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Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          I hadn't actually been to the Međimurje region before, but it felt a bit like home regardless. We had decided to take a bit of a detour to go north of Zagreb an hour or so in to this beautifully green region of Northern Croatia by the Slovenian-Hungarian border.     It's a far departure from the coast and a place where they mainly only grow whites. For me though, it is the cradle of my father's family. They originally came from this region, as well as the Zagorje. While most were farmers, some were winemakers. My father's great uncle brought his wine press with him to America at the turn of the century. Apparently, some of the winemakers stayed on up there through two world wars and a civil war. But, this region was not nearly as affected as others by the up and down social history of Croatia as others.     As we drove along through the Međimurje region on our way to the town of Štrigova, signs for the Vinska Cesta of the region kept popping up and we gradually started to find more and more of them pointing where we were going. We turned off from heading to Štrigova and made our way towards Sveti Urban (Saint Urban, which while a proper name in Croatian, definitely sounds odd in English).     After one or two minor wrong turns on these very twisty roads, we found the winery of Hudin-Horvat, or Horvat-Hudin, or most likely soon to just be Horvat. The patriarch of the family, Josip Hudin only had one daughter and it is still the custom in the area for women to not only take their husband's family name, but also for a family with no sons to have their name dropped from the name of the business. Coming from a country that is all about branding and name recognition, it seems counter productive from a business point of view, but it is the way things are done.     The Hudin-Horvat family has been farming this land and making wines from the several hectares that they own for the last century or so. Like many Croatians, they are working to plant more land prior to Croatia joining the EU in order to establish as much wine land as possible. We walked over a bit of the land to see all the grapes that were just a couple of weeks away from harvest. Then they took us down in to the cellars where they have a rather impressive assembly of tanks and a few barrels for aging. On top of all of this, there sits a good sized tasting room and inn. It is similar to what many winemakers in the region have done in order to allow themselves to be able to have tour groups visit.     In all honesty, I need to make it clear that we're not close family. Our connection goes back at least six generations and quite possibly more. Despite this, my family name is the same as Josip's and we had written back and forth a couple times previously. Even still, they welcomed us like we were their closest relatives when we showed up and brought out homemade pršut, bread, and a wide range of freshly baked cookies. Naturally, they also opened up some of their wines.     Like others, they only grow whites. Their main wine is a Rajnski Riesling, which is a nice, dry, somewhat sweet wine. The 2006 had a nose that wasn't overly sweet like other Rieslings that we've had. While the body was a bit tart, it finished out well. In addition to this wine, they also grow White Pinot (Pinot Bijeli), Šipon, Graševina, Sauvignon Blanc, and Yellow Muskat (Muškat Žuti). They get a good yield out of their land, but because we were working as best we could to speak Croatian (they didn't speak any English) we didn't get as many facts and figures as we normally would.     We'll definitely be returning to their winery again. Hopefully armed with more language skills and if they're willing, a hand to lend in the Fall harvest.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          After spending several weeks exploring the wines and wineries of the Croatian coast of Dalmatia, we were headed towards Slovenia. However, while in Zagreb for a couple of days, we were advised to check out the Wine Route of the little region of Međimurje, about an hour north of Zagreb in the area bordering Slovenia and Hungary. Once there we didn't regret the detour, for it was one of the loveliest spots in the interior of Croatia that we've seen. In this extremely green area, even in summer vineyards are sparkling and verdant on the slopes of the gently rolling hills that cover the land. In between grape vines there are dots of traditional family houses for those who are still here, making the wine.     Although obviously not as touristic or popular as the Wine Routes on the coastal areas, we found Međimurje's Wine Road to be surprisingly well-developed and organized. Not only were we handed several brochures and maps of the main twenty something wineries that are part of the route, but we also saw plenty of road signs showing the detailed location of all the wineries. It was clear that because of the "off the beaten track" quality of Međimurje, the effort to attract wine lovers to this region is greater. Most wineries have big signs on their front yards (unlike many of them in Dalmatia that required detective skills to find) and big tasting rooms to host visitors, as well as modern facilities and renewed cellars. Needless to say, their hospitality was remarkable.     Although the wines produced in the Međimurje-Zagorje region are almost completely whites there is a great variety to choose from: Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, Pinot Gris, Graševina, Laški Riesling, Rhine Riesling, Mušcat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer, etc, etc. There is even a Wine School in the little village of Sveti Urban, where wine-tasting seminars and lectures are organized from time to time.          By the way, if you are interested in other wine routes in the region, check out the one in Bosnia and Herzegovina or the one in the Croatian island of Vis.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          This is a continuation of Part 1 where we talked about the history and how Bibich winery came about. Now, let's get in to the fun of the wines we tasted.     