Zagreb Wine Gourmet Weekend opens

Tourism Minister Veljko Ostojic on Friday opened a wine and food festival, the Zagreb Wine Gourmet Weekend, saying that wines and food were an important part of Croatia's tourism offer.

The festival, organised by Digitel Group, has drawn about 140 exhibitors from Croatia and abroad, including about 100 winemakers and some 40 producers of various delicacies, who will present over 200 product brands. The event closes on April 15.

Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina said that Croatia had a lot to offer in wines and food, adding that his ministry would do all it could to upgrade and promote winemaking and viticulture in Croatia.

Croatia has about 33,000 hectares of vineyards, it exports about 1.5 million litres of wine annually, it already has about 100 brands of top-class wines, and in that regard it can be even more successful, Jakovina said. (Hina)