WineOS, the wine festival, was held in Osijek on January 11 and 12 in the "Museum of Taste". In addition to the fifty wine makers from Croatia, wineries from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Hungary and Serbia also were present, and through the importers guests could also try wines from Kosovo.
Numerous workshops were held at the festival. At the workshop "SOME NEW PELJEŠAC - MODERNITY SAVING THE TRADITION", we tasted a dozen wines, from base Plavac to selection and reserves, and young winemakers from Donja Banda and Potomje told a story about a new Pelješac that offers not only jam, High Alcohol and too ripe Dingač and Postup but listen to the mood of public and produce fine and smooth wines. At the workshop "VRANAC IS NOT ONLY FOR WARM CLIMATES"! it was found that the Vranac at Fruška Gora is made as a rose, in the blends where they make 30 or 50 per cent, while two of the winemakers produce Vranac in Ilok and Erdut as a sort wine. This denies a common opinion that Vranac is a sort that is not for the continent, because it belongs to the warm climate of Macedonia, Montenegro and Herzegovina.
Workshop "WINE INDIAN JONES" was a story about Ivica Dobrinčić who has restored many vineyards on Krk and Vinodol. He has also renewed the old varieties of Trojišćina or Sansigot which it exports to the United States. At the workshop, the Žlahtina from 2018 and 2017 were tasted, rosé of Trojišćina and Sansigots from 2015, 2013 and 2011.
The workshop "DUNAVIAN CHARDONNAY FROM BARANJA AND ERDUT - CROATIAN ANSWER ON CHABLIS" was a story about the wines of Belje d. d., Which has a Chardonnay vineyard of 60 hectares in one piece and about the Graševina of Jasna Antunović. Both Belje and Antunović vineyards are close to the Danube, so one can say that this mighty river took in his arms through Baranja and Erdut this most popular world wine sort and has given it the largest success in the eastern part of Croatia.
Workshop "CROATIAN WINE TREASURE OF GENIUS FROM HRNJEVAC" was dedicated to Ivan Enjingi, who on Decanter's wine-making, 11 years ago with his Venje, has been awarded the title of world champion. At the "FOAMED GRAŠEVINA" workshop, it is said that today in seven Croatian wineries the sparkling wine is made from Graševina, and in three wineries the sparkling wine is called - Grasecco! More and more organic winegrowers are in the field, as we heard at the workshop "CLEAR NATURE, WINE WITHOUT COMPROMISE!" In some cases, it goes to the extreme, and for example, the Teran is macerated for 365 days, and even the bottles go without sulphur. On the workshop titled "THE GREAT VERTICAL OF THE MAGICAL MOONWALKER", the wine of Josip Brkić, the only producer of biodynamic wine from the Herzegovinian karst, was tried. At the "JEWELS OF THE ILOČKI PODRUMI ARCHIVES" workshop, the archival wine of Iločki podrumi d.d. were savoured, which have been the most prized Croatian wines in recent years. Traminac Ice Harvest 2007 was in the competition of 550,000 wines from all over the world, taking the 19th place!
All workshops were directed by Željko Garmaz, a wine writer and author of the Book of Slavonian Wine and Croatian Podunavlje and the Wine Story of Dalmatia. Among those who are not so famous in the Croatian market, the visitor's attention was attracted by the "Povratak" winery from Žepče from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The winery was founded in 2014 and has 50 hectares of vineyards and this year they plans to plant another five. Merlot, wine Ancellotti (Cabernet Franc), Pinot Gris, Mueller-Thurgav, Traminac and Palava wine made with the combination of Sivro Pinot and Traminac were offered on WineOS.
Among those who want to make enduring mark the Croatian market is the winery "Mačkov podrum" from Irig in Vojvodina, on the slopes of Fruška gora. Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay, Savignon Blanc, Gewuertz Traminer, Black Pinot, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were particularly good, and the winery has a year-to-year production between three and seven thousand bottles and exported to the USA in New Jersey. The winery won the gold medal at the PGA World Cup last year in Pécs in Hungary.
Also present at the festival were the Croatian wineries Krauthaker, Mihalj,Josić, Antunović, Badel 1862, Belje d.d.,Kutjevo d.d., Brzica. Kalazić, Buhač, Markota,Siber, TRS, Perak,Erdevik, Šipun, Pavlomir, Hepok, Peninsula, Erdutski vinogradi, ALL4 Wine, Palihnić, PP Orahovica, Brzanov, Vinum, Misna vina,Kaptol, Bogdan, Future vision Winestem, Pinkert, Feravino, Svjetli dvori,Iločki podrumi d.d., Kusić, Apostol,Josipović, Bartolović Kolar, Sontacchi, Papak, Jerković, Đuzel, Burence i Matković. Hungarian wineries Maczko pinceszet, Redy, Gere Tamas es zsolt Pinceszete and Bock Pince were also there.
Next to the beautiful wines, the Slavonian hospitality was complemented by cheese makers, Kulen and sausage producers and with other meat products.
Photos by: WineOS