The Wines and Revelations of Josip Brkic - A Visit to Brkic Winery in Bosnia & Herzegovina

“I will make wines like this or I will not make them at all.”

ROAD TRIP SERIES: CROATIA/BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Of course almost all winemakers are highly passionate about their craft no matter where they are from. But I found the people I met in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina were deeply vested in their land and wines in an almost spiritual way.

One of our first visits was to Brkic Winery in Citluk - Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Josip Brkic is a shining example of a winemaker whose wines embody a philosophy that goes beyond mere passion for wine making. It’s a philosophy of life as well. The vineyards, grapes and wines are regarded as members of the family.

We sat down to taste several of the Brikic wines and listen to Josip tell his story.

Fifteen years ago Josip Brkic had an epiphany and it changed the course of his life and the trajectory of his wine making. While exhibiting at an Italian wine expo he learned about biodynamic practices and fell in love with the concept. Up to that point says Brik “I was not thinking of the wine as a living thing, only as a product.” He realized how one farmed and approached the land was a long-term vision that needed to be fully embraced.

After his father died, Josip took over the winery and against all conventional wisdom, and the advice of others, he set out on a new path to convert the vineyards to be fully organic and biodynamic. His goal was to showcase the wine as a document of the year in as pure a manner as possible.

The freedom of the moment, realizing that he alone was making the decision with no one telling him what to do, was thrilling but challenging. Brkic found going organic is risky, and not for everyone. With great changes, came great challenges. All biodynamic vines are organic, but not all organic vines are biodynamic. Brik wanted both.

Converting to all organic practices is a difficult for a vineyard, explained Brkic. “It’s as if the vineyards are addicts that have been on drugs and the new practices presented a shock to them.” It takes time to convert them without stressing them out. But Brik stayed the course and slowly nurtured the vines to a new reality.

As Brkic spoke, a family member translated from Bosnian for us. I focused on Josip’s voice and all of a sudden I felt like I could understand his words completely without translation. Perhaps the wines imbued me with some type of mystical language abilities. I don’t know. I suggest you try some for yourself and see what happens.

When I sampled the wines, it became clear, everything I needed to know about Josip Brkic was there in the glass. Josip’s personal creed and promise also appears on all the labels— “I will make wines like this or I will not make them at all.”

If you find yourself in Bosnia & Herzegovina by all means make the pilgrimage to Brkic tasting room in Citulk. It’s well worth the trip.

Tasting Notes

Unfortunately I spilled wine on my notebook towards the end of the trip so I can barely read my tasting notes. But here is what I could decipher:

Zilavka 2015 : (zhee-lav-ka) Fresh, creamy, bright and light, with full flavors of pear and quince, and notes of limestone and thyme. Pretty, floral nose. Friendly and approachable style.

Greda 2010: An orange wine made from skin macerated Zilavka and aged for 2 years in oak – texture is the name of the game here. Greda is name of the vineyard. Very mellowed orange style wine with long lasting flavors of mead, almonds, orange peel -- Absolutely loved this wine!

Mjesecar 2013: 100% Zilavka. Limited production, numbered bottles. You’ll have to go to Bosnia & Herzegovina for this one, but it is well worth the trip! Named “Moonwalker” after the cycles of the moon in biodynamic charts, not after Michael Jackson and his moonwalking moves as rumor has it.

Rose 2014: Lovely and light, his first time making a rose.

Plava Greda 2013: 100% Blatina fresh and juicy red fruits with a lively minerality. Soft and elegant with long finish. Would be great to pair with smoked meats.

Resources:

Brkic Winery

Kralja Tvrtka 9

Citluk

Bosnia & Herzegovina

http://www.brkic.ba

Brkic Wines are available via Blue Danube Wines.

https://www.bluedanubewine.com

Related Posts:
Možeš Možeš -- The Epic Blue Danube Wine Roadtrip in Croatia!
The Epic Blue Danube Wine Croatia Road Trip-- Video Preview
Essay on Croatia in Wine Enthusiast

Essay on Croatia in Wine Enthusiast

October 2016 Wine Enthusiast 

So this happened.... Last Drop essay in the October 2016 issue of Wine Enthusiast!

