The festival includes the first rating of wine and kulen combinations
The fourth Osijek festival of wine, delicacies and pleasant living – WineOS – will again be of international character and among the most abundant manifestations yet. Even a cursory glance at the festival programme prepared by the Osijek wine store Vinita and its owner Vinko Ručević, shows that WineOS 2017 will be among the most important eno-gastronomy events in Croatia and the region this year.
The central part of WineOS – international festival of wine and delicacies – will take place on Friday and Saturday, 1st and 2nd of December, in the Esseker Centre. It will bring together some 60 presenters, mostly domestic winemakers. There will also be five wineries from Hungary and six from Serbia, with several hundred wines available to visitors. The festival will be open both days from 15 to 21h.
This year’s WineOS elevates festival workshops a step higher compared to last year, but also two excellent events – the Gala Dinner and rating of wine combinations with superior kulen sausages, selected by the Croatian Chamber of Economy.
“The rating of wine combinations with superior kulen will take place on November 20, ahead of the festival. It will be closed to the public and the first such combination and rating of the probably two most important Slavonia products. It is co-organised by the Osijek County Chamber, which has been rating kulen for years. Wines will be exclusively Graševina and Frankovka. The rating panel will be composed of international members – sommeliers and eno-gastro journalists. They are all great names – Nenad Andrić, Ivo Kozarčanin, Mario Meštrović, Darko Lugarić, Franjo Francem, Zoltán Gyorffy and others,” pointed out Vinko Ručević.
Results of this rating will be presented to the public at the WineOS Gala Dinner, to be held on November 30 in the Museum of Taste restaurant. The Gala Dinner will present the top of the Osijek eno-gastro offer. The Gala Dinner is open to the public, with reservations and a price of 390 kunas. As Ručević explained, seven of the best Osijek restaurants will present and serve guests one of their courses. It will be presented by their chef with a recommendation of wine to be served with it. Wines will also be exclusively from Slavonia and Croatian Danube winemakers with the aid of the Graševina Croatica association.
“The aim of the Gala Dinner is to present the Osijek gastronomy scene and certainly the elevation of the table culture. The foremost Croatian sommelier Mario Meštrović will also participate in the dinner, who will present to guests the virtues of some of the wines and reasons why the will be combined with certain foods,” said Ručević.
The festival organiser is the Vinita wine store, co-organised by the Dekanter and Graševina Croatica associations, and sponsored by the Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek Town, Croatian Tourism Board and Osijek County Chamber.
For the original and more from Glas Slavonije, click here.
