Imotski Winemakers Celebrate Kujundžuša and Wine from the Lake
The event dedicated to the indigenous grape variety was held for the 22nd consecutive year, with special attention drawn by bottles that aged for 14 months at the bottom of the Red Lake.
The event dedicated to the indigenous grape variety was held for the 22nd consecutive year, with special attention drawn by bottles that aged for 14 months at the bottom of the Red Lake.
Before the Feast of the Assumption, the wine festival Cvit razgovora was held in Imotski for the 22nd consecutive year. It is one of the largest and most attended wine events in Croatia, primarily dedicated to the indigenous Imotski grape variety kujundžuša, which has recently undergone a true revitalization through investment in new vineyards and special wine production technology.
During July and August, Imotski winemakers presented their wines through a series of events, with a special emphasis on indigenous varieties that thrive in the Imotski wine-growing region. After spending 14 months at a depth of approximately 70 meters within the natural phenomenon of the Red Lake, wine bottles emerged that drew special attention; these bottles are customarily kept underwater to monitor changes in the wines aging there.
The bottles were submerged hermetically sealed with wax, allowing the wine to mature undisturbed by water. As a result, the wine developed a unique aroma and character, namely a specific bouquet, scent, and taste. As the Imotski winemakers point out, the wines did not lose quality but gained a distinctiveness recognized by expert enologists and lovers of fine wine.
The wine story from the Red Lake continued at Cvit razgovora, where that night, in a unique way, accompanied by song, socializing, and tasting of Imotski delicacies, the wines of Imotski winemakers were presented. In the Imotski region, quality and premium wines are produced, as confirmed by about twenty winemakers who organized a true wine festival at the event, where thousands of visitors enjoyed the indigenous wine story.
The city streets were filled with premium wine, with which the Imotski winemakers, like true hosts, treated all present guests. All one needed was a glass marked with the emblem of this renowned wine festival to stroll from stall to stall, taste wines, and with a glass and conversation revive tradition, all tied together as excellent tourist promotion for the region.
"Visiting Imotski and not being seen at the wine festival is like not having been to this region at all," the Imotski winemakers said.
The gathering and toasting lasted late into the night, and the Imotski winemakers, in their recognizable way, through glass and drop, are the best tourism promoters of the Imotski region. The video from the event was shot by Josip Soče-Pixsell and Ivo Čagalj, and the photographs are credited to Zvonimir Barisin/PIXSELL.
