We are incredibly proud of this major recognition for our winery. Having Malvazija Kabola Amfora 2015 ranked alongside the world's best wines is a testament to the quality of our wines and our work, which relies on nature. Using amphorae in the production process is an ancient method of transforming grapes into wine; such wines reveal the true character of the grape variety and the terroir, said Marino Markežić, owner of the Kabola winery in Momjan. His Malvazija Amfora 2015 was served during the final of the World Sommelier Championship held last week in Antwerp, Belgium. The three finalists were tasked with identifying the wines in their glasses, and this Malvazija was among the four samples.
They didn't recognize it, laughs Ivan Jug, who represented Croatia in Antwerp. This comes as no surprise, given the question of where the winner, German sommelier Marc Almert, and his two rivals Dane Nina Højgaard Jensen and Latvian Raimonds Tomsons might have even tasted it. While the Kabola winery is not small by local standards, Croatia is a small wine-producing country on a global scale, and few sommeliers would expect to encounter Croatian wines at such a competition.