The Blog of WINES OF CROATIA
On October 3, 2016, Jamie Goode, the esteemed British author of The Science of Wine and a wine columnist in the U.K. for The Sunday Express, published a stellar review of the Kozlović Santa Lucia Malvazija 2015 from the Istria wine making region of Croatia, granting it 93 points.
Just when daydreams of summer sailing, bathing in the crystal waters of the Adriatic Sea, and feasting on fresh fish in a favorite island café seem within reach, Saveur magazine has devoted its entire April 2014 issue (#164) to seafood, with seven full-color, mouth-watering pages about Croatia’s coastal food and wine culture.
By Cliff Rames © 2012
In recent years you could say that a cookbook renaissance has taken place. While catch-all cookbooks are still popular, such as the iconic Essential New York Times Cookbook, the heirloom Betty Crocker Cookbook, and the mandatory Cook Illustrated Cookbook, regional and single-subject cookbooks have become all the rage.
I guess it may have started with Julia Child’s opus called Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which made the mysteries of snobby French cuisine accessible to housewives and aspiring chefs casting about in kitchens across America and elsewhere.
Today other testaments to regional cooking abound on the shelves of bookshops and – I suppose – digital libraries. The Silver Spoon comes immediately to mind, the heavyweight tome to Italian cuisine.
But regional explorations have progressively drilled down from the macro to the micro level, as interest in cooking has mushroomed and serious-minded cooks seek out authenticity, uniqueness and novelty to set their recipes and menus apart from the common or mundane. Call it the need for terroir in pot and on plate.
Whatever you call it, at the core this trend is surely based in primal human desires for discovery, for reward, for excitement, for something safe and satisfying to eat. But it also registers at a more intellectual level and raises the banner of a movement that seems to be well underway – not just in the culinary experience but also in wine: the urge to experience a sense of place in what we consume; and a rejection of generic, industrial and chemically-farmed products that so litter supermarkets and many mainstream restaurants.
“Eat Local” is the mantra of this movement. “Sustainability”, “organic”, “artisanal”, “small batch”, “handmade” are some of the buzz words that drive the message home. The point is, to increasing numbers of people, cooking is no longer just a function that precedes eating. It is passion; it has meaning; it should be creative yet wholesome; it needs to provide enjoyment, fulfillment, and healthy nourishment; it should be respectful of tradition yet never be dull or generic; and it should showcase and celebrate seasonal ingredients and – when possible – locally-grown products.
And thus we arrive at Fire Island, where authors Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen (aka, the World Wine Guys), in The Fire Island Cookbook (Atria Books), present us with 14 different menus born out of recipes acquired on their worldly journeys as food and wine writers. Each recipe strives to incorporate fresh ingredients that visitors to the Long Island, NY summer seaside hideaway would find at the local groceries, butcher shops, and fish and vegetable markets during the summer season. And each recipe comes with a sachet of secret spices: Mike and Jeff’s exceptional presentation, inspired sense of hospitality, and delightful food and wine pairing talents.
Within its colorful and appealing pages The Fire Island Cookbook offers a smorgasbord of breezy menu suggestions for an array of tastes and a variety of occasions, such as a “Noche Caliente Spanish Dinner”; “Rainy Day French Menu”; Fourth of July Pool Party”; “Mediterranean Odyssey”; “Villa in Tuscany”, to name just a few.
However, the menu that caught my attention was (of course) “Height of the Empire”, a collection of hearty recipes that hail back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The flavors here are rich yet simple, piquant and savory, rustic yet comforting. Most interestingly, while these recipes reflect the traditional cuisine of the continental, southeast Europe, the wines that Mike and Jeff pair with them are coastal, specifically from the Istria and Dalmatia regions of Croatia.
Kicking off the menu is a recipe for Panfried Quail with Kielbasa-Studded Orzo, paired with Saints Hills Nevina, a blend of malvasia istriana and chardonnay from the Istria region of northern coastal Croatia.
Next is Viennese Stuffed Peppers, paired with Matošević Grimalda red, another Istrian wine that is a blend of merlot and teran.
Crowning the feast of the Empire is Chicken Paprikash with Homemade Butter Dumplings, paired with an equally noble wine, Saints Hills Dingač, made from plavac mali grapes grown at one of Croatia’s most prestigious vineyards on the Pelješac peninsula along Croatia’s Dalmatian coastline.
Whether or not you visit one of the 1,100+ islands in Croatia or Fire Island, NY this summer, it doesn’t matter. All you need to do is open The Fire Island Cookbook and you will be transported to a breezy seaside resort where everything tastes good and it doesn’t matter if it is sunny or rainy.
And even if you are a novice cook or making the best of it in a cottage kitchen, have no worries: the book is written in such a way that you feel as though Mike and Jeff are there with you, guiding you through each step while telling stories of their travels and pouring you another glass of that delicious Croatian wine they discovered on their last trip.
Throughout its pages The Fire Island Cookbook projects practical know-how kitchen-tested experience, all peppered with a touch of romance and giddiness that only summer by the sea can inspire, and exudes the warm hospitality for which Mike and Jeff are so known and loved.
Giving it additional gravitas in a world rife with cookbooks of every ilk, The Fire Island Cookbook successfully embraces locavore philosophy while weaving in an appreciation for exotic and exquisite treats from foreign lands. And that, my friends, is a recipe for summer patio yumminess.
