Croatia's biggest wine-and-food get-together has locked in its dates. The 19th Zagreb VINOcom, the International Wine and Culinary Festival, runs from 26 to 29 November 2026 at the five-star Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, one of the city's most storied venues, with doors open 11 am to 6 pm each day.
The format splits into two two-day blocks — 26–27 November, then 28–29 November — with the official opening at 11 am on the Thursday. Expect winemakers, importers, distributors and hospitality pros showing off bottles and speciality foods, alongside sommeliers, chefs, restaurateurs, retailers and journalists. Visitors come from across Croatia and neighbouring countries, plus further international markets, so the tasting rooms get busy.
Festival director Ivan Dropuljić frames the event as a meeting point between quality products and the people who love them — direct contact between producers and visitors in a proper historic setting, with the added aim of boosting Croatian tourism and hospitality. In practical terms, that means you can talk to the people who made what's in your glass, compare regional pours side by side, and sit in on workshops (the schedule lands on the festival site closer to the date).
Timing is a big part of the appeal. Late November puts VINOcom squarely in the run-up to Christmas, and Zagreb's advent markets are among the most celebrated in Europe. So a day of tastings at the Esplanade pairs naturally with an evening wandering the festive stalls around the main square — and the festival doubles as an early chance to stock up on wines and gourmet gifts for the holidays.
Tickets are €30 per day in advance or €40 on the door. Full exhibitor lists and programme details are on the official site, vino.com.hr.
If you're the kind of traveller who plans trips around what's on the plate and in the glass, this is an easy one to build a long weekend around. Trade visitors get a networking hub; everyone else gets a very civilised way to taste across Croatian and regional producers without leaving one building. Book accommodation early — the Esplanade itself fills up and the advent season draws crowds to the city.
