Živjeli! To Your Health! — A Croatian Wine Journey
Our network of friends, colleagues, and brilliant visionaries all share one thing in common….
We love Croatia! We all wish to share its bounty of pleasures with the world.
A talented champion of this magnificent country is our friend, Mirena Bagur, Co-founder of Croatian Premium Wine Imports. We are pleased to share just a bit of her story and work as a guardian and promoter of Croatian wine.
Introducing, in her own words, our friend, Ms. Mirena Bagur…
Mirena Bagur, representing wines from the Komarna region at the luxurious Boston Harbor Hotel
My Croatian Wine Journey
I grew up in Croatia. My hometown Metkovic is based in the valley of the Neretva river in Dubrovnik-Neretva county. I am used to the vistas of the meandering Neretva, the smell of herbs, the sun smiling on the both the river and the Adriatic… I was familiar with winemaking as my Grandfather, like most families in those days, had a small vineyard – just enough for the wine for the family. Needless to say, I didn’t like the fact I had to work in the vineyard, as little as that was. I had more important things to do – college in Zagreb, travel the world, and work in an innovation economy in Boston. Well, fast forward a few decades and that has come full circle – while visiting Terra Madre Winery in Komarna with family and friends, I rediscovered the scents I had long since forgotten, and an idea started fermenting. How could it not. The wine was delish and look at the sunset!
Sunset at the Terra Madre Winery, Komarna, Croatia
Then I realized that a childhood friend is the president of the Komarna Association, a group of seven nearby wineries. So, he told me the story of the Komarna wine region, and as they say in the entrepreneurial world – I got bitten by a bug.
Mihovil Štimac, president of the Komarna Winery Association describes the vineyards, including his family’s Rizman Winery
Starting a business importing Croatian wine to the States became a natural way to mix my “worlds” — love for Croatia, its culture, and customs, including ones associated with agriculture, and my business experience as well as appreciation for my new home in the States. Add the business and tech knowledge of my serial-entrepreneur husband, and voila – the company was born. We first created the company in Massachusetts and then added technology to address Croatian wine lovers from across the US.
Ok, it was not that simple. This would not have happened without a true partnership with the Komarna Association. And without a lot of prep work in the States. But, that is another story…
Learning from the Croatian Wine Experts
I absorbed some knowledge about wines while living in Croatia, but clearly I had a lot to learn. So, I turned to experts. First, we visited with the wineries to hear the details of their wine making process and to taste the wines, as well as learn about the changes in technology and the mix of the modern with traditional.
Someone had to do it — tasting Plavac mali Rosé with Josip Volarevic, winemaker at the Volarevic Winery
Then we spoke with the Croatian Chamber of Economy to hear about the historical perspective of wine exporting to US. Combining that conversation with the fact that there are over 130 indigenous varieties in Croatia, it became obvious. If we were to be serious about this business, we needed to a map. Thankfully, the HGK team of experts have done exactly that. We have added the most well-known wine varieties that are cultivated in each of the four wine regions. Our goal is to import wines from boutique wineries from all over Croatia.
Source: Croatian Chamber of Economy and Croatian Premium Wine Imports
From a business perspective, it was clear that we needed to focus on one area first and naturally for me, that was the Komarna wineries, as I already knew the people. So, we packed a few bottles of the Komarna wines – mostly Plavac Mali and Pošip – and flew back home.
Testing with the American Experts
Plavac Mali is an indigenous variety that was created naturally as a hybrid between Tribidrag (a.k.a. Zinfandel, also another story) and Dobričić. It is a predominant red wine that has been grown for generations in Dalmatia. I love it. But, it is in my DNA. Since it can be earthy and powerful with very strong tannins, the key question was, “What would Americans think?” So, we turned to wine experts in our home state of Massachusetts.
From left to right: Luiz Alberto, founder of the #winelover community, which now has more than 27,000 members worldwide, Win Burke, CEO and my partner in crime in CPWI, and wine collector Brad Smith, an editor in the same community.
So, we were off to a good start. Now the real work begins. Making Croatian wines known in the States is a real challenge. Stay tuned for more stories.
Author:
Mirena Bagur, Co-Founder and VP/Brand Management, of the USA-based and -operated Croatian Premium Wine Imports, Inc., www.croatianpremiumwine.com, was born and educated in Croatia. Always up for adventure, after attending college in Zagreb, Croatia, Mirena traveled around the world and settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where she had a career in technology marketing. She is thankful for her parents who instilled in her an appreciation for the Croatian community, history and culture, for her children who love the Croatian culture, but lovingly mock her accent, and her husband who is her partner in crime.