As they say in Croatia, “Dobar tek i zivjeli” (Good appetite and cheers!)
In case you missed anything, here is a round-up of the latest links to the news articles, blog posts and videos that highlighted Croatia, its wine or wine culture.
1. Corkbin: A Taste of Croatia
May 09, 2012
Reviews of Cattunar 2010 Malvasia Istraina and Clai 2009 Malvazija Sv. Jakov by Pacta Connect.
2. Wines of Croatia Blog: Reflections on the 2012 Zagreb Wine Gourmet Weekend – Part I
May 10, 2012
Part I of a two-part report about one of Croatia’s most important wine festivals.
3. Total-Hvar.com: New for 2013 – Californian Students on Hvar’s Vineyards
May 12, 2012
An exchange program between a university in California and Hvar’s winemakers has been launched, which will offer internships to viticulture students.
4. Pacta Connect Blog: Wines of Croatia ~ Cliff Rames
May 12, 2012
Trevor and Judith from Pacta Connect (a U.K. importer of Croatian wines) profile Wines of Croatia founder Cliff Rames.
5. The Telegraph UK: A Croatian Wine for M&S – Out on an Istrian Limb
May 14, 2012
The story behind the selection of Pilato Malvasia Istriana for a leading U.K. supermarket.
May 14, 2012
More background stories about the recent addition of two wines of Croatia – malvasia istriana from Pilato and Grasevina by Krauthaker – to British supermarket Marks & Spencer “Eastern Mediterranean” portfolio.
7. Balkan Travellers.com: 10 Reasons to Attend the Balkans Wine Competition 2012
May 14, 2012
The first-ever Balkans International Wine Competition will take place in Sophia, Bulgaria on June 14-17, 2012. Here are 10 reasons why wineries, exhibitors and guests should attend.
8. The Globe and Mail: The Next Big Wine Country (Hint – It Starts with C and Ends with A)
May 17, 2012
Canada’s Globe and Mail echo Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations by also asserting that Croatia is the next “big wine country”.
P.S. We love to hear from you!
If you have comments or other news to share, please comment on this post or email us at info@winesofcroatia.com
In case you missed anything, here is a round-up of the latest links to the news articles, blog posts and videos that highlighted Croatia, its wine or wine culture.
1. The Image Pantry.com: On Green Lycra, German Riesling and Other Fashion Victims
March 4, 2012
A review of Bolfan Primus Riesling, included in the Image Pantry’s round-up of “some of the best rieslings central Europe has to offer”.
2. Grape Experiences: Wine Blogs I Actually Read and You Should Too
March 5, 2012
The Wines of Croatia blog makes the Grape Experiences list of five wine blogs that should be followed.
3. Istria Travel.com: Baptising Wine Among Other Things
March 5, 2012
The Clumsy Traveler learns about colorful local traditions in Istrian wine country.
4. Total Hvar.com: Where is the Largest Island Vineyard in the Mediterranean?
March 6, 2012
A report about the new Plančić vineyard on Hvar that will eventually produce 2 million bottles of Plavac Mali and Bogdanuša.
5. The Croatian Times.com: Croatian Wines Appreciation Growing on German and UK Markets
March 7, 2012
New data about Croatia wine exports to Europe.
6. Gourmand Awards News: World Cookbook Awards Winners
March 7, 2012
Croatia’s premier food & wine magazine, Iće & piće (“Eat & Drink”) wins Third Place in the “Book & Trade Magazine” category (Page 81 on the slide show) at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
7. Thirst for Wine: Tonight’s Croatian Wine – Thanks to Mountain Valley Wines
March 8, 2012
U.K. wine writer, Robert McIntosh, reviews Pelješac Plavac Mali 2010.
8. The Daily Meal.com: Wine Tasting in Croatia
March 9, 2012
A hop across Croatia to visit some of its wineries on “the road less traveled in Europe”.
9. IWINETC.com: All Aboard the Orient Express to Zagreb’s Regent-Esplanade for IWINETC 2013
March 10, 2012
Wine Pleasures.com announces that the 5th edition of the International Wine Tourism Conference and Workshop will be held in Zagreb, Croatia in March 2013.
10. Pacta Connect Blog: Tasting Istrian Malvazija
March 12, 2012
As the season of Malvasia Istriana (Malvazija istarska) begins, the team from Pacta Connect provides this primer about Istria’s flagship wine and recommends a few producers for your drinking pleasure.
11. Total Hvar.com: 21st Century Planting Planting Planting
March 12, 2012
A report about Hvar winemaker Andro Tomić’s Bastijana vineyards expansion project.
March 12, 2012
A report about Istrian biodynamic winemaker Giorgio Clai being nominated by German lifestyle magazine Der Feinschmeker as “Newcomer of the Year” in the Wine Awards 2012 competition.
13. Wines of Croatia Blog: Blood from Stone: Stina Wine from Brač – Best New Label Design
March 16, 2012
This new wine label design from JAKO VINO Winery really caught our eye. Find out why.
14. Balkan Travellers.com: Croatian Wine for Beginners
March 18, 2012
A repackaged and republished introduction to Croatian wines by Austrian wine writer, Peter Moser.
P.S. We love to hear from you!
If you have comments or other news to share, please comment on this post or email us at info@winesofcroatia.com
Uncorking Croatia 