We started with the Debit 2006. It's a very fresh white wine with a peachy nose and a slight bit of acidity. The finish has a bit of dryness that moves more in to some mineral tones as it breathes. Moreover, the wine does very well when chilled a bit, as there are sweet tones that come out from it, that you don't taste unless at the proper temperature.     We then moved in to the another white, the Debit Lučica 2005, which is actually very hard to come by because it sells out fast with just 1,800 bottles produced. There is a bit more citrus to the nose and a lovely, natural honey tones. The nose slips right in to the body, but loses a bit of the honey. This tricky honey part then comes back to great you again in the finish. The wine cleans up wonderfully and is one of the finest whites that we've ever tasted.     We then moved in to the reds with Riserva 2005, which is always a Bibich that we personally keep stocked up on at home because it never disappoints. The nose has some soft berries in it with a good dose of oak. The body is lovely and round. Little bits of sweetness creep in, but are artfully subtle and well-managed. As is the signature with Bibich wines, it finished perfectly and is very pleasing.     Next was the Mantra Grenache 2005. We had had the 2004 before and this vintage takes that very solid wine and improves upon it. The nose is dry with some oak and tobacco. It's deep and meaty. There are little touches of chocolate to the body. Mint pops in there as well and of course, the finish is flawless. It's a very complex wine that is still easy to drink and enjoy for everyone.     We closed with the Sangreal Shiraz 2004. This wine starts out lighter than the others. The subtleness in the nose gives way to some buttery aromas as the wine gets some air in it. The body is nice and crisp. Round berries come in to the body as you drink it more and you start to realize how deep the body actually is, given that this is a Shiraz. The last tones to come out are bits of pepper. We need to add that all of this is encased in the lovely ruby red color of the wine. Very well done.     Alen Bibić has learned his craft well. It was amazing to us that he is just in his early 30's and has managed to accomplish all of this in a very short time. It is a credit to the winemaking spirit of both his and his wife's family as well as the fact that he is a winemaker to watch and whose vintages should grace your cellar.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          The Bibić Family have always been outsiders to some degree. Wine has been in their blood for a long time, but they've never really played by the rules. For instance, when everyone else was selling to the collectives during Yugoslavia, they didn't. When everyone else stopped making wine in Skradin because of war, they didn't, making them one of the very few producers in the region currently. And when everyone started spelling their names with a 'ć' instead of 'ch', they named their wines Bibich, instead of Bibić. These may seem like small things to the casual observer, but it was our opinion that they are the points in life and history that defined winemaking for the Bibić family today and specifically for the man at the helm, Alen Bibić.     We had the incredibly good fortune to sit down with him for several hours in his lovely new wine bar and restaurant (actually a joint partnership called, 'Alante'- Alen and his friend Ante) in Skradin for a meal and a taste of his wines.     Skradin is in and of itself a different kind of place. Located near Šibenik, about an hour south of Zadar, although Skradin is near the coast it is a bit inland and has a totally different feel than most coastal towns along Dalmacia. During the times of Yugoslavia it was an ethnically mixed area, comprised of both Croatians and Serbs, so it saw a good deal of strife, conflict, and blood during the war of the 1990's that made Yugoslavia no more. Out of this, in 1995 at the mere age of 22, Alen Bibić picked up winemaking from his grandfather and set about building up the business properly. It wasn't easy going. His first had to clear the fields of mines to start re-growing the vines. Then he has to rebuild the old house and cellar that were his family's. Then, he had to get his wines recognized.     It was the last part that was probably the most difficult, since Croatian wines, until the last five years or so, weren't that highly regarded outside of the country. While many of his compatriots were selling out their stock domestically, Alen wasn't and with good reason: his wines are very different from normal Croatian wines. Once again, the fact that the Bibich family does things differently came in to play. While this could hurt many a winemaker because their wines never get a market, it seemed to only help Alen for in our opinion, his wines take on much more New World characteristics. They're deep, complex, smooth, earthy, and well, just delicious in a way that is different from what is standard Croatian fare. This probably explains why the vast majority of his vintages are exported.     But, enough about the history of the Bibich winery (you can't drink that), let's move on to the wines in Part 2.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          Hrvoj Baković is a tad tricky to find. It's true that he's in one of the biggest towns on Brač, Supetar, but we were on the lookout for a full winery and instead found his home. He was a little surprised by our tenacity (as were we) but he was very welcoming nonetheless, inviting us in for a little chat.     He's quite a character who worked for many years as a sailor in New Zealand to save some money to start his own winery, before returning back to his homeland. Once there, he bought five hectares of land and worked to build up his winery. He started at something of a disadvantage because while his family has a history of growing grapes, they didn't have a history of making wine.     