I will share the link when it’s available online, but for now it’s only on newsstands. Thanks to Mary Cressler for the above photo.

The essay in the magazine is a thin slice of life about my April road-trip. Now that it’s published, the full story of the wild and epic Blue Danube Wine road-trip along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and through Bosnia and Herzegovina can be told.

So much wine! So much food! So much fun!

The Epic Blue Danube Wine Croatia Road Trip-- Video Preview

Due to an upcoming print assignment that conflicted with my blog I’ve held back on my posts about my trip to the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in April 2016. But posts are coming soon. In the meantime here is a preview video of the food, wine, rakija, vineyards, amazing views and wonderful people during the Epic Blue Danube Wine Road Trip with the Blue Danube Wine team - Frank Dietrich, Catherine Granger and Gisele Carig.

I have a separate video devoted solely to the awesome Bibich food and wine pairing in Skradin that I’ll post next. 

Enjoy! Zivili!

Možeš Možeš -- The Epic Blue Danube Wine Roadtrip in Croatia!

Back in April I embarked on an epic two-week road trip through Dalmatia in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina with Frank Dietrich, Catherine Granger and Gisele Carig of the Blue Danube Wine team. This post kicks off my blog series that will recount all the extraordinary locations, people, vineyards, wine, food and vistas and adventures from the journey.

Gisele Carig, Frank Dietrich and Catherine Granger of Blue Danube Wine

I would argue that a road trip is the best way to really experience a place. Sure you can travel by train or bus or boat, but to really get off the proverbial beaten track to truly go deep into a place and get into all sorts of adventures and tight spots (literally!) --you need to have a car. All of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had (both good and hair-raising) were with a foreign car in a foreign land.

Tight squeeze in Vrboska on Hvar

Možeš, možeš  -- You Can Do It!
But things can go wrong in a jiffy on a road trip—getting lost is a mainstay of road trips, and getting in and out of tight spaces where cars don’t belong comes with the territory. Our very first day we were blocked in parking lot by other cars until a few helpful locals simply picked up the other car allowing us room to pass.

We learned our first and most important Croatian phrase: Možeš možeš. Možeš ti to (You can do it!) Along with a few Polako, polako’s (slowly, slowly) we were on our way to the first appointment.

Making new friends in the Konzum parking lot in Trogir

Yes, having a car is more trouble. Yes, you will get lost. Yes, finding parking may be impossible. Yes, you may find yourself where no car had gone before—but the rewards are greater too.

For efficiency sake during the trip we all took on specific roles. Frank—leader and key negotiator. Catherine—navigator and relief driver. Gisele—client liaison and schedule keeper. Me? I was more than ballast, I have skills too ya know. I’m designated as the Rakija Queen and gladly step forward to take one for the team whenever the potent schnapps is presented. Trust me in Croatia it’s a very important role.

Rakija Queen at sampling the local offerings.

So fasten your seat belts, and follow along as I file reports for the Blue Danube Wine blog about the trip from Split/Torgir to Dubrovnik, Korcula, Ston, Kastela, Hvar, Skradin, plus Bosnia and Herzegovina and the places in between.

Get Along Little Donkey...

Get along little donkey…

2009 Donkey Dingač Postup from Vinarija Dingač in Pelješac Peninsula, Croatia.

This little donkey is a juicy spicy kick of dark fruits with bright acidity and firm tannins. There are two protected wine growing regions in southern Dalmatia– Postup and Dingač. And it can get a little confusing with regard to the varietal names. While this wine is made of 100% Plavac Mali grapes the wine is called Postup, after the wine-growing region on the Pelješac Peninsula. Also confusing is that Dingač is the name of both the region and the winery, a former communist co-op from the time when the area was still known as Yugoslavia. The donkey on the label is not only cute, but symbolic of the rugged lands and steep slopes in which the vines grow, making hand harvesting a necessity.

