Gastro

Cheers to Spring from Zagreb County Vineyards

Not many capitals in the world are lucky enough to be surrounded by several wine roads. Zagreb is one of them.

We literally have great little wine regions just around the corner, and we often neglect or overlook this natural blessing. Well, it's time to refill the glass and refresh the memory! The spring mode is finally fully on and now's the perfect moment. Warm and sunny days mean we spend more time outdoors, hanging out with friends, partying or just chilling, and, well - drinking. And times like these ask for lively and crisp whites, light and fruity rosé wines, and irresistibly refreshing bubbles.

Plešivica. Image credit: Taste of Croatia

The closest and probably best known winemaking region around Zagreb is the small and beautiful Plešivica. Some of Croatia’s top producers, judging by received awards and reviews, come from here, and today Plešivica is without any doubt the country’s leader in producing sparkling wines. Quantities may not be large, but the quality is undeniable. Grapevine has been important part of living in these hills for centuries and new generations of winemakers only had to add a touch of technology and modern vision to their deep-rooted tradition. All local wineries are family-owned and rather small, but that’s definitely for the better. Rustic tasting rooms and local food just add to the experience.

Tomac amfora. Image credit: Taste of Croatia

Tomac family is the benchmark for dry sparkling wines. If you want to showcase Croatian bubbles to connoisseurs, you give them Tomac Classic or Tomac Diplomat. FYI, the family is especially known for their orange wines aged in large amphorae, a feast for every wine geek. Trust me, sparkling wine from a Georgian amphora takes you to another dimension. Not far behind is the propelling Šember family, whose popular sparkling rosé is just made to celebrate spring. If I were a filthy rich hip hop star throwing pool parties all the time, I’d be ordering cases of Šember Rose on a regular basis. Some other producers are also jumping in, catching the bubbly wave, like Drago Kurtalj or Krešimir Režek. Watch out, Champagne, Plešivica is the rising star! As for unusually elegant and rich pink wines, treat your palate with rosé produced by Velimir Korak, one of the veterans and most successful local winemakers.

Image credit: Julio Frangen

But that’s not all, folks. North-east from Zagreb lies another small but much less known wine road - Zelina. Known for their native white called Kraljevina, which has been gaining on quality lately, Puhelek-Purek family started a revolution a few years back when they produced Kraljica, a light sparkling wine made entirely from this grape. Their neighbours from Prigorje, Prigora winery, accepted the challenge and presented the second ever Croatian sparkling wine made from Kraljevina grapes - Bedekovich BrutNature. Both are refreshing, easy-to-drink and great value-for money. Still, the best local thirst-quencher is definitely the basic Kraljevina wine. United for the greater good, five best producers have just presented their 2014 vintage, with a charming new visual identity.

Image credit: Taste of Croatia

Indeed, wine lovers from Zagreb finally don’t need to look any further than their own backyard for excellent quality sparkling wines and perfect liquid refreshment for sunny days. Cheers to spring!

Header image credit: Taste of Croatia

Author: Taste of Croatia