The wine adventure began at the Pilač Winery in Vrgorac, where winemakers Điko, Radalj, and Gašpar joined the host to showcase their offerings. Through their white and red wines, they demonstrated what the Vrgorac wine region has to offer today. Naturally, it was a wine tasting, but it was also an opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss the harvest, challenges, and future plans. Such encounters are truly the highlight of these wine-focused journeys.
Next came a visit to the Pivac meat processing company. A staggering 290,000 whole pršuts (dry-cured hams) are awaiting market release, each weighing around eight kilograms.
An impressive behind-the-scenes look
Another 16,000 have been sliced and packaged for sale. It is impressive to see what goes on behind the scenes at major producers. Touring the production facilities offers a new perspective on the operations of a large-scale enterprise.
The trip continued at the Đuzel Winery, located at an altitude of 700 meters near the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. As expected, the Chardonnay, Trnjak, and Merlot wines were excellent, while the Traminac wines came as a very pleasant surprise.
Severed clusters are still in vineyard
The dry version had an alcohol content of over 14 percent and 6.7 grams of acidity per liter. For the semi-sweet version, the grape clusters were cut but left on the vine to dry out for about ten days.
Stipe Đuzel in the same way processed part of the Trnjak grapes that, after being allowed to partially dry, yielded a wine with 14% alcohol. In contrast, the grapes that went straight from harvest to vinification produced a wine with 12.5% alcohol.
Problem: very little of wine is left
Magnificent is 2019 Trnjak, distinctly varietal with soft tannins and with one major issue: there is very little left. We also tasted something of a rarity: a young wine from the previous vintage, made from a variety that typically benefits from aging. It is exceptionally fresh and lively, and, for a Trnjak, a lean, light-bodied wine.
Stipe plans to blend it with other varieties, but it would be lovely to keep it as a single-varietal wine and enjoy it in the autumn alongside blood sausages, other fresh sausages, and sauerkraut.
Six courses paired with six Trnjak wines
The day before TrnjakFest concluded with a six-course dinner at the Aldi 3 restaurant in Ljubuški, featuring five Herzegovinian Trnjaks and one from Croatia, spanning various vintages and including a semi-sweet option. The meal opened with the 2024 Nuić Rosé, served with trout tartare, pickled watermelon, and strawberry carpaccio.
Next came the Trnjak Milas 2022, paired with slow-roasted veal cheek and followed by the Trnjak Majić 2021 alongside a combination of sweet potato, roasted onion, and blueberry. The Trnjak Katić 2020 was introduced as the accompaniment to a simple surprise: rye bread with butter and jam.
Trnjak also yields dessert wines
The quality of that pairing was truly surprising. The Trnjak Matić 2021 accompanied Herzegovinian lamb roasted under the sač (bell-shaped lid), while the dessert-style Trnjak Matić 2020 demonstrated that wines from this variety can also work beautifully as a sweet finale, paired with chocolate and plums.
Text and photographs: Ivana Pranjić, Cork Croatia