Wine with Pizza in Bistro Kaktus

The first event of the eno-gastro project 'Wine with Pizza', modeled after the already successful 'Wine with a Spoon', was conceived by Renata Cisar and Mustafa Topčagić, and the host of the first evening was the bistro Kaktus in Velika Gorica. The idea of ​​the project is to show that top-quality wines can also be perfectly paired with one of the most beloved dishes in the world - pizza.

Bistro Kaktus has been one of the most recognizable gastronomic destinations in Velika Gorica for 34 years. Over the years, owner Saša Haluga has built a reputation as a bistro known for its pizzas from a bread oven, burgers and Mexican specialties. Thanks to its location just a few kilometers from Zagreb's Franjo Tuđman Airport, Kaktus is also a favorite place for numerous travelers who are looking for a delicious meal and refreshment with a glass of quality drink before or after their flight.

The gastronomic gathering began with a Margherita pizza (tomato, mozzarella fior di latte, basil, olives), with which guests tasted a cocktail with Gin Clitoria Blue from the Velika Gorica craft distillery Dum2Spirits, which is characterized by the fact that it takes on a blue color when mixed with an acidic medium such as tonic. It proved to be an excellent combination, refreshing the palate between bites of the Margherita prepared by Kaktus' pizzaiolo Matej Topić, last year's winner of the Caputo Pizza Cup in Poreč, winning the title with one of the simplest, but also most demanding pizzas.

Gin Clitoria Blue (which gets its color from the pea flower - lat. Clitoria ternatea) is flavored with citrus and mint, laurel, rosemary and fennel, or rather - plants around the house. The owners of the distillery Alen and Sanja Dumanić also produce ImaGINary and OaKy Gin, as well as Allorino, a medicinal laurel liqueur, the quantity of which has already been reserved for famous customers. A particular hit is the Limoncello liqueur made from fresh and fragrant lemons, juicy in flavor and rich in essential oils. They source their herbs and fruits from the Neretva Valley, where they both originate. Their gins and liqueurs are made in small batches with an emphasis on quality herbal ingredients and a distinct character, showing how contemporary Croatian craft distillates can stand on an equal footing with top-notch global products.

This excellent introduction to the evening continued with a Mixed Pizza with Pinot Gris 2025 from the Kos-Jurišić winery from Nespeš in the Zelina vineyards. The richness of the fillings - tomatoes, ham, mozzarella fior di latte, mushrooms and other ingredients - required a wine that was fresh enough, but also serious enough to match the intensity of the flavors. Pinot Gris proved to be an excellent choice thanks to its fruitiness, pleasant acidity and harmonious fullness that connected all the elements of the pizza into a refined pairing. The wine is characterized by an intense and refined aroma of dried apple, apricot and fig, with discreet notes of vanilla and cinnamon. The Kos-Jurišić winery cherishes the family tradition of winemaking and also produces Kraljevina, Graševina, Chardonnay, Yellow Muscat, and Kerner. At the top of their wine-growing hill is Wine Paradise, one of the most attractive destinations on the Zelina Wine Road, which offers guests wine tastings with a view of Sljeme, accommodation in the middle of vineyards and a rich gastronomic offer. With homemade breakfast, vineyard walks, and an authentic ambiance, visitors are offered a complete wine-tourism experience and the hospitality of the Kos-Jurišić family.

Along with homemade buns and pizzas, the champion Varaždin pumpkin oil of PPP Jurica Cafuk from Domitrovec in the Vidovec municipality in Varaždin County was served. This top-quality pumpkin oil, which carries a protected geographical indication, was presented by the farm owner, Marija Cafuk. She is the fifth generation of the family to grow the famous Varaždin cabbage and is the keeper of the seeds of Varaždin cabbage, a product with a designation of origin. In addition to greens and potatoes, the Cafuk family is also a significant producer of Varaždin pumpkin oil, which has won the highest awards for quality, and they produce about 1,000 liters annually. Full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, pumpkin oil is known for its beneficial effects on health and as an ideal addition to many culinary creations. Its intense nutty aroma, fullness of flavor and characteristic dark green color once again confirmed why Varaždin pumpkin oil is among the best and most appreciated in Croatia and much wider.

