JRE-Croatia celebrates the harvest at Vršilnica with Talent & Passion 2026

Zaprešić, 17 October 2026 – For one day, Zagreb County brought together some of Croatia’s leading chefs and sommeliers, local winemakers and producers, alongside guests from the worlds of gastronomy, tourism and media. Talent & Passion 2026 – ŽETVA became part of the Sustainable AgriGastro Innovation Hub – From Soil to Signature, a project designed to create stronger links between local production and hospitality while developing a more distinctive and recognisable gastronomic identity for Zagreb County.

The experience took guests on a journey from soil to table – beginning with the people behind the ingredients, moving through the creative interpretation of JRE chefs and a carefully curated selection of wines, and ending around a shared fine dining table at the heart of Vršilnica.

The day opened with welcome bites. Konoba Boba served pike-perch ceviche paired with Kurtalj Cuvée Prestige, while Navis presented tartare with pumpkin alongside Jagunić Blanc de Noir. From the very first bite, ingredients from Crna Mlaka, Philipecz, OPG Ivica Cesar and Igomat were brought into the contemporary culinary language of JRE chefs.

Following the official opening, Vršilnica became an open gastronomic playground, with guests moving freely between chef stations, local producers and wine tastings.

Inspired by the pasture, pond and forest, three thematic areas offered six different interpretations of Zagreb County. Lešić Dimitri served ham and horseradish with Šember Rizling Vučjak, while San Rocco prepared veal ribs with curd cheese and pickled apple, paired with Voštinić Klasnić Škrlet.

In the Pond section, Pelegrini reimagined the traditional greblica with trout, accompanied by Režek Zeleni Silvanac, while Zijavica combined trout, pumpkin, fresh Zagreb cheese and chestnut with Mladina Sauvignon Blanc Classy.

The Forest brought a more autumnal expression: Vila Rova served acorn langoš with goat’s cheese and grilled mushrooms alongside Puhelek Purek Kraljevina, while Monte prepared wild boar terrine with pear poached in red wine, pumpkin and pistachio, paired with Litterarii Zeleni Silvanac.

Local producers were an essential part of the experience. Products from Mlin Pukanić, Sirana Šestak, Igomat, OPG Ivica Cesar, OPG Pčelarstvo Antolčić, Štenta, Rudarska greblica, OPG Bresnica, Philipecz and Nautilus were not simply displayed, but incorporated directly into the chefs’ dishes. In doing so, one of the project’s central ideas – creating a closer and more meaningful relationship between local producers and professional gastronomy – became tangible.

IVANA ALILOVIĆ, Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board
 

"From Soil to Signature is the continuation of seven years of intensive work by the Zagreb County Tourist Board in promoting and certifying local products and developing local value chains. We created the project to connect producers, winemakers and hospitality professionals more closely and to open new market opportunities for local products. These value chains are fundamental to the long-term competitiveness of a destination: they connect quality, knowledge and authenticity while ensuring that the benefits of tourism remain within the local community. As project leader, together with JRE-Croatia we are building partnerships that give local production greater economic value and Zagreb County a stronger gastronomic identity,” said Ivana Alilović, Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board.

A CURATED WINE JOURNEY THROUGH ZAGREB COUNTY
 

Wine was one of the defining elements of ŽETVA. The selection was curated by award-winning JRE sommeliers Branimir Vukšić and Dinko Lozica, whose role went well beyond finding the right pairing for each dish. Through the chosen labels, they set out to show just how diverse and accomplished the contemporary wine scene of Zagreb County has become.

Across the chef stations and final menu, guests tasted a broad range of styles – from sparkling wines and fresh whites to more complex amphora wines and reds.

The welcome bites were paired with Kurtalj Cuvée Prestige and Jagunić Blanc de Noir, while the chef stations featured Šember Rizling Vučjak, Voštinić Klasnić Škrlet, Režek Zeleni Silvanac, Mladina Sauvignon Blanc Classy, Puhelek Purek Kraljevina and Litterarii Zeleni Silvanac.

The final fine dining experience brought another series of carefully selected pairings. Coletti Francesco Grandeaccompanied the žganci with cream; Tomac Amfora Rajnski Rizling was served with Kala’s tagliolini; Korak Crni Pinot accompanied duck with mlinci; and Lagradi Muškat followed the dessert. The experience closed with pralines by Čokoladarnica Nautilus and Šoškić Franz Pelinkovac.

