The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles celebrates its 30th edition in Croatia
Press release
Poreč, 12 May 2023
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles has become the largest touring European wine tasting competition. Over 175,000 wines from 65 countries have been tasted and judged over its thirty editions.
Founded by Louis Havaux in 1994, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles has successfully established its trademark style and earned its stripes. Since 2006, it has travelled to numerous producer regions, with Lisbon, Bordeaux, Palermo, Luxembourg, Guimarães, Bratislava, Aigle, Beijing and Brno all hosting the competition.
For its 30th edition, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is travelling to Croatia, a destination that Baudouin Havaux, the competition’s chairman, describes with some emotion: “We are delighted and proud to be holding our 30th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Istria. The competition aims to act as a mirror to market trends and Croatia is an upwardly mobile wine destination, with a history. More than ever before, wine has become an integral part of tourism and the competition will be introducing its judges to the highlights of this wine region which combines stunning scenery with fine cuisine and quality wines”.
Every single Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is unique. Uncorking over 10,000 bottles from across the globe in just three days places it in a league of its own. Internationally, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles ranks as a benchmark wine competition. Its independence, stringent selection process and the tasting protocol implemented offer reassurance for consumers who can confidently buy its award-winning wines. The wines are awarded medals by professional judges with integrity, based on their quality, their inherent characters and their balance. This year, 320 renowned judges will be travelling to Poreč to get the tastings underway.
We are very honoured and proud to host one of the world’s largest wine competitions, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. There are many associations with Istria, and one of them is undoubtedly wine, along with its rich gastronomic offerings, which is, after its natural beauty, the second most compelling reason for numerous visitors to come to our region. Wine has played an important role in Istria since ancient times, and today it is widely known for its vineyards, wine routes, cellars, and exceptional wine quality. As I always emphasize, we are too small to be average, and that is why we strive for excellence in everything we do, which has proven to be a winning combination in our wine story”, stated Boris Miletić, County Prefect of Istria.
Istria, Croatia’s leading wine region
Istria is a stunning region that is home to rolling hills, terraced vineyards, olive groves and mediaeval hilltop villages. It is surrounded by the Adriatic on two sides and by the Julian Alps to the North. Istria’s local population has long-standing ties with grapes and wine production. The region, and more specifically the town of Poreč, will be hosting the competition’s main tasting session focusing on red and white wines.
As the chairman of industry organisation Vinistra, Luka Rossi, pointed out, of the 320 judges, ten percent are sommeliers, twelve percent are wine merchants and distributors and eighteen percent are winemakers but sixty percent are specialist wine writers who will be writing about their experience in the relevant global media after their visit to Istria. “By hosting the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Istria has put its name on the global wine map and strengthened its position at European and international level. This prestigious competition has a direct impact on tourism, the economy and the wine industry due to its worldwide significance and the host region garners visibility. We have prepared some attractive excursions for our guests including visits to the vineyards of Istria, and I am sure that they will enjoy everything they see and experience”, stated Luka Rossi.
“We are proud that this year’s Concours de Bruxelles is being held in Poreč, in Istria, now amongst an elite few destinations that have been granted the opportunity to host one of the world’s largest wine competitions. Croatia is an ideal host, mainly due to its long wine-making tradition, which represents the identity and culture of the various regions throughout the country, from both the coastal and continental regions. I am sure that together, we will know how to best leverage this event for the further promotion of Croatian tourism, development of Croatia’s wine-making, where our wines are consistently increasing in both quality and being recognized for excellence year after year, especially by wine connoisseurs”, stated Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.
“At Plava Laguna, we are guided by our six-star attitude and every guest is a VIP. We are proud to provide our guests with a superb experience throughout the year. That is why we are glad this event is taking place outside of the main tourist season. We believe investing in both oenology and gastronomy is key when it comes to tourism development, as food and wine are important ingredients in the complete experience of the destination. We hope that the warmth of our hospitality during this great competition will make all our guests fall in love and ultimately come back to Poreč and Plava Laguna“, stated Dragan Pujas, the CEO of Plava Laguna, a well-known tourism company and a long-standing partner of Vinistra.
This year, 7,504 wines will be assessed in Poreč by 320 judges representing 50 nationalities. Croatian wines are very well-represented, with no fewer than 220 entries taking part.
The results will be published on the competition’s website on 23 May 2023 at 12 pm.
Pictures of the competition available here
Press contact: Charles Piron — charles.piron@vinopres.com