But despite all the confusing names one thing is perfectly clear — the wine is delicious. It’s spicy and concentrated with a meatiness and hint of sage. Surprisingly it doesn’t drink like it’s 14.6 AVB! It’s bright indeed, but not hot. I love it and can’t wait to visit the winery when I tag along with the Blue Danube Wine team later this month.

Last Week in Wine -- New series!

I often tweet out what wine I’m drinking during the week and highlight various wines from my region as well as from regions around the world, but I don't always have room in a tweet to elaborate on each wine. So I’ve decided to collect them in occasional posts called Last Week in Wine. Catchy title right? I got the idea from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

I doubt I will post this every single week, but this will be an ongoing series, a round-up of the wines I tried and some brief notes on each. Unless noted all wines were purchased with legal tender by me.

Here are the wines from the past week of November 2nd -8th, 2014

Stark Primitivo 2012
I’m not a big Zinfandel drinker, but I loves me some Primitivo. (Incidently both Zin and Primitivo are clones of the Croatian grape Crljenak.) This Stark wine from the Damiano Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills is just the ticket to send you on an Italian reverie (or perhaps a Croatian reverie considering the source) without the need to get on a plane. $38

Gloria Ferrer “Hands on Harvest” Pinot Noir 2010
This wine is not widely available. It was made as part of a Hands on Harvest event I attended in 2010 and the finished wine was sent to the participants. I’ve been holding on to these and this bottle showed some deeper characteristics from aging since the first bottle I tried in 2012. In my original notes I found it to be dry and spicy, but now it is much more lush, fuller, with rich dark fruit flavors and more balanced structure overall. Very nice indeed! (Priceless.)

Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda Argentina 2012 
I first came upon this wine when I was living in Florida and cruising the local Total Wine aisles for some decent wine to take my mind off the fact I was living in Florida. Anyway this wine did the trick. I love Bonarda (aka Charbono in California) and this one is a great value and a true representation of how lovely Bonarda can be-- dark in color, light tannins and good acidity with a hint of mint, dark cherry and concentrated plum flavors. Brambly and delicious. I bought it at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa for $7.99.

Dingač Vinarija Pelješac  2012

Darker and richer than its sister wine, the Plavc, the Peljesac is has a medium body with a slightly sweeter base note on the palate. This is a bargain at $12.95. Buy a mixed case of this and the Plavac and see which you prefer. I think I’m leaning toward the Plavac, but it depends on what day it is. ;-)

Resources:

Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda Argentina

http://www.colonialasliebres.com/

Blue Danbue Wine Dingač Vinarija -
http://www.bluedanubewine.com/winery/dingac/

Stark Wine
https://starkwine.com/store/item/2012-stark-primitivo

The Wines of Croatia Big Bibich Bash--Event Recap!

I got called out, by a native Croatian, for serving sub-standard Ajvar but it was all in the spirit of goodwill and love for authenticity, at the First Annual Big Bibich Bash held on August 16, 2014. I'm going on record right now and calling it “First Annual” Bibich Bash, because drinking the wines of Croatia is something that needs to be done again and again. 

But back to the Ajvar for a moment—I had two types of Ajvar out in bowls and the minute Nenad Baračkov walked in and saw them he said—“I can tell without tasting, that orange looking one is Podkavak. Not the best!” He declared.

Nenad knows his Ajvar!

We had only just met, so I was a bit taken back, but he was right. Nenad proved to be the most delightful guest and a fabulous source of information on the regional cuisine of Croatia. We discussed hobotnice (octopus), the best source for tinned sardines, the amazing cheese from Pag--Paški sir, and the origins of Supa, a red wine based soup with olive oil, sugar, and toasted bread.

Many of the other guests were well versed in the Croatian food and wine scene too. I was lucky to host such a very convivial group.

But the guest of honor was the Bibich—From the Sparkling Rosé, a festive dry delight --to the Sangreal Merlot, and the rich and dreamy Ambra.

In a bit of a tasting reversal, we started with the reds first as the whites chilled. But I dare say with Bibich, tasting the wines a reverse order is not a problem. The Bibich reds are true shape-shifters, full of flavor and nuance.

