Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tomic Wines Available in UK via Taste Croatia


Looking for quality Croatian products in the UK after that fabulous holiday on the Adriatic? Bastijana is delighted to be included in Taste Croatia, a food and travel business selling the very best of Croatian produce in the UK market.

Various products are available online and in Borough Market in London, including the Tomic Plavac and Plavac Barrique. For more information, click here

A Busy Weekend in Split for Andro Tomic


While making wine is the core activity at Bastijana, there is plenty of work to be done in the promotion of the Bastijana range, and Andro more than plays his part in helping to develop the Tomic brand wherever he goes.

This weekend in Split was a prime example. Andro was among old friends and new at Radisson Blu Hotel for this year's Dalmacija Wine Expo, where Bastijana was exhibiting along with other members of the Hvar Wine Association.

A short transfer to the gorgeous Split waterfront that evening, as Tomic wines were among those served at the opening of Split's latest restaurant, Brasserie on 7. Any thoughts of a quiet Saturday night were soon dispelled as Andro headed back into Diocletian's Palace to attend the opening of the first private cigar club in Split, a chance to present his prosek, wine and rakija to the high society of Split.

A full weekend in Split! 

Master of Wine Jo Ahearne Visits Tomic at Dalmacija Wine Expo


Bastijana was delighted to take part in the recent Dalmacija Wine Expo in Split, another successful presentation of the region's wines.

Among the many visitors to the Hvar stand was Master of Wine Jo Ahearne, who enjoyed her first tasting of the wines of Hvar. