The Wine VIP Event was held in the Antunović Hotel Congress Center. Visitors enjoyed tasting top-quality wines and savory and sweet snacks from famous Croatian chefs. In addition to the food and wine offerings, companies involved in producing and distributing catering equipment and inventory presented their products, among which the Alexander Commerce company, which provided high-quality Zwiesel glasses, stands out.
"Our event, like every year so far, had a humanitarian note. All visitors to the Wine VIP Event, along with a symbolic donation to the League Against Cancer association, received a wine glass from which they could taste all the wines for free during the event, and they kept the glass as a memento of this wonderful day," emphasizes organizer Dantes Begić, stating that he is also proud of the educational program of the event.
"At the event, we had an exhibition section and a space for educational lectures by our speakers. I must say that the lectures were very well attended, especially those by Monika Neral and Kristijan Harjač, our successful Croatian sommeliers. There was also a lecture given by Kristian Salijevski from Alexander Commerce, who demonstrated to the participants the influence of a glass on the taste of wine, which was particularly interesting to everyone. A particularly delicious education was that of chef Doris Vlah, created in collaboration with the company Ošo Buzet, and there were also lectures on skills in tourism and hospitality, so Amadea Dobovišek and Ivana Goa Majdandžić talked about marketing in tourism, and Sanja Krmpotić about employee and guest loyalty. The program was exceptional and I am glad that we created a space to educate the public about these topics, but also a space for our speakers to get to know each other," adds Begić. The real hit of the event was Cannella, the official welcome drink at all events. Still, the fritters were also a hit, made by Antonia Mikac, a former MasterChef Croatia contestant who is now conquering the Croatian gastronomic scene with her Tonkine fritule brand. Gastronomic contributions were also made by Vehid Šaldić, a finalist of last season's Hell's Kitchen Croatia, as well as Luka Veić, the winner of MasterChef Croatia 2023. The day before the event, on Tuesday, a charity dinner for the Croatian League Against Cancer was held at the Maksimir restaurant, where Željko Krušlin Kruška entertained former contestants from culinary TV shows cooked, and guests.
The 5-course menu was prepared by well-known chefs led by Chef Doris Vlah, Ivan Horvat from the Maksimir restaurant, Luka Veić, winner of MasterChef Croatia 2023, Vehid Šaldić, finalist of Hell’s Kitchen 2024 and Antonia Mikac, former candidate of MasterChef Croatia. The ingredients were provided by sponsors OPG Perec, Žuvela, Marfish, the Maksimir restaurant and Imperial Brand, and the courses were paired with wines from the Matić, Ščurek, Iuris, Prelac and Iločki podrumi wineries. And that wonderful evening began with a fantastic aperitif, the hit liqueur – Cannella. The quality of this event was recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Croatian National Tourist Board, the City of Zagreb, the Zagreb Tourist Board, and the Zagreb County Tourist Board provide key support.
The next Wine VIP Event will be held in Rijeka, on February 12th, at the Grand Hotel Bonavia, and anyone interested in participating from the tourism and hospitality sector can contact erol.vip.event@gmail.com.
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