How to serve sparkling wines, what serving techniques to apply, how to improve the event offer and include aperitif cocktails based on local liqueurs, wine and sparkling wine, what is the gold standard serving order, how to create high-quality food and beverage packages in various price ranges... All these are in the new cycle of workshops owners of wineries, tasting rooms, restaurants, sommeliers and waiters from Požega-Slavonia County had the opportunity to learn from sommelier Darko Lugarić.

In the destination known as Golden Slavonia, an offer of top wines from three vineyards - among which the most famous Kutjevo vineyards - combined with Slavonian dishes are an extremely important part of the tourist offer, so the TZ of Požega-Slavonia County launched the "Golden Slavonia Eno & Gastro" project at the beginning of last year and has been successfully implementing it for the second year.
In order to raise the quality eno-gastro offer in wineries and catering establishments to an even higher level, the famous Croatian sommelier held a new cycle of as many as eight interactive workshops during September and October.
- Trends change and there is no progress without education, so workshops like these are a good way to keep up with the demanding tourist market. I am happy with the reactions of the participants, they reacted extremely positively to the training, I shared knowledge and skills with them and they received many tools that they are ready to implement in their business, points out Lugarić, enthusiastic about the potential of the eno-gastro offer in Golden Slavonia, he says - it's time to step forward.

The great potential of Golden Slavonia's eno-gastro offer
- It's time for extremely tasty and original traditional dishes and top wines and great liqueurs from local producers to be offered in a modern guise - from the way of serving to the interesting offer in courses, this wine expert points out, and the most important thing is the motivation of owners and staff in restaurants, which is not lacking in this region. Always smiling and cordial Slavonians they are known for their hospitality and what is crucial, they are ready to upgrade their knowledge and skills.
This was also confirmed by this new cycle of wine workshops, where, in addition to the presentation of a wide range and style of wine - from sparkling wines produced using the traditional and Tankovo methods, as well as exceptional white and red wines, such as Graševina, but also lesser-known ones such as Manzoni and Zelenac, and all to excellent blends - presented modern techniques as well the order of pairing wine and food in a modern way, taking into account price ranges and quality as an imperative. The creators of the fast-growing event scene in Zlatna Slavonia are also welcome tips & tricks Darko Lugarić, which include original aperitif cocktails based on local liqueurs, wines and sparkling wines.

- Integrated quality management is a prerequisite for progress and tourist growth, so we launched the Zlatna Slavonija Eno & Gastro project with this goal in mind. We hired leading Croatian experts and organized educational workshops in our county based on the rich oenological and gourmet tradition of Golden Slavonia. With a modern way of presenting traditional dishes combined with top award-winning wines and food from small, local producers, we offer an authentic and complete experience of our destination, said Maja Jakobović, director of TZ Požega-Slavonska County.
Cover photo: Karlo Hruškar
Source and photo: Tourist Board of Požega-Slavonia County