Golden bubbles under the stars: Višnjan celebrates sparkling wine

The old town of Višnjan is once again transforming into a center of sparkling bubbles and a festive atmosphere this winter.

The Višnjan Tourist Board and the Municipality of Višnjan are proud to open the 7th International Festival of Sparkling Wines and Stars, a unique event that combines top-quality wines, local gastronomy and a fascination with space.

This year, visitors can taste 70 sparkling wines from almost 30 different producers from Croatia and neighboring countries.

Elegance and golden bubbles, this is the tradition that connects the production of sparkling wines and the recognizable Višnjan connection with space. Among the exhibitors are award-winning producers, who emphasize the importance of the festival for promoting quality and exchanging experiences.

“Made from our indigenous Refošk variety, we managed to get a product that is normally produced with French varieties, and we got something from the Istrian variety that we can present on an international basis,” said Keti Visintin, a sparkling wine producer.

Sparkling wines are traditionally consumed during the holidays and New Year's Eve, because they are associated with celebrations and special occasions. However, producers point out that sparkling wines are increasingly finding their place in everyday gastronomy.

The only competitive sparkling wine festival in Croatia

“Our sparkling wine, Capris Brut Marine, is very refreshing, very drinkable. It can be drunk normally with any dish, but it is most popular with some seafood dishes, some appetizers,”said Borut Anzeljc, a winemaker and representative for the Croatian market.

It is the only competitive sparkling wine festival in Croatia, in two categories - Charmat and the classic production method.

“We had as many as 15 different sparkling wines in the Charmat, from Slovenia, mainland Croatia, and Istria, and the classic method had 24 samples plus five that stood out from the competition,” said Peršurić Bernobić.

The organizers emphasize that the festival is growing year by year, but maintains the emphasis on quality and authenticity.

“This time we expanded the festival a little with a star festival, considering that our Višnjan is known for its stars, for astronomy. We wanted to refine it and thus magnify it through an event before the holidays,” emphasized Zoran Dekleva, mayor of the Višnjan municipality.

Thus, visitors, under the starry sky of Višnjan, enjoyed tradition, local gastronomy, and tasting top-quality sparkling wines from the entire region.

Source: HRT