The ambiance of Zagreb's Gradske kavana was the backdrop of the
presentation of an interesting gourmet event that will take place
during the 23rd ATP Vegeta Croatia Open Umag.
Besides top-quality sports and great entertainment, the tournament
in question will feature the Istria Gourmet Festival, an event
whose goal is to gather and present the best Istria has to offer to
lovers of good food and fine wine.
"We are organizing the Istria Gourmet Festival to enable the
guests of the ATP tournament to enjoy Istria's best-quality wines
and superb food, in addition to some excellent tennis playing. We
wish all our visitors will have fond memories of the tournament for
the gourmet delicacies as well," explained Arlen
Brozić, director of the tournament's Executive
Committee.
The strength of Istria's gastronomy was confirmed by Denis
Ivošević, head of the Istrian County's Tourist Board, who
said the following: "Istria's excellent reputation as a
gourmet destination is the result of a vision, dedicated work and
collaboration between the public and private sectors. A
considerable contribution to Istria's reputation has been made by
the Umag-based ATP tournament, undoubtedly the most significant
sporting and cultural event on the peninsula."
Over the eleven days of the tournament the Istria
Gourmet Festival will be presented through four different events:
Naša kužina (Our
Kitchen), Istria Gourmet Restaurant, wine tastings
Skrivene čari malvazije i terana (Hidden Charms of Malvasia and
Terran) and Vinistra, the latter featuring a rich list of
wines by Istrian winemakers that they intend to showcase.
The Naša kužina zone will showcase restaurants that are thought to
be some of the best in the Umag, Buje, Brtonigla and Novigrad
cluster. Their chefs will prepare the ATP menu as well as various
Istrian delicacies every day of the tournament. Each of the three
restaurants is known for specific dishes. Thus, for instance, Nono
is a traditional Istrian konoba with a menu featuring first-rate
Istrian fish and meat delicacies. Konoba Buščina is undeniably the
best when it comes to traditional, rustic Istrian dishes. San Rocco
is one of the best known Croatian restaurants; it is situated at
the San Rocco Hotel, who has been voted the best Croatian boutique
hotel four years in a row now.
The partners of Naše kužine are Istria's biggest and most
important winemakers, namely Degrassi, Kozlović, CUJ - vina
Kraljević, Coronica, Clai and Verlada, as well as olive oil
producers Ipša d.o.o., Agrofin d.o.o. and OPG Buršić.
Istria Gourmet Restaurant is a program featuring thematic nights
and tastings with the primary objective of presenting Istria.
The two main goals of Istria Gourmet Restaurant are to present
Istrian restaurants and share the experiences of the
Michelin-starred restaurants. This year's guests include Italy's La
Peca, restaurant known for its high-end gastronomy and as many as
two Michelin stars, and Slovenia's best fish restaurant
Pikol.
Alongside these international restaurants, the visitors will be
able to enjoy the offers of select Istrian restaurants Puli Pineta,
Pergola, Damir & Ornella and Čok & Batelina, as well as the
Agency for Rural Development of Istria.
At the same time, Istria's winemaking will be promoted by
Vinistra, association of Istria's winegrowers and winemakers, under
the expert guidance of the renowned Croatian Sandi Paris. This year
there will be 28 winemakers with their 28 wines at the Vinistra.
They will attempt at showcasing the complexity and diversity of
wines made from the grapes growing on Croatia's biggest peninsula's
terroir.
Finally, this year's Istria Gourmet Festival will organize guided
wine tastings titled Skrivene čari malvazije i terana. The daily
tastings will feature different aspects of the two of Istria's
indigenous grape varieties, malvasia and terran, as well as an
amazingly wide variety of wines that the Istrian winemakers are
able to produce from them.
Rezervations and information
Istria Gourmet Festival (terroir tasting and
wine tastings):
tickets@croatiaopen.hr
+385 99 2654 683
Our Cuisine:
+385 99 5239 716
Reservations for wine tastings and terroir tasting are
accepted until available capacities are filled. Tickets must be
taken over at least 30 minutes before the beginning. Organizer
cannot vouch for the reservation in case of delay.
