Dr. sc. Žarko Stilin
Founder and manager of the Kvarner Wines Association · Croatia
Biography
Kvarner Wines Association was founded in 2021 on the initiative of Žarko Stilin. Since then winemakers from Kvarner Region who are promoting autochthonous grape varieties, have recorded successful performances at domestic and international fairs and presentations. More importantly, they increase the quality of wine, as confirmed by more than 60 medals from the prestigious Decanter competition.
Žarko Stilin was born in 1984, he has a Ph.D. in economics, management and marketing. Experienced worker in tourism, he was a lecturer at the PAR Business High School and at the University of Rijeka. Since 2017, he has been organizing the WineRI International Gastro Festival in Rijeka and participating in many events in Kvarner Region, in other parts of Croatia as well as neighboring countries.
He is a 1st degree sommelier in the Croatian Sommelier Club, and is also the director of the Kvarner Quality Association, which aims to encourage excellence in food and agricultural food products, which together with the Žlahtina Association create the Kvarner Wines Association.
His guiding principles are simple: “Friendship is the wine of lif” and “Knowledge and self-confidence”.