The Rhone style G6 Grenache was a standout as was the Sangreal Merlot and Sangreal Shiraz. One of my favorites the R6, a blend of 34% Babic, 33% Plavina and 33% Lasin; smells like a Zin, but drinks like a Pinot.

Bas de Bas Rouge -- Dark, brooding, and beautiful, with elegance and structure--an embodiment of the land and place from which it hails.

Overall, I find that a thread of salinity runs through all the wines and seems to be a characteristic of many Croatian varietals both red and white.

As much as I love the reds it is the rare, unusual, and beguiling Bibich whites, the "Croatian White Unicorns” that I find most intriguing.

My beloved Lučia—The original “white unicorn” that I first tried in Croatia. In a word; this wine is captivating. The mythical, magical creation of Mr. Alen Bibić.

And a new unicorn --Bas de Bas Blanc. The Bas de Bas Blanc is multifaceted “orange” wine made from Debit grapes that spent 3 months on skins in stone vats, then 5 years in oak. At first it is comes across as herbaceous but not in a pyrazine green bean or bell pepper way-- but in a true herbal way. I got an immediate note of thyme, and a clean pleasing spicy tea tree oil scent that quickly opened into notes of apricot and honey and baked apple along with some lingering crushed herb notes such as parsley, sage, and rosemary—so along with thyme, it’s a veritable Simon and Garfunkel song.

The Bas de Bas Blanc has lot of complexity on the palate with a great weight that belies it’s 12% AVB status. I’m not sure if this is a wine for the masses, but I doubt that’s why Alen made it. It’s meant to be enjoyed on it’s own merits-- not billed as a summer sipper by any means. It’s serious and deserves contemplation. And I’m told that the back label reads: “Produced only for true wine lovers.”

Debit -- I love 100% Debit in all it’s manifestations and this is one of the best.

R5 -- Rich and unctuous blend of Debit, Posip, and Marastina, along with Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay; it’s a marvelous mouthful that is both refreshing and bold, and opens up to subtle corners of unexpected flavor.  Trust me-- you just have to try this. 

Posip 9 - A classic Croatian white, fresh and vibrant-- this wine is enthusiasm in a glass. Great balance with a lick of salt, and a puff of chalk, it’s a gateway drug to the more complex whites. 

Except for the Posip, I think most of the white wines may show best if you start out chilled but let them warm up at bit, as I believe they reach their true expression when at room temperature. The whites also have the structure and body to pair well with hearty foods and it was universally agreed that they went particularly well with sausage hot off the grill.

We had hashtags and tasting sheets and love notes to Alen-- but mostly we had a great time.

Tremendous thanks as always to Frank Dietrich, for bringing the Bibich and sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for the wines of Croatia and in particular the wines of Alen Bibić. Thanks too, for introducing me to so many new and interesting people--Nenad Baračkov and Roberta Wahl; Zdravko and Marion Podolski; Gisele Carig, and Candace. Though we'd never met before, I do believe we were all bonded by Bibich by the days end. Also thanks to James, Fred, Thea, and Liza (and her wine protégés) for coming out.

If you are interested in tasting the Bibich line (and I heartily encourage you to do so) you can find them all at Blue Danube Wine.

For more information:
http://www.bluedanubewine.com/

BIG BIBICh BASH - Wines of Croatia

Three years ago this month, I held a Croatian wine tasting at my house with Frank Dietrich of Blue Danube wines, and it was the start of my love affair with Croatain wine and Croatia. See here, here, and here.

This Saturday, August 16th, we are doing it again with the BIG BIBICh BASH--featuring the wines of Alen Bibić.

I traveled to Croatia shortly after the 2011 tasting, and was supremely lucky to visit the Bibich winery in Skradin where I had one of the most phenomenal food and wine pairings of my life. The next day, some guy named Anthony Bourdain showed up for the same pairings and some extended drinking that was featured in an episode of No Reservations. But I like to say I was there first! 