The guests were also offered to taste the Istrian extra virgin olive oil of the OPG Anđelo Štefanić from Štefanić near Motovun. Owner Denis Štefanić presented his oils Bianchera (Istrian white with notes of green apple, almond and freshly cut grass), Buža (rich fruity aroma with a subtle peppery finish), Leccino (mild but complex taste with notes of ripe fruit and spicy herbs) and Limolivo - a perfect harmony of the fruity taste of olives and fresh citrus. This top award-winning oil, which also wins gold medals outside Croatia, is produced from the finest olives from their olive grove of 1,500 trees, and the family expands its plantations every year. The freshness, pronounced fruitiness, notes of green olive and balanced spiciness went well with the buns and pizzas and showed that quality olive oil is an indispensable part of every authentic gastronomic story.

The third course brought the Bresaola pizza with Savoy Rosé 2025 from the Belje winery. Tender dried beef, arugula, parmesan, melon, pepper drops, toasted hazelnut, burrata and aceto cream were finely intertwined with the fruity, fresh and elegant rosé. Savoy Rosé brought notes of strawberry, raspberry, and red berries that further emphasized the sophistication of the pizza, creating the best combination of the evening, according to the choice of gastro journalists. Belje representative Robert Moržan pointed out that this wine, thanks to its freshness and pronounced fruitiness, goes perfectly with a wide range of summer and Mediterranean dishes. The Sávoj line (which also includes Blanc, Rouge, Orange and Graševina) is a new brand from the Belje winery, named after Prince Eugene of Savoy, who laid the foundations of organized viticulture in Baranja at the beginning of the 18th century. The line is designed as a modern, affordable wine for everyday enjoyment, with a pronounced fruity character. The Belje winery has just over 500 hectares of vineyards on Banovo Brdo in Baranja. The grapes come exclusively from their vineyards, and the wines are also matured in the 500-year-old cellar in Kneževi Vinogradi. In recent years, Belje has made a big step forward in the premium segment, while maintaining the basic lines that offer a very good price-quality ratio.

During the evening, AVA.LIT was presented - a program for the hospitality industry that, with its specific modules developed specifically for a specific industry, supports a wide range of activities. Representative Roberto Radelić emphasized that their software solutions are comprehensive and adaptable to everyone, from fast food kiosks, clubs, cafes and restaurants, to fitness centers and hotel systems. The Utiliter company was founded in Varaždin, has operational offices in Zagreb and Split, and is listed among the 50 fastest-growing IT companies in Central Europe according to Deloitte. Their services, among other things, include monitoring employee schedules and arrivals, ordering food and drinks, and billing; depending on needs, they also enable monitoring of stock levels. The system is also language-adapted, for example, for foreign workers who do not speak Croatian, as well as international languages ​​used in the hospitality industry.

For the end, Tiramisu was served with Traminer & Yellow Muscat 2024 (in a ratio of 50:50) from the Slovenian winery Puklavec Family Wines. Aromatic varieties with floral, fruity and spicy notes harmoniously accompanied the creamy texture of the dessert, while the natural sweetness of the wine nicely rounded off the end of the dinner without feeling heavy. The wine turned out to be a very successful blend of aromatic varieties. Its creator, oenologist Darija Peček, said that Traminer brings luxury and spicy notes, while Yellow Muscat gives freshness and liveliness. Puklavec Family Wines is one of the largest Slovenian wine houses based in Ormož. The vineyards are located in the Jeruzalem-Ormož wine region in Slovenian Styria. The winery's tradition dates back to 1934, when winemaker Martin Puklavec brought together local winegrowers to produce top-quality wines. Today, they cultivate around 470 hectares of their own vineyards and around 120 hectares in cooperation with subcontractors, and export to more than 20 countries. At this year's Decanter, the most awarded wineries are from Slovenia, with six medals, from bronze to platinum.

The first 'Wine with Pizza' ended as it began - with the Dum2Spirits distillery - but with the aforementioned Limoncello, which was served in well-chilled glasses as a digestif. It was an elegant end to the first themed evening of the new project, confirming that top-quality wines and spirits can equally successfully accompany a seemingly quite simple but very imaginative dish like pizza.

FAMA / Foto: Julio Frangen