"I clearly told Commissioner Hogan that this was a misrepresentation. It is the type of wine that is protected and it is well known that wine types have no boundaries. Croatian and Italian producers also have the right to use the label Teran because this is a native type of wine from the Istria region," a press release from the MEP's office says.
Jakovcic expects the European Commission (EC) to find a solution that will also allow Croatian and Italian producers to use the label Teran as a wine that originates from the Istria region and recently he submitted an official request to the EC to amend the error that has occurred by protecting Teran as an original Slovenian wine.
Croatian Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina spoke about the same matter to Commissioner Hogan on Monday in Brussels. Jakovina expressed his confidence that Croatia would be able to continue to produce Teran under that name in the future, but "we need to find a solution that will satisfy Slovenia, the Commission and Croatia."
Commissioner Hogan proposed a trilateral meeting, at first at a technical level, followed by a ministerial one. "I think that after that we will have a solution. We are working to protect the interests of our wine makers," Jakovina said.
Slovenia protected Teran's designation of origin as a Slovenian wine, which could mean that Croatian producers in Istria may not be allowed to use that name.
Teran and Malvazija wines are the two most popular native sorts of Istrian wines.