"In order to protect Teran in accordance with the EU rules, we have invested much knowledge and efforts. We expect EU acceding countries to abide by the EU acquis, just as Slovenia does, even in cases when it does not suit us," the Slovenian minister told the local media on Friday.

In this way, Zidan commented on the latest developments surrounding this wine sort after a Slovenian retail chain was ordered by the authorities to take bottles with Teran produced in Croatia from its shelves, following complaints by Slovenian wine makers.

The withdrawal of this Croatian Istrian wine from Slovenia's stores prompted Croatian Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina to announce his ministry's steps in order to protect Croatian Teran.

Jakovina said that his ministry would commence bilateral and trilateral activities to resolve the problem. Talks are to commence as early as Monday with the Council of Ministers in Luxembourg at the bilateral (Croatia-Italy) and trilateral (Croatia-Slovenia-Italy) levels to initiate a cross-border application to protect the Teran wine which would include the three countries that produce this wine, the Croatian minister said on Thursday.

If the initiative does not bring forth any results and we cannot convince Slovenia and Italy, Croatia will take all the legal steps necessary to protect Croatia's wine sector, Minister Jakovna said.

President of the wine producers association with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Ivica Matosevic, expressed concern with the incident in Slovenia's stores, underscoring that this was not just a matter of the label but that Teran was an Istrian heirloom grape which is part of the region's identity and tradition, hence it was vital that all available means were invested to protect Croatia's wines on the market, he said.

Terrano or Teran is a Croatian, Slovenian and Italian dark-skinned grape varieties. The wine produced from this grape acquires the distinctive flavour and bouquet only when it is grown in the specific terra rossa ("Red Earth") soil typical of a very restricted area of Kras plateau.

Croatia and Slovenia are already involved in a dispute over Slovenia's request for the European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status for its "kranjska klobasa" (Kranjska sausage). Croatia has sent an objection to the European Commission over Slovenia's request for the European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status for its "Kranjska klobasa" given that the PDO status of that meat product would mean that Croatian producers can no longer produce sausages under the label "Kranjska", and Croatia now expects the answer from Brussels.

If Slovenia's request is granted, it will mean that Kranjska sausage cannot be manufactured outside Slovenia.