April 27, 2022 - On Saturday, April 22, everything was pink in Zagreb's Lauba at the tenth edition of the unique festival dedicated to rosé wine - Pink Day Zagreb. As the initiator, Sanja Muzaferija, always says, the festival is also a celebration of spring, optimism, and gentle, feminine energy with light wines.

The Pink Day Zagreb Festival gathered a large number of connoisseurs, professionals, wine lovers, and visitors who were dressed in pink and were eager to socialize, celebrate spring, optimism, high aesthetics, excellent oils, or, above all, excellent rosé wines from Croatia and Slovenia, Italy, France, USA...

Pink Day Zagreb combines fun, fine wines, and educational content. It brings together wine connoisseurs, professionals, and "ordinary" lovers of these fine pinky wines, ideal for warmer days. In addition to being a rosé festival, Pink Day Zagreb is a kind of dedication to female energy and the beauty of life, a fluttering ceremony of a rosy worldview. Because rosé is precisely that: bright! During the last ten years, the Festival has established itself due to its educational contents, exchange of experiences, and cheerful and optimistic atmosphere and has consistently promoted moderate consumption of wine and, according to the winemakers themselves, significantly helped to change the attitude towards rosé, and thus the wine map of Croatia.

"I am proud that Pink Day Zagreb helped rosé gain a better reputation. Of course, there is also Green in Pink, which celebrates the top quality domestic extra virgin olive oils. Since last year, the festival has also celebrated pink gins, tonics, liqueurs, cocktails..." said Muzaferija.

This boutique festival, which is also the oldest major wine festival in Croatia after Vinistra and VinoCom, for its special edition, offered more than a hundred labels of wine, about thirty labels of premium extra virgin olive oil, and presented several premium brands of spirits and cocktails, all enjoyed by hundreds of visitors. It was the richest festival program so far. In fact, the entire month of April was covered in pink because at the press conference in Lauba at the beginning of the month, a workshop on the wines of hilly Croatia took place, under the baton of experienced sommelier Mario Meštrović. The story continued on April 18, in Zagreb's only restaurant with a Michelin star, Noel, where a Masterclass of Chateau d'Esclans rosé wine "Pinks That Made History" powered by PBZ Card Premium Visa was held in front of a packed auditorium. The wines were tasted from top Riedel glasses, all under the leadership of Ted Lelekas, Moet Hennessy brand ambassador.

Festival workshops

All accompanying programs of the Festival were extremely interesting this time as well. The "Pink American West," with wines from the American West Coast that are not on the Croatian market, moderated by Mirena Bagur and Croatian Premium Wine Import from Boston, was extremely popular. While Bagur presented the winery and their positioning in the vast American market, her husband and business partner Win Burke spoke about the characteristics and style of each of the five wines that came from the northern part of the American West, Oregon, all the way to Southern California and Napa Valley. Among them was Grgich Hills Rosé by Mike Grgich, a winemaker with Croatian roots and a pioneer of winemaking in the USA. The surprise guest was the top American chef, Johnny Sheehan, who also said a few words about pairing these wines with food.

All connoisseurs and everyone who wanted to know more attended an attractive panel, i.e., a round table dedicated to the rosé wines of the Croatian East - "Rosé Wine East: 10 Years Later" powered by HGK, in honor of the progress of the rosé wines of this region. The moderator was the "chaser" Morana Zibar, and the participants were the representatives of HGK: Jelena Đugum; HAPIH: Darko Cenbauer; Kutjevo wineries: Dino Galić, and Vina Papak: veteran Mladen Papak.

A masterclass on extra virgin olive oils, "Champion Oils of Istria and Dalmatia," powered by JGL, was moderated by an assistant professor from the University of Split, Ph.D. Mirella Žanetić. All visitors there could learn all about the secrets of good oil.

At the very end, at the workshop designed by Vjenceslav Madić, "Master Kishoni": "Pink Cocktalization" powered by Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, lovers of pink cocktails, strange molecular "alchemy" of cocktails and mixology found themselves in awe - because this workshop produced miracles in a glass.

Cooltura i Dizajn: All visitors of the Festival could also buy a limited edition t-shirt with the character "Pink Girl" signed by Marina Dimić Kepeski, who was a member of the jury that chose the most beautifully decorated tables of exhibitors, along with Muzaferija and her partner for Pink Day Zagreb Zrinka Jelić Belinić. In addition to the wines a wonderful atmosphere that is always guaranteed, the Festival is also known for its fantastically decorated exhibition tables. All partners work extremely hard and receive valuable awards for nicely decorated exhibition tables.

This year, Kutjevo won the first prize - 12 Riedel glasses from the Restaurant Extreme Rosé line. Other awards included the pink SMEG toaster model TSF02PKEU by Gemma, which went to Astoria Wines. The Elie Saab fragrance from the Martimex perfumery portfolio, "Le parfum essentiel," was awarded to the Kvarner Wines Association. Bottega won a gift package from the Media Bar publishing house with three books - Stanley Tucci's "Taste," Anđa Marić's "My Revolution in 365 Days," and Arijana Čulina's "Twice in Five Minutes." MIVA Wine Gallery received a rich IKEA package (blanket, cushions, small items for the house...) as a reward for creativity and long-term loyal cooperation.

At the Festival, for the first time in Zagreb, the recently published Media Bar book published by Stanley Tucci, "Taste: My Life Through Food," translated by Nada Mirković. Anyone who wanted could visit Lauba: a house for people and art at the same time, the sales exhibition of the acclaimed and award-winning young Croatian painter Emanuela Lekić "Night Shift."