My post about the Bibich Dégustation has become one of the most viewed posts of all on my blog. 

Frank will guide us though twelve BIBICh wines including the Lucia, Bas De Bas, R6 and R5, as well as the new to me P9 Posip. Follow the hashtag #BIBIChBASH for live tweets about each wine.

I’ve raved so much about my favorite BIBICh wines, such as the Lučia and R5, they have become known as “Croatian White Unicorns” by some of my wine friends due to the adoration and mythical status I bestow upon them. But Unicorn is an apt descriptor for these rare, unusual and mythical whites.

Here is a list of what will be poured at the BIG BIBICh BASH -- For more details, you can visit the Blue Danube site here.

Bibich Sparkling Rosé
Bibich Ambra
Bibich Bas de Bas Blanc
Bibich Bas de Bas Rouge
Bibich Debit
Bibich G6 Grenache
Bibich Lučica
Bibich P9 Pošip
Bibich R5 Riserva
Bibich R6 Riserva
Bibich Sangreal Merlot
Bibich Sangreal Shiraz

Okay, so no Teran above, but you can’t have everything!

Over the last three years I’ve been back to Croatia several times, and experienced an astounding array of food and wine. It is truly one of the best emerging destinations for wine travelers. If you plan to visit Croatia I offer you the following tips here. 

RELATED POSTS:
* Spending Two Perfect Days in Zagreb
* Best Places to Eat, Drink and Stay in Istria

Croatia Series:
Croatia Series Preview: Zivili!
Croatia Part 1: Bibich Dégustation
Croatia Part 2: The Splendors of Split
Croatia Part 3: Šibenik Caressed by the Sea
Croatia Part 4: Zadar, The Perfect Date
Croatia Part 5: Pilgrimage to Pag: Land of Paški Sir
Croatia Part 6: Istria--Truffles, Olive Oil, Prosciutto & Wine!
Croatia Part 7: A Taste of Zagreb

OTHER CROATIA POSTS
The Wines of Croatia: A Preview Tasting
Croatian Wines Making Waves
Country of Good Vines: Countdown to Wines of Croatia
I Can Almost Taste It! Croatian Wine is Near
Wines of Croatia Tasting: The Recap
Ajvar Smackdown
Croatia: Memories Lost and Found
Eli's Caffé in Zagreb--Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Maraschino - Wrapped in Tradition

JURIS Wine Tasting at Bar Tartine-- A Smashing Success

On April 30th Frank Dietrich of Blue Danbue Wine hosted yet another great evening of wine and food at Bar Tartine in the San Francisco Mission featuring Austrian wines from Axel and Herta Stieglmar of Juris Winery.

Normally, the first wine that comes to mind when I think of Austria is Grüner Veltliner, the mineral forward, bright spicy and citrus white wine that is grown in much of the vineyards--not Pinot. But the featured Juris wines were Pinot and St. Laurent, also known as Sankt Laurent which is a variety in the same family as Pinot Noir, originating in France, and a grape that was new to me.

Axel's father Georg was captivated by the wines of Burgundy and he began to cultivate Pinot and St. Laurent in the 1960's. Now Axel has continued the line and from what I tasted I 'd say it's a worthy endeavor.

The initial line up of wine included the JURIS 2009 Pinot Noir and 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir as well as the 2009 St. Laurent, Reserve and the 2006 St. Laurent Reserve. I preferred the 09 JURIS Pinot over the 09 St. Laurent’s which I found to be fuller on the nose but thinner on the palate.

Alex and Herta personally poured the 02 St. Laurent, Reserve and a vertical line of St. Laurent’s from 05 to 09. I liked the 05 St. Laurent very much a powerful balance of fruit and earthy funk that I appreciate.

Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns chefs at Bar Tartine provided some excellent Austrian/Hungarian themed bites to pair with the wines and unfortunately I have no idea what most of them were called, so I made up my own names for the dishes including: Yum with meatballs, Yum on dark brown bread with radishes (that was exceptional), Yum in a shot glass, and Major Yum fried bread with some type of sour cream concoction. I saw lots of tantalizing looking items on other people’s plates too, but it was difficult to get access into the bar to try them all. The down side of being small in stature is I lack a boarding house reach when it counts.

