#Croatian wines Pošip Grk

[adriaticpulse]

Korčula Island Wine Festival

Nestled in the heart of Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, Korčula Island is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and centuries-old wine tradition. Every summer, the island hosts the Korčula Island Wine Festival, a multi-day event that celebrates the island’s deep connection to viticulture. This festival offers locals and visitors alike the opportunity to sample some of Croatia’s…

[foodiefrens]

Dalmatian food? Zašto ne!

“If you want to try peka, we’ll have to order it at least 3 hours in advance .” said our skipper said during our 1-week sailing holiday around the southern Dalmatian islands.  Peka as it turned out means “baked” in Croatian. Lamb or octopus are seasoned and placed with potatoes in a cast iron pan. Coal and ashes are then placed onto a dome-shaped lid and this lid then covers the pan, “baking” its contents. It is our last night. We’ve just moored at lovely “Lonely Paradise” Bay on Šolta island with its clear turquoise waters and we thought, why not? (zašto ne as our skipper often said during our trip).

Our lamb peka was very flavourful but the lamb could have been more juicy and tender. The jury’s out since it was my one and only peka on this trip. Maybe octopus peka would have been better? But then again, octopus has no fat so perhaps tender but not as flavourful? Nevertheless, it was an unique experience. Our peka dinner was offered as a menu with a delicious selection of appeitzers (sardines, tuna spread, prsut - smoked ham dried by Bura wind, cheese and olives) and a super moist carrot cake (alternatively semi-freddo). Moreover, Konoba (meaning “tavern”) Lonely Paradise offers a gorgeous view of the bay.

Palmižana, Sventi Klementi island

In Toto’s restaurant in Palmižana on Sventi Klementi island our attentive waiter gave us a pavillion with a view over the tranquil bay. It was difficult to choose between the John Dory, caught fresh in the morning and the home-made ćevapi (a.k.a. ćevapčići) which our waiter highly recommended. Ćevapi is seasoned minced meat grilled on a skewer and served with ajvar (a red bell pepper condiment). It is a Balkan specialty, a version of kofta kebab. I love a good ćevapi and this turned out to be an excellent choice.

Korčula Island

It was not difficult to choose Filippi as not only is it recommended as one of three restaurants by the Michelin guide in the town of Korčula, the restaurant offers al fresco dining under shady trees directly by the water. We had just finished a tour of the Bire Winery (with its excellent Grk wines) and our driver recommended ordering the island’s (some claim county’s!) specialty of macaroni at Filippi and this was exactly what I did. The combination of al dente home-made macaroni, fresh prawns tasting of the sea and cherry tomatoes tasting of summer made this simple dish a delight to savour.

I enjoyed my meal (and the friendly service)  at Filippi but I would have liked to have tried LD restaurant - another Michelin recommendation which I had only discovered after I had eaten at Filippi (it was only a few doors away from Filippi). LD’s menu seemed more creative and might have been more exciting.

Hvar Island

Giaxa restaurant in Hvar town is not only on a relatively quiet street in Hvar town, the restaurant is housed in a late 15th century building reminiscent of a Venetian palazzo.

Despite the enticing historical interior of Giaxa we opted to sit in the quiet and shaded side alley of the restaurant (there’s also a courtyard but too sunny for that day). Giaxa has a reputation for serving Dalmatian classics with a twist. Due to the heat, fresh scallops simply seared and a grilled “chicken fish” with vegetables were perfect choices. The highlight of lunch was however the ginger ice-cream which we all enjoyed tremendously.

Split

I had already known that prices in Croatia have risen over the years but I was not prepared for it to be similar to Munich’s i.e. mains at above €20. Having said that, the portions do tend to be bigger.  There are plenty of dining options in Split but really the menus are more or less similar. So ambiance is really the decisive factor.

After dining at several restaurants my conclusion is that the restaurants outside the Diocletian’s Palace (old town) offer better value for money and do not lack in any way in ambiance.

A 20-minute short walk along the coast outside the Diocletian’s Palace (old town) took us to Dvor with its lovely terrace offering a wonderful view of the sea and a simple menu.  We delicious squid ink pasta, seared tuna, seafood ravioli accompanied by a tasty Croatian white wine. Ask for a table under the shade and enjoy the breeze and the sight of men playing a kind of beach handball in the shallow end of the beach.

A  craving for pizza took us to Bokamorra for lunch one day. Bokamorra is a 10-minute from the old town towards the marina. It was a hot day and the air-conditioning and the plush velvet sofa booths was a relief. Bokamorra’s pizzas are made in the Neoplitan style with a moist centre and thick chewy crusts baked at 905 deg. F. I’m not a huge fan of chewy crusts but I did enjoy the pizza and the 80′s playlist at this stylish restaurant.

Gregarda is a  fisherman’s stew is cooked in a clay pot and combines several varieties of fish and shellfish with anchovies, potatoes, capers, onions, parsley and garlic in white wine, and is a must-try when on the island of Hvar. I tried the gregarda not in Hvar but in MazzGoon, a modern Croatian restaurant on our first evening in Split. It might not have been the best place to try it  (my gregarda did not come in a claypot - see photo below) but the fish was very fresh and the flavours were balanced and hence enjoyable. In terms of food, MazzGood did not impress but neither did it disapppoint. What MazzGoon had going for it is it’s atmospheric courtyard and attentive service.

I had chosen NoStress Bistro for dinner one night due to its position on a big square and its good reviews. The setting was indeed special - gorgeous buildings lit up in a soft glow and people strolling across the square. The food, however, disappointed. The gazpacho was luke warm and my chicken was too dry.

A spontaneous decision took me to Bokeria on my last dinner in Split. There was a queue but we decided to wait. The restaurant staff is very efficient and soon we got two places at the bar. Bokeria’s menu feature Meditarrenean cuisine. It’s a large restaurant with great vibes. The dishes are simple but well-excecuted.

Croatian Wines

Croatian wines are not well-known because the quantities produced are small but indigenous grapes like Grk and Pošip (whites) and Plavic Mali (red) make for some interesting and tasty wines. Croatian wines have a higher alcohol content (from 13% vol.) so it would not necessarily be my choice of wine on a hot day,

Grk (meaning “bitter” as th wine has a pleasant very subtle bitter finish) and is grown almost exclusively on the southern part of the island of Korčula . We visited Bire winery in Lumbarda (next to Korčula la town) and was received by the lady owner herself who spoke excellent English and explained to us the grape and the terroir. The subtle bitter aftertaste did not bother me at all but the more dominant pine note would make it more difficult wine to pair with food. 

The typical indigenous red wine grape, Plavac Mali is a heavy wine - typically high in alcohol content (12-17%) and rich in tannins. When I drank the Plavac Mali, I am reminded of Amarone. It is a different taste but it is a similar experience. Something for winter to pair with lamb or game dishes.

If you are in Split and would like to buy some Croatian wines, Vinotheka Terra has a excellent selection. However, no wine tastings are offered at the shop.

Last but not least....

For excellent espresso (and capuccino), D16 Coffee in the old town is your place for your caffeine fix.

Dobar tek!