampar. “Međimurje is especially proud of its autochthonous Pušipel variety. We have invested a lot in its development and are working to raise its quality and prestige. This is supported by the fact that last year we designed a unique bottle which will be used for the Pušipel variety. We felt that Pušipel deserved to have a unique original bottle since it is certainly a symbol of Međimurje. From now on, all the Međimurje winemakers will have a unique bottle for our Pušipel,” said Štampar.
Over the weekend, 24 winemakers will present their wines.
The Urbanovo wine festival was preceded by an international wine assessment competition. Among 150 samples, five awards for the best-rated wines were presented. The prizes were won by “Pušipel Prestige, Predicate 2015” – JAKOPIĆ, “Pušipel Classic 1, 2017” – CMREČNJAK, “Traminac – Select Dry Grape Berry Harvest, 2015” – OPG ĐURINSKI, “Sauvignon, 2017” – CMREČNJAK, and “Stridon Rose, 2015” – CMREČNJAK.