Scenes of the rampage aftermath

The event was lively and crowded and then around 9pm a minor riot broke out when Frank brought out some BIBICh wines to sample. No, seriously, the BIBICh did not cause a riot, but the timing was uncanny, as out in the street a group of protesters clad in black marched down Valencia street wreaking havoc shooting paint balls, vandalizing cars and smashing windows. The front window of the restaurant was smashed and the energy inside hushed as we all turned our attention to the scene. Next thing we know the riot police were mobilized and marching down the street as well. It was surreal to say the least. And I’m not ashamed to say my first instinct was to take the bottles of BIBICh Frank had opened as a special treat, and hide in the kitchen. You know, just as a precautionary measure, to… ahem…protect the wine.

Eventually things on the street calmed down but the aftermath scene was surreal. Broken glass, yellow and red paint running down the facades of businesses as workers tried to wash the paint off, cars smashed and spray painted with anarchy symbols. I could only imagine what Axel and Herta thought about all this. Welcome to America!

Paint washed off windows pools in the etched sidewalk
creating a spot of beauty from the chaos

Unfortunately in the hubbub of it all I lost my tasting notes on the other St. Laurent’s that I’d written on the info sheet. But the 05 was the standout for me.

Special thanks to Frank for keeping me on his mailing list.

Zagreb Wine Gourmet Weekend April 13-15

Next weekend I'll be attending the Zagreb Wine Gourmet Weekend where I'll be on a Twitter Tasting Panel moderated by Cliff Rames. We'll be discussing the power of twitter and the influence of new technologies and social networks on the wine culture and conduct a live twitter tasting with U.S. bloggers and members of the live audience too.

It's not too late to jump on a plane and head to Zagreb and join us. But barring that, you can tune in to twitter on Saturday April 14th at 8am PST / 11am EST and follow the hashtag #WoCroatia and #ZWGW12.

We will be tasting Milos Plavac, Krajancic Posip, and Terzolo Teran.  If you'd like to join in live with your own tasting notes you may be able to find the wines at your local wine shop, or you can order them via Blue Danbue Wine. 

In addition to all the wine and food exhibitors on the show floor, there will be Master Class tastings including presentations by David Gates of Ridge Vineyards and by Ivo Jeramaz of Grgich Hills. Seminars topics include a session with George Taber on The Judgement of Paris. A full slate of films will be screened including the Life on the Douro. You can view the full schedule here.

ISTRIA

After the Wine Gourmet Weekend I'll be exploring the wilds of Istria (and wifi permitting) tweeting all my finds as we hike the trails, forage for asparagus with wolves and bears, sample traditional rakija recipes, and taste and drink our way around the tiny towns of the region.

Croatia Series Part 1: Bibich Dégustation

As my series on Croatia begins, I think might as well start at the top. There were many extraordinary experiences in Croatia, but the visit to Bibich was what I was most excited about beforehand. I’d already been introduced to a few of their wines by Frank Dietrich of Blue Danbue Wines during the Wines of Croatia tasting I held at my house back in August and was really looking forward to tasting more of the Bibich wines in Croatia. One clarification to avoid confusion:– Babić  is the grape name while Bibich is the winemaker. 

Press trips by their nature are very jam packed and tightly scheduled, and there was much to see and do before Bibich time, including a walking tour of Šibenik, a exquisite seafood lunch at Konoba Dalmation (more about that to come) and a visit to Krka National Park to view the waterfalls. The only problem was I’d had little to no sleep the first two nights and now was running on fumes and sheer willpower to stand upright by our third very packed day. But I willed my self to carry-on and kept reminding my self, this was the day we would visit Bibich. By 5 pm my strength was waning but just seeing the sign for Bibich perked me up. We were greeted at the door and whisked inside the cozy space where Alen Bibić gave us the background on the 500 year history of the vines and winery and it’s operation. 

