Wine Premiere with a 97/100 Score

Guests at Makarun restaurant in Split have a unique opportunity to enjoy a special evening dedicated to winemaker Tonči Marijan and the outstanding success of his Marijan Plavac Plaža 2021 – awarded 97 points and the Best in Show title at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards. Only 50 wines from around the world received this prestigious title, and Tonči Marijan is only the second Croatian winemaker to achieve this distinction, giving the evening at Makarun an additional level of exclusivity.

The entire experience has been conceived as an intimate presentation of Marijan’s wines, featuring seven courses paired with seven wines from small Hvar winery. The evening will culminate in a premiere tasting of Marijan Plavac Plaža 2021, ahead of the wine’s official market release. Following the tasting, guests will also have the exclusive opportunity to pre-order a limited number of bottles.
The culinary team at Makarun, a restaurant with 40 seats and a rating of 14 points and 2 toques in the Gault&Millau Croatia guide, has created a special sequence of Dalmatian-inspired courses for the occasion. Chef Mirko Rakita and sous chef Franko Brečić will begin their culinary story with three small bites: a fritter filled with scorpionfish pâté prepared à la brujet, a vegetable arancini made with the finest produce available that day, and fermented pear wrapped in crisped pancetta. The wine experience will begin with a glass of Perla sparkling wine.

Bogdanuša 2025 will accompany Fish in Armour – a piece of white fish fillet in a light sparkling-wine tempura, served with radicchio and homemade tartar sauce. Next comes Regula Saphoris 2025 and Fish and Olive – white fish tartare smoked over olive branches and served with extra virgin olive oil made from the Oblica variety from the restaurant’s own production.

The centrepiece of the dinner is the dish Makaruni na trinoge, paired with Plavac Mali 2020. Handmade Korčula makaruni are served in a sauce with pieces of filet mignon prepared à la pašticada, using the traditional method of slow cooking in a tripod pot over a fire made from holm oak wood. This course brings together, on a single plate, what Makarun seeks to preserve: an old cooking technique, handmade pasta and distinctive Dalmatian flavours.

A pear carpaccio follows as a lighter transition to the meat courses, accompanied by Prč - Grk 2025. Regula Red 2022 is paired with Croatian beef filet mignon served with a dried fig and red wine sauce, alongside white bean purée infused with spinach.

The Pag and Šolta course – Tender cottage cheese from Pag island with roasted almonds, dried figs and sage honey from Šolta island  – will be accompanied by wine Plavac Surprise. The final savoury bite before the evening’s grand finale will be Bokun sira – Pag cheese served with Vron Bod 2020 wine.

After a palate cleanser comes the moment for which the entire evening has been organised: the tasting of Marijan Plavac Plaža 2021, awarded 97 points out of 100 by Decanter and the Best in Show title at the 2026 competition.

All the wines served during the evening will be personally presented by their producer, Tonči Marijan, who has spent the past 15 years developing his boutique winery in Pitve on the island of Hvar. Once a successful manager at Dalmacijavino and Badel, he left the secure path of working for large wine companies to devote himself on his native island to the cultivation of indigenous grape varieties, particularly Plavac Mali.

It was precisely this variety that brought him international recognition. Guests can discover how Marijan’s wines pair with the culinary creations of Makarun on October 10 in Split.
The price of this exclusive wine and dining experience is €250 per person.