Guests were also introduced to the Bermet Negroni, a signature cocktail created especially for the occasion through a collaboration between Old Pilots and Bermet Philipecz.

VJEKOSLAV BAŠIĆ, President of JRE-Croatia

“Talent & Passion reflects what lies at the heart of JRE – the exchange of knowledge, collaboration and gastronomy that begins with an exceptional product. This year, the entire concept was built around Zagreb County, with our chefs invited to interpret its produce and traditional flavours through their own culinary language. Wine played an equally important role: our sommeliers selected labels from Zagreb County that complemented each dish while showing just how serious and diverse the region’s wine scene has become. ŽETVA represents exactly what we want to achieve through projects like this – creating greater value when producers, chefs, sommeliers and the destination work together.”

The final chapter of the day moved to the shared table.

Dubravkin put opened the four-course menu with žganci and cream. Kala followed with tagliolini, pheasant sauce, Turopolje truffle and forest snails. Korak served duck with mlinci, while Lemongarden brought the experience to a close with a dessert inspired by wild apple.

Across the day, guests experienced 12 original dishes by JRE chefs, from the opening bites and chef stations to the four-course finale. Each told the same story in a different way: how the produce of Zagreb County can be translated into a contemporary gastronomic language while keeping a clear sense of place.

VJEKOSLAV BAŠIĆ, President of JRE-Croatia

“Talent & Passion reflects what lies at the heart of JRE – the exchange of knowledge, collaboration and gastronomy that begins with an exceptional product. This year, the entire concept was built around Zagreb County, with our chefs invited to interpret its produce and traditional flavours through their own culinary language. Wine played an equally important role: our sommeliers selected labels from Zagreb County that complemented each dish while showing just how serious and diverse the region’s wine scene has become. ŽETVA represents exactly what we want to achieve through projects like this – creating greater value when producers, chefs, sommeliers and the destination work together.”

 

The final chapter of the day moved to the shared table.

Dubravkin put opened the four-course menu with žganci and cream. Kala followed with tagliolini, pheasant sauce, Turopolje truffle and forest snails. Korak served duck with mlinci, while Lemongarden brought the experience to a close with a dessert inspired by wild apple.

Across the day, guests experienced 12 original dishes by JRE chefs, from the opening bites and chef stations to the four-course finale. Each told the same story in a different way: how the produce of Zagreb County can be translated into a contemporary gastronomic language while keeping a clear sense of place.

BERNARD KORAK, Chef of Restaurant Korak and member of the project’s expert team

“A local ingredient on its own is not enough. It is important to know the person who produces it, to understand its season and its character, and then to find a way to present it to the guest through a dish. That was the idea behind ŽETVA. We did not want simply to reproduce traditional dishes, but to take the flavours and products of Zagreb County and show how many different contemporary interpretations can grow from them. For us as chefs, having the opportunity to work directly with producers is particularly valuable, because those relationships are what ultimately create a stronger, more authentic and more recognisable gastronomic identity for a destination.”

Talent & Passion – ŽETVA is one of the key moments within the wider From Soil to Signature project. Throughout the project, the JRE-Croatia expert team works with hospitality professionals, producers and other stakeholders from Zagreb County through educational sessions, professional workshops, mentoring and practical activities designed to bring local products more strongly into restaurant kitchens and dining rooms.

ŽETVA brought that approach to life by bringing producers, chefs, sommeliers and guests together in one space and allowing the entire chain to be experienced first-hand.

For the Zagreb County Tourist Board, the project forms part of a long-term strategy to position gastronomy as both a compelling reason to visit and a distinctive element of the destination’s identity. Its collaboration with JRE-Croatia brings the knowledge and experience of high-level restaurant gastronomy into that process, creating new connections between local products, hospitality and the guest experience.

The Sustainable AgriGastro Innovation Hub – From Soil to Signature project is led by the Zagreb County Tourist Board in collaboration with JRE-Croatia, with the support of the Croatian National Tourist Board through the Fund for Tourism-Underdeveloped Areas and Continental Croatia