As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 28th of September, 2019, although the summer is well and truly over and we're now at the very end of September and opening the door to autumn, the Maestral Hotel within the Aminess Hotels group of Laguna Novigrad is still very much full.

Last night, each of the eighty seats at their a la carte restaurant, Oliveto, were filled thanks to this year's finest Aminess Wine & Gourmet Nights dinner, a fine-dining event with renowned Istrian chef David Skoko. This is a project that is now going on for the third year in a row, every last Friday from April to October, and aims to promote the richness of Istrian cuisine and wine, as well as present local seasonal foods.

The event is designed in a way that prepares guests several meals in an open kitchen, so that guests can not only watch everything that is being done, they can also peek into pots and pans and talk to their chefs in breaks or take pictures with them as a souvenir. The dinner costs 350 kuna per person, and guests can combine it with various packages in line with their stay at the hotel, from wellness to the Wine & Walk event, a unique walk with a glass of wine in hand, with tastings of local wines and Istrian snacks. As you can imagine, this is a very popular package.

The Aminess Dinner is also an opportunity to introduce young promising chefs from across the Republic of Croatia and the wider region to each other in Novigrad, and the response so far has great, David Skoko revealed.

"This is my favourite guest-event that I do throughout the year, and I work with my friends and colleagues from Croatia and abroad, most often from Slovenia, and the top winemakers whose wines we pair with our dishes. I'm very pleased to hear back from many young people, chefs from different parts of the country, who offer themselves to come to work with us and experience an atmosphere that is extremely good. We, the ten or twelve of us, enter the kitchen early in the morning and ''rock'' all day long in order to actually make it look so laid back and elegant , but it's really serious and the level of chef engagement is demanding,'' stated Skoko.

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As Glas Istre/S. Zrinic Terlevic writes on the 6th of September, 2019, the attractive offer of local Istrian wines, a long walk along the Adriatic sea and delicious snacks will mark the third edition of the Wine&Walk by the sea event, which will be held on Saturday the 28th of September in Novigrad.

To mark the turn of the season and the beginning of autumn, lovers of wine and good food will be able to enjoy a ten kilometre walk through Novigrad and the surrounding area with a glass of the good stuff in hand.

''A superb offer of Istrian wines and authentic gastronomic delicacies, a unique walk through the old town of Novigrad, by the sea, olive groves and vineyards and an always excellent atmosphere are the main ingredients of 'Wine&Walk by the sea'. This wine hike attracts more and more visitors every year, and this motivates us to make more and more effort from year to year to exceed expectations. I believe that this year we will surprise all visitors,'' said Vesna Ferenac, director of the Tourist Board of the City of Novigrad.

The start of the program is foreseen in the morning from the Porporela waterfront in Novigrad where participants will sign up. Everyone will receive a tasting glass and vouchers, a trail map and any instructions that will help them with their stroll along the wine trail.

The adventure begins with a stroll along the waterfront and the old port of Mandrač, in the very heart of Novigrad, where the first point awaits participants. After the wine tasting there, walkers will continue along a path that runs partly along the seashore, and then enter the hinterland of Novigrad through the picturesque vineyards and olive groves.

There will be a total of seven points for participants along the route, where they will be able to enjoy the rich gastronomic offer of northwestern Istria, meet winemakers and famous chefs and experience numerous surprises.

Wineries Pervino, Moreno Ivančić, Stancija Fava, Demark, Leonardo Palčić, Ghira and Novacco will present their respective offers, while delicious Istrian fish and meat dishes will be prepared by Plegius catering, Navigare Restaurant, konoba Nino, Half 8 Restaurant, konoba Sergio and Kod Marice restaurant, while the Ošo bakery will take care of sweet things.

Returning to Novigrad, in the heart of the Old Town, participants will continue their celebration with excellent music and performances, delicious snacks and more local wine, as well as a fair of indigenous agricultural products and souvenirs.

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