The Via Wine festival took place at the Dobra Berba winery in Sveti Ivan, organised by the Zag County Tourist Board. The programme linked the host's wine selection with local cuisine, while introducing visitors to the region's unique characteristics.
At the heart of the event were the sparkling wines from Dobra Ber winery, served alongside pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven by local restaurateur Kora. By holding the programme directly within the wineries, the focus was placed on the immediate connection between the host and the wine's place of origin.
The Zag County Tourist Board is developing partnerships with winemakers and local restaurateurs, thereby enriching the autumn tourist offering. The director of the Zag County Tourist Board, Ivana Alilović, highlighted that through Via Wine, they connect winemakers with local restaurateurs and present the region's identity to visitors. She added that they aim for guests to meet the people who produce their wines and the environment in which they are made, to provide hosts with the opportunity to showcase their work and form new partnerships, and thus build a recognisable wine offering for Zag County. She noted that the events are carefully integrated into the space and that they provide value to the local community.
Visitors were encouraged to use public and organised transport, as well as to care for waste management and the responsible use of the winery's space. The festival's sustainable approach was monitored through a survey conducted among 123 visitors. It was found that the car remained the dominant mode of transport, yet 72 per cent of those who arrived by car were travelling in a vehicle with three or more people. Nearly 10 per cent of visitors arrived at the festival by public transport, and the importance of the event's sustainability was rated highly, with an average score of 4.75 out of 5.
The festival rounded off the weekend, during which discussions on the development of wine tourism took place at a professional panel hosted by Interwine. The gathering in Sveti Ivan demonstrated how collaboration between winemakers, restaurateurs, and the tourist board can be translated into a programme that introduces visitors to the local offer and encourages further exploration of the destination.
