Hvar wine in the service of raising the quality and development of the destination

Wine tourism on the island of Hvar is a story that is successfully developing and in which many winemakers and stakeholders in tourism are involved. There is still room for further progress, but the wine of the island of Hvar is already recognizable outside of Croatia, thanks to the previous promotion.

The pre-season has started, so it is an ideal opportunity for additional promotion of autochthonous products, primarily to foreign tourists. And how much Hvar has to offer guests will be shown by the first topic "Wine and Chocolate" as part of the "Hvar Wine Tasting" event.  "If you haven't decided where to spend your extended weekend, "Wine and Chocolate" is a great invitation to visit Hvar, an island with a long wine-growing tradition that has been going on since antiquity", invites the Tourist Board of the town of Hvar. 

The theme will combine wine and chocolate, and visitors will be able to enjoy tasting Hvar wines and island chocolate delicacies: Čokolade Gamulin, Sweets Hvar and Eva Marija Ćurin.

Two thematic workshops will be held as part of the event. "Wine and chocolate - originally from Hvar" led by Marija Vukelic, a wine promoter who will combine wines and Gamulin chocolate and reveal to wine lovers the tastes and smells of Hvar that are captured in them. "Tasting Hvar Plavac" will be led by Ana Mucalo, an expert on this most important Dalmatian black grape variety.

The last day of Wine and Chocolate is dedicated to getting to know Hvar - the island of wine, and the program consists of a tour of wineries and the Vinogradarska collection in Pitva. But "Wine and Chocolate" is just the beginning of a series of interesting wine events as part of the "Hvar Wine Tasting" designed by the Association "Hvar Winemakers" in cooperation with the City of Hvar, the island's tourist boards and partners from the destination.  

Ivana Krstulović Carić, president of the Association "Hvar Winemakers: Guests are looking for domestic and autochthonous

"This first event puts emphasis on the pre-season. There are tourists, and the hotels have started working, so in this way we want to present our wines, but also other products from Hvar. This is how our chocolate factory, pastry shop, olive oil producer will be presented, and we will do all that connect with Hvar wine", points out the president of the "Hvar Winemakers" Association, Ivana Krstulović Carić.

The association currently has 17 winemakers from the island of Hvar, and some of them export their wines outside of Croatia. This is one of the reasons that the well-known wine journalist, Magda Van der Rijst, will visit Hvar this weekend. She discovered Hvar wine in the Netherlands, and after tasting it, she decided to learn more about wine production on Hvar.

Three years ago, Magda was declared Wine Woman of the Year in the Netherlands, and she has been writing about wine for more than 25 years. Her articles about Hvar will be published in two magazines, so we have no doubt that Hvar wines will become even more recognizable in Europe and beyond.

"For many years, the tourists were mainly Europeans, and we managed to satisfy the demand with our offer. Now we also turn to tourists who come from outside Europe, and there are more and more of them. Guests are looking for local and autochthonous, they try to remember and pronounce the names of our wines, and they like to discover something new on their travels... in short they love to learn", says Carić.

Wine tourism on Hvar would not be possible without the participation of all stakeholders. The tourist boards of the island have become involved in this story, but there is room for improvement.

"We lack more networking. The desire and goal is to create a network of all those interested in wine tourism that will promote it. We are on the right track, and one step towards better visibility and recognition is the recently opened Vinogradarska collection of Pitva. Here visitors can find out more about history, customs, wine production... and there is also a tasting room of Hvar wines. The collection is designed as an info point where tourists will learn the basics about Hvar wine, and after that they will be directed to further explore the island of Hvar.", explains Carić.

The collection or info point is a great concept, because the goal is to introduce guests to Hvar's wine story in one place, with the aim of motivating them to later research each winery themselves and come to the winemakers' doorsteps, i.e. direct sales and stories. 

But let's go back to the beginning of the story and the "Hvar Wine Tastings" that start this weekend. Hvar wines will be presented throughout the season at various locations in the town of Hvar, Stari Grad and Jelsa.

Raising the quality of the destination

The focus of the city of Hvar is not primarily on increasing the number of arrivals, but on increasing the quality in all segments of the tourist offer and the international promotion of Hvar as a top destination, he emphasizes. Iva Belaj Šantić, director of the Tourist Board of the town of Hvar and adds: 

"We have been continuing the tradition of quality tourism that Hvar is proud of and cherished for the last 155 years through the joint cooperation of all stakeholders. Winemakers and the winegrowing tradition are an essential link not only in the tourist offer but also in the traditional and sustainable way of life on the island. The last weekend in April actually begins a series of events that we will celebrate 155th year of organized tourism in Hvar. We are sure that Hvar will win you over with just a few hours of stay, but we invite you to stay for a few days and discover one of the most beautiful islands in the world, as Hvar was declared by Conde Nast Traveler. There is gastronomy, culture, sports and fun, along with unique nature are reason enough to visit Hvar this year."

In addition to wine and chocolate, the hosts also invite guests to the Fair of St. Prošpera, where, as part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the entry of the Mediterranean diet of Hvar and Brač into the representative list of UNESCO, viticulture and Hvar wines will be presented as an indispensable part of Mediterranean life.

At the end of May, the "Wine, Olive & Heritage Festival" will be held in Jelsa, in June Sunset wine at Hvar's Fortica, and at the end of August, visitors can expect the traditional Wine Festival in Jelsa.

Finally, as stated by TZ Hvar, with the association of Hvar winemakers, their goal is to have a wine story in the town of Hvar at least once a month during the season, which would be great, because it is about more than quality content in the destination. 

Photo: Vedran Rafael Janjic / Source: Tourist board of the town of Hvar