None of this has held back Hrvoj and he has learned a great deal about the climate of Brač in a short time. He knows what grapes work and what don't. He is one of the few wine makers who has tried other grapes only to fall back on Plavac Mali because the grapes can handle the climate the best. Others varietals grow fine for some time and then just dry up suddenly without warning. His vines are on the south side of the island, getting regular sun as well as the sun which reflects off the water, making for a lot of light on his vines. There is another place this happens and that is in the Dingač region on Pelješac. How does this effect the taste? A great deal as we found out.     And this is why Baković was such a surprise to us. For one, we weren't able to taste his wine on the spot and had to take a bottle of Plavac Murvica 2003 with us for later. Once opened, the aromas were fantastic. There was a sweetness to the nose that reminded us of, yes, that's right, Dingač Plavac Mali. But, his Plavac built upon this with nice plum aromas. The body was a lot of fun and lovable. The oak tones were very subtle and the finish was clean. It's a wine that we highly recommend for eating with red meats. There is a touch of dryness to the finish develops in a way that is perfect. It is an astounding example of how good Plavac Mali can be and how a perfect Plavac should taste.     With some Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon vines coming in to production over the next two years, Hrvoj is one to watch and the reason that so many critics in his homeland rave about his wines.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          Dol is a small village tucked away in the deep recesses of a small valley of the island of Brač, which explains the name that merely means 'valley' in Croatian. It's a really lovely village that doesn't seem to see a lot of traffic and because it's not near the beach, the look of the town is 100% authentic with no ugly beach apartments. This also explains why there are only 112 people living in a village that once sported a slightly more bustling 750 souls. It is here, nestled in a 130 year old house and wine cellar that Frane Matulić makes his wines.     He started four years previous and is currently pumping out 27,000 liters of wine a year. This is produced from the one hectare that he cultivates and about 20 more that he buys from. There is a wine growing tradition in his family, which has been additionally tempered with a dose of large business acumen working as the general director for Badel 1892, a massive alcohol producer in Croatia that is based in Zagreb. It was only after working there for 25 years that he decided to somewhat retired and start making wine. Of which, he makes several varietals: Plavac Mali, Pošip, Viver (a red), and Vivera (a white).     We started off tasting his 2005 Plavac Mali barrique. It has a nice earthy nose on top of standard Plavac aromas. There are a bit of moist blackberries that carry though under the top aromas of the nose. While the body is a tad acidic at first, it mellows out a great deal with air. The finish cleans up with some nice round buttery tones. Even still, Frane is something of a perfectionist and says that his 2006 vintage will be even stronger because it actually spent less time in the barrels. We could taste the difference the barrels made when we moved to the 2005 Plavac Mali that hadn't been barrel-aged. The lack of oak in this vintage makes it even more drinkable than the barrique. The body is very light and easygoing. The light berries in the nose come through even easier and as Frane showed us, it is quite splendid when blended with the barrique 50-50.     Frane is very interesting fellow who, despite his business background is right at home amongst the grapes. Given his ability to change and grow with his wines, the vintages in the next few years will undoubtedly be sound examples of the fine wine making tradition on Brač that died out for awhile, yet is coming back to some degree.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          The island of Brač, the third biggest of the 1,184 off the cost of Croatia, and the biggest in the region of Dalmatia, is mostly known for its postcard-perfect beach in the town of Bol. Described by the Croatian Tourist Board brochures as "the most beautiful beach on the Adriatic", the famous Zlatni Rat (Golden Beach in Croatian) owes its fame to its original cone shape and for being one of the very few on the Croatian coast that features sand instead of rocks, pebbles, or the most unfortunate: concrete.     Although currently the economy of Brač is based mostly on beach tourism, historically it has always been famous for its wines, goat cheese, and olive oil (as well as its white stone which, as a side note, it was used to build the White House in DC).     Nowadays the biggest and oldest winery in Brač is PZ Bol, the island's cooperative that now belongs to the Jeruzalem wine company in Zagreb. Founded over a hundred years ago, in 1903, it is located in quite a scenic location right on Bol's harbor overlooking the ships by the shore, just a few minutes away from its famous beaches.     During our brief visit to Bol we didn't get the chance to suntan, but me managed to taste PZ Bol's main wines, their standard quality Plavac Bol and Pošip. They also make table wines made grapes from their cooperants all over Brač's land, but the Plavac is only made of grapes from the Bol and Murvica area.     The Plavac Bol we tasted, from 2004, had the typical aroma of Plavac Mali grapes, but it had a bit stronger nose than others. The body was quite dry with a slight fruitiness to it and a relatively smooth finish.     The Pošip, from 2006 was a pleasant white with a fresh finish to it. The nose had some apricot in it, and the body had a touch of dryness as well as some citrus tones to it.     Overall, it was surprising to find such drinkable wines at very affordable prices in such a touristic location. From the flow of sunbathers that kept leaving the place with piles of bottles, it appears that our opinion was shared.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          The wineries of Sviličić and Roki's are two of the many small producers on Vis along the Wine Route. They are working to grow their production capacity without stunting the quality of their wines. Obviously this is not an easy goal, but they both have long family traditions on the island that should give them a foundation for making this possible.     