First-ever National Croatian Wine Day in the US marks 30th anniversary of independence
- by croatiaweek
- in Food & Wine
Two Masterclasses Introducing Croatian Wine Regions and Indigenous Varieties
New York, NY, June 29, 2021 — When Parisian-born and raised Anna M. Viducic moved to the US some twenty years ago, little did she know she would profoundly impact the recognition of Croatian wines in the US. Fast forward to today, and this now New Yorker founded the first-ever National Croatian Wine Day to mark Croatia’s proclamation of independence.
“As a wine buyer for New York restaurants, I thrived on introducing premium Croatian wines to my patrons,” said Anna, who holds the WSET Level 4 accreditation. “As I moved my focus into wine brand strategies and education, I could make a significant impact by creating an ongoing recognition among the American wine lovers to recognize Croatia and its indigenous wines.”
Croatian Wines Starting to Gain Interest in the US
Croatian wines are becoming more recognized in some parts of the country, but overall Croatia has a lot to do to educate the media and consumers about its wine regions and the indigenous wine varieties.
“While we’ve seen an increase of articles including Croatian wines, they tend to be written in conjunction with Croatia as a tourist destination, which is certainly a great start,” said Win Burke, CEO of Croatian Premium Wine Imports. “The next step is education of the wine and food trade media, and we are honored to partner with a prominent expert like Anna while inviting the trade media which will have an impact on the buying patterns in the hospitality business.”
Anna spoke about the Croatian map, the wine regions and wine pairings. Invited to the conversation were two winemakers talk about their winemaking in Istria and Dalmatia.
Joining were Ana Ritosa, winemaker at Vina Ritosa, https://vina-ritosa.hr/, a boutique winery from Porec, Istria, who discussed many micro terroirs in Istria, and Gorana Dominikovic, assistant winemaker at Terra Madre Winery, https://www.vinaterramadre.com/eng one of the seven wineries in one of the youngest appellations, Komarna in the Dubronvik-Neretva County, which got its certification in 2009. Gorana spoke about the organic production in the area and wine varieties including Posip and Plavac Mali, as well as rose made from Plavac Mali.
Anna M. Viducic
A Parisian Emerging as the Lead Croatian Wine Expert in the US
Anna’s family hails from Zadar, and while growing up and schooling in Paris, she would spend her summers in Croatia, enjoying her family, the food, the beach, and of course, wine. Anna started her career in hospitality in Paris, working for the renowned luxury hotel, Hotel Lutetia, where she learned the intricacies of French hospitality, which opened opportunities in the US.
As a sommelier and wine educator, Anna worked as a wine buyer for established restaurants, and tried hard to bring in Croatian wines to the menu. Today, Anna is tapping into her 20-plus years of experience and knowledge of the hospitality and wine industries to guide wineries through the intricacies of the U.S. trade, media, and consumer markets.
Viducic with winemakers and the trade media, by Croatian Premium Wine Imports
Anna M. Viducic is the Founder and CEO of Aroma Wine Co. and the National Croatian Wine Day in the U.S. Her passion for wine and a love for all its nuances were born out of her early restaurant experiences. Born into a Croatian family and raised in Paris, France, Anna’s passion for food, and wine are undoubtedly in her DNA. For more information, please see Anna M. Viducic on social media: Instagram and Facebook and website: Aroma Wine Co..
Croatian Premium Wine Imports (CPWI)
Based in Boston Metro Area, Mass., CPWI imports, retails-online, and ships indigenous Croatian wines to most US states. Starting with the indigenous wines from the Dubrovnik county in Dalmatia, including Plavac Mali, Zinfandel, Babic and Pošip, the company portfolio now includes 50+ wines from all Croatian wine regions. For more information, inquiries or to place an online order, visit www.CroatianPremiumWine.com/wine, contact at [email protected] and follow at Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