Romerquelle was once again the official water of the festival, and Ikea took care of a comfortable lounge where visitors could relax. Visitors also enjoyed the fine delicacies of one of the best bakeries in Zagreb, "Noel Bread & Deli." In a separate food corner, fine snacks from Catering Kvatrić awaited visitors and exhibitors, as well as Miscotti biscuits - which go well with rose wine and were baked especially for this occasion.

All in all, the festival was well worth visiting. For those who couldn't make it, they will get their chance next year at the 11^th  edition of the Festival.

The founder of the whole thing is Sanja Muzaferija, who has been promoting wonderful spring wines through this Festival for an entire decade, thus starting the all-round rosé revolution. For the last two years, she has been accompanied by Zrinka Jelić-Belinić from the Z - Eventi & Promotion agency.

The partners of Pink Day Zagreb include PBZ Card Premium Visa, HTZ, HGK, JGL, MIVA Wine Gallery, Ikea, Romerquelle, Bregovita Hrvatska, Riedel, Martimex, Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, Smeg, publishing house Media Bar, Miscotti, Lauba...

And here's where you can find them at all times:

Pink Day website: https://pinkdayzagreb.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PINK-DAY-166888780125529/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkdayzg

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

June 14, 2021 - A press conference was held announcing the 8th Pink Day and its interesting program. In addition to socializing with winemakers and olive growers, this favorite wine event will be marked by an entertainment program, so visitors and exhibitors can expect various surprises and even more beautiful and modern space.

This year, the 8th Pink Day International Festival of Rose Wines, Sparkling Wines, and Champagnes is being held for the first time on the covered open terrace of the MSU Museum in New Zagreb, on Sunday, June 27. Although the location and date of the event have been changed several times due to epidemiological reasons and the consequences of the Zagreb earthquake, the festival successfully brings together numerous domestic and foreign producers of rosé wines, about fifty of them, with about 100 labels of rosé wines. Winemakers, oenologists, professionals, experts, and rosé lovers will take part, and there is, of course, an important part of the Festival: Green in Pink, with a dozen of the best Croatian producers of extra virgin olive oil.

From Pink Day Official Facebook Page

At the press conference, WOW President and Pink Day founder Sanja Muzaferija, accompanied by art director Vlasta Pirnat, hostess Ana Lisak and MSU representatives, and in the presence of the co-organizer, IMC presented the novelties of the 8th Pink Day. Although the Festival always offers three or more wine and olive oil workshops, now for the first time, in cooperation with the Miva Wine Gallery, a Masterclass - World of Pink Champagnes by Moët Hennessy Group powered by Premium Visa has been organized, which has aroused great interest and sold out. just a few days. Visitors can expect two more workshops: Pink Austria, powered by Austrian Wine and with the help of the Office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions, and Tourism at the Embassy of the Republic of Austria dedicated to Austrian rosés, and a workshop of extra virgin olive oils, Istria: Queen of Olive Oil powered by Catering Lisak, led by the famous Istrian expert Edi Družetić, who last year celebrated 40 years of work in olive growing.

Sanja Muzaferija, Pink Day founder

‘‘I am extremely proud that this year our partner country is Austria and that, despite still somewhat problematic conditions, five exhibitors are coming from Austria, all under the auspices of Austrian Wine, but I am most looking forward to the exhibition venues of this year's Pink Day filled three weeks before the Festival. It is also important to me that we try, and I believe we succeed, to combine everything: to entertain, teach, cheer and celebrate rosé wines in a rosy mood. And let’s not forget the health and extra virgin olive oils. I thank the media that follow us faithfully and everyone who experiences Pink Day the way I imagined it: as a festival of optimism and enjoyment’’, said Muzaferija.

The ticket price for Pink Day is 150 kuna, while for members of the WOW association it is 50 kuna, and you can buy it at the entrance of the festival.

This year, Pink Day emphasizes the sale of wine, since last year was also extremely difficult for winemakers, and each winemaker will receive ten pink bags as a gift from the festival to sell their wine. Also, Pink Day continues to reward the most imaginative and creatively decorated exhibition table. Last year's prize, pink Jimmy Choo shoes, was won by the Italian winery Bottega, and this time as many as 4 prizes will be awarded. It will again be pink Jimmy Choo shoes: this time a Smokey model worth a thousand dollars, a work of art "DESIDERIO N° 1 ART MUST BE TASTED" by Austrian artist Andrew Stix, made especially for Pink Day, as well as Privee cosmetics Nikel, Croatian innovator Mirjana Brlečić, but also the ingenious bottle cap Coravin, worth 300 euros.

Pink Jimmy Choo shoes, last year's festival prize

Additionally, the current offer of all Croatian rosés will be judged by an independent jury composed of the most experienced Croatian wine judges. It is a mini-project "Drink Pink" conceived as part of the iVino concept, whose founders are journalists Ana Rogač and Ivo Kozarčanin. The best rosé wines of their choice and judgment decided, logically, to present and announce the winners, right on Pink Day.

As part of the press conference, Kutjevo held a presentation of the limited label Premium rosé, designed by the art director of Pink Day, Vlasta Pirnat, and the famous winemaker from Plešivica, Krešimir Ivančić, presented his Provencal-style rosé, Griffin Ambassador rosé. and Istrian olive oils were also tasted.

All of the above and much more interesting content await you at the 8th Pink Day, June 27, 2021, at the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art, MSU. All visitors will receive pink glasses as a gift until stocks run out so that after a long pandemic period they can try to look at the world more brightly and optimistically.

To learn more about the 8th Pink Festival, be sure to follow their Facebook and Instagram official accounts to find more information.

Croatian wines and grapes are among the best in the world, and you can find more information about them in Total Croatia’s Guide to Croatian Wine HERE.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.