Starting 10 years ago, Sviličić has been producing from two of his own hectares. Out of this, he produces 10,000 liters a year, of which 70% is white. We first tried his white, the 2006 Vugava. It has a good deal of fruit to the nose. The body sparkles a bit more than other Vugavas that we tried and there is a delicious touch of apple in the body. The finish pulls out very smoothly. From there, we tried his 2006 Plavac. It is a much more dry version of the wine than we're used to. You can even smell the dryness in the nose, as well as some good berry aromas. The finish comes out well enough, but the wine overall is probably best for real Plavac aficionados.     A bit down the road is Roki's, which is a winery and restaurant combination. We talked to the owner's wife, Valerie who is an expat from Australia that has lived on Vis with her Croatian husband since 1976. The house where they are making their wine is about 100 years old and the family has been producing wine at varying levels this entire time. They produce from their own four hectares of wine as well as buy grapes from their neighbors.     They make several different wines including a Plavac, a table level red, and Vugava. We only tasted the white Vugava 2006 and found it to have a light, quiet, fruity nose. The body had some rather enjoyable honey tones to it and it all cleaned up in to a crisp finish.     These two wine makers are indicative of many on the island of Vis. After decades of geographic and military isolation, they are all starting to grow and produce more. You can taste it in a flight of different years that they're having to understand their land again after the vines declined for years. With large-scale planting of Plavac Mali and other grapes on the island, they will undoubtedly be producing some signature reds in the years to come.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          PZ Podšpilje is one of those anomalies from the former Communist period in Former Yugoslavia. Despite being a central collective for the grapes in this area of Vis since 1924, it was never actually a state-owned collective like others that we've visited. Even though is was free from Communist oversight, it still maintains the rather heavy Socialist look to the building that makes it none too welcoming, although the people who work there are very friendly and were happy to see us. This is not surprising given the almost complete isolation that Vis lived under for decades.     Showing us around and giving an introduction to the wines was Roki Srećko, the general manager. He also happened to be the enolog, which gave him a bit more character than the standard managers that we have often talked to. While they produce 300,000 liters a year from the 60 hectares that they source from, he only has about six people to manage all of this. We quickly got down to the business of wine and tasted their offerings.     First was the 2005 Plavac. It's quite a light wine and has slight berry aromas to the nose. The body is rather dry and typical of a standard Plavac that way, but even still the wine carries a great deal of freshness to it that is pleasing. Form there, we moved to the 2006 Plavac, which was less dry and had more fruit. The body was a bit more meaty and had a smoother finish. These two growing years were rather similar, so a good deal of these differences were probably from one wine being younger and the 2006 will probably shift more to the 2005 characteristics with time.     We also tried their 2005 white called, Vugava. The nose is best described as wooden. Despite this, the body is light and easy to drink. As the wine gets more air in it, a soft, fuzzy fruit develops in to the nose that then grows in the body as well. All of this cleans up with a nice clean finish.     Their strongest wines were definitely the Plavacs and given that about 80% of their production is based in that, we think they're on track to produce some good wines that more people will know about in time.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          Only 8 miles to the Southwest of Hvar, lies another island with an even longer wine-making tradition than the former: Vis. The furthest inhabited island from the coast, Vis was founded in the year 4 BC and for nearly all that time, it had been producing wine. Already in the year 28 AD some Greek poet praised the wine from Vis (which at the time was known as Issa) for being far better than that of the other islands.     Nowadays, Vis' wines lag behind those of neighboring Hvar due to their less advanced technology and lack of economic development on the island. During World War II, Vis, because of its strategic importance, at one point became the main hideout for Josip Broz Tito and the partisans (the Yugoslav resistance movement) and after the war the Yugoslav Army continued to use it as one of its main naval bases. For that reason, until 1989 Vis was closed to all visitors and tourists, and all its economy revolved around keeping up the military. During that time many of its inhabitants left the island, and the wine making industry dramatically dropped (on a side note, quite a few fishermen from Vis island ended up in Southern California).     After almost 50 years of isolation, now Vis' economy has finally started to recover and tourism is slowly developing on the island. At the same time, new wineries have started on the island, based on family tradition, and old ones have been bolstered and renovated. Moreover, they have printed Vis Wine Route (Vinski Puti in Croatian) brochures and have put up road signs indicating where each winery is.     While Vis' main points of interest for visitors are its two coastal towns, Vis and Komiža, the development of the Wine Route gives the opportunity to discover the quiet villages in the interior and to learn more about the centuries old wine making tradition in the island. And although its wineries need some further investments and technical development, they are definitely interesting to visit.          By the way, if you are interested in other wine routes, check out the one in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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