Next we sat at a small table and the eight wine & seven course Dégustation began:

Pairing # 1 Bibich Brut Sparkling wine / Oysters 2 ways: Raw Oysters and Oysters with Lemon ice and Worchester Foam. I never even got to taste the lemon ice ones! My fellow (ravenous) writers jumped all over them before I got the chance. 

Pairing # 2  Debit 2010 / Cucumber sorbet topped with trout caviar.  Granita of smoked trout. The Debit was dry and lively with a mineral chalky quality and nose of flowers granite dust. The cucumber sorbet was an unexpected flavor sensation but it really made the Debit come alive. 

Pairing # 3 R5 Riserva 2008 a blend of Debit, Pošip, Maraština, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay –all the flavors in harmony. Paired with Sea bass tartar w/ olive oil, pepper, chili, and an orange roof. Just as this dish was served my phone died and I frantically looked for an outlet to recharge. So no photo. Sorry! UPDATE: I recently discovered photos of the Sea Bass tartar with orange roof and several more of the other pairings on my digital camera click here to view them.

Pairing #4 Lučica 100% Debit / Scallops grilled with goat cheese & black sesame seeds. The Lučica is very special limited production wine from vines close to 50 years old. Lovely rich flavors 13% alc. I was very captivated by the Lučica--
To the Eye: Golden amber color.
On the Nose: A rush of apple and apricot with a light honeysuckle and violet perfume.
On the Palate: Bright and smooth. Flavors of granite/limestone and vanilla with a touch of caramel.
In the Ear: A chorus of Angels!

Pairing #5 – Riserva R6 2008/ Cuttlefish pasta balsamic reduction and olive oil dust. The R6, a favorite of mine, is a blend of Plavic, Lasin and Babić with a floral rosy vanilla nose and full rich flavors. The pairing dish was a play on black and white, a deconstructed take on cuttlefish as a pasta with paski (cheese) cream, almonds, and a reduction of balsamic vinegar with olive oil dust. Deconstructed and delicious! This dish discombobulated me. I was no longer responsible for my actions. I was fully under the Bibich spell. 

Pairing #6 – Wine 1- Sangreal Merlot 2007/ Lamb Filet with hazel nut, chili oil and Mediterranean spice “glass top” brittle / Wine 2- Bas de Bas 2007-- The luscious Sangreal Merlot is very limited production. I suggest you try to get some. The Bas de Bas was a Crno Syrah oakey notes on the nose and palate and a deep ruby color. 

Pairing #7 Ambra / Baked Chocolate Mousse and Cream Catuluna.  Ambra Debit 100% had awesome fig and apricot flavors.

I loved all the wines, but the Lučica was the one I was most enthralled with. One in our group (I’m looking at you KL)  had the presence of mind to buy some Lučica. But I was so completely wrapped up in the reverie of the moment and in such a blissed out state I barely remember leaving under my own locomotion. I slept that night for the first time in two days and sweet dreams of Bibich danced in my head. 

Above: Me flanked by the cherubic faced Sime (right) and the slightly Faustian Alen (left)

The cozy unpretentious setting belies the world-class wine and food at Bibich. If not for the goofy red and white checkered tablecloths, which gives the place a slightly tourist feel, one might mistake it for the weigh station to heaven--wine pairing heaven that is. Soon the world will know of Bibich, as Anthony Bourdain was scheduled to stop by the next day. But up until then it was ours alone.

Bibich is located outside of Sibenik in Skradin. Do what you must to get there. It’s well worth the effort. 

Links to all Croatia Series Posts:

Croatia Series Preview

Croatia Part 1: Bibich Dégustation

Croatia Part 2: The Splendors of Split

Croatia Part 3- Šibenik Caressed by the Sea

Croatia Part 4- Zadar, The Perfect Date

Croatia Part 5 - Pilgrimage to Pag: Land of Paški Sir

Croatia Part 6 - Istria--Truffles, Olive Oil, Prosciutto & Wine!
Eli's Caffé in Zagreb--Wake Up and Smell the Coffee