For 12 years now the Teran has been protected by E.U legislation as a wine solely produced in the Karst plateau. Around 900 winegrowers from the Karst region annually produce around one million and a half litres of Teran from Refošk vines. Next week the European Commission, on the recommendation of EU's Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, will propose the adoption of exceptions to allow Croatians the use of the name Teran. Karst locals say that in the past Croatians used to buy Refošk grapevines in Slovenia and later renamed them to Teran. They say the whole thing is a big scam. On the other side Croatian winegrowers say Slovenians are stubborn and confrontational, and that they refuse to admit that the Teran has been produced in Istria for 700 years. A TV Slovenija team went to the Karst region and also visited winegrowers in Croatian Istria. The team also paid a visit to a vine nursery in Vipava, where Croatians reportedly buy our vines.
Colja: They should show documents
"It's a scam. European Commissioner Hogan claims that the Teran grapevine has existed in Croatia for centuries, which is actually not true. They should show documents that it really existed," demanded the head of Vinakras Sežana, Marjan Colja.
David Štok, the president of the Karst Association of Grape Growers and Winemakers, has been cutting Refošk vine scions from his vineyard for the Vrhpolje nursery for many years now. "We have proof, through delivery notes and bills, that the young vines were exported, that means sold to Croatia and planted there." The Vrhpolje Grapevine Nursery tells the same story. "From the year 2000 until the years 2005 and 2006 we sold 129.500 vine scions of the Refošk variety in Croatian Istria," said the head of the Vrhpolje nursery, Jože Žgur.
Our vines grow in Croatian Istria, say the Karst winegrowers, accusing the Croatians of renaming the Refošk variety into a Teran variety. "Where did all those vines go? Probably into the making of Teran. Our border clearly has such an influence on things, that it can also change wine varieties," was Marjan Colja's comment.
What do Croatian winegrowers say
Croatian winegrowers are understandably very pleased with Brussels. But how do they respond to all the accusations? "Nothing has changed. Those are two completely different varieties and a clear distinction has to be made between them. There is proof that the two varieties are different. The Teran has been grown here for 700 year," was Nikola Benvenuti's response, a winegrower and also the president of Vinistra.
Karst locals have asked Brussels for the document with which Croatia is trying to justify their use of the name Teran. What they received is a document with hidden information.
"Why such strict confidentiality? Why are they hiding information and trying to mislead all of us here in the Karst," was Boris Lisjak's outrage over the censorship. Lisjak is the president of the Consortium of Teran Makers from the Karst.
Karst locals demand that the European Commission respects its own legal order and stop playing political games behind their backs to the Croatian's advantage.
A civil initiative
The Karst intends to defend its right to the Teran. The inaugural session of a Civil initiative for the respect of Teran's protection was held on Thursday in Sežana. Journalist Irena Cunja reported that around 130 Karst winemakers gathered for the first session. Their goal is to get in touch with the European Commission President and the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and inform them that the protection of the Teran was technically justified and is legally undisputable. The initiative also plans to organize an event in Brussels, something similar to a Day of Karst, where it will present specialties from the Karst region. Those gathered also said the Teran was ours, that they were not going to give it away, and that they were prepared to defend it.