Graševina by Vina Belje wins the IWC trophy

At the International Wine Challenge, one of the most influential wine competitions in the world, which is noted as the most rigorous by wine producers, Croatian wineries were awarded five gold medals. The organisers selected the wine that will win the national trophy among the five winners. This week, at the official website of the Challenge, winners of regional trophies were announced, and the best Croatian wine as rated by the IWC was the vintage 2006 Graševina by Vina Belje.

This award serves as special recognition of Graševina as the most important wine variety in Croatia, which is preferred by many wine producers, including Vina Belje. Excellent as a new, freshly produced wine, Graševina is one of the rare varieties that have great potential for aging in basements, which results in exceptional wines, such as the 2006 Graševina by Vina Belje.

Marijan Knežević, head oenologist of Belje, gave the following statement in regard to this success: “This is great recognition for us, but also for Graševina as a variety. I sincerely hope that being awarded the IWC regional trophy will contribute to affirmation of Graševina in the market – this variety has been waiting too long for that to happen. I would particularly recommend Graševina to younger consumers who are only just discovering the world of wine, since it pairs easily and well with different dishes from our national cuisine. Those who prefer freshly produced wine will find hints of citrus and crispness in Graševina that has not been aged, while those who like full flavours and a rich texture will find that aged Graševina is their ideal match. I would like to offer my congratulations to all Croatian wineries that participated in the Challenge, and state that I believe that this high praise for our Graševina serves as additional confirmation of the wealth found in our vineyards and basements.”

In addition to the Graševina, the Cuvée Rosé by Vina Belje achieved great success by winning the gold medal at the specialised rosé wine competition entitled International Rosé Championship, which is held in Krakow, in Poland. This competition takes a special approach to rating wine, so instead of adding up the points awarded, the focus is placed on the particularity and style of each individual wine submitted to the competition.

“This is a semi-sweet rosé from the 2022 vintage, dominated by Pinot Noir, which is complemented by Pinot Gris and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cuvée Rosé has been extremely successful among our consumers, which is confirmed by the fact that we have doubled our production in the last three years. I would like to point out that based on the opinion of expert judges, our crisp rosé has been given the “Best Value” award in the competition, which means that our consumers get the best value and quality in this rosé,” Marijan Knežević said in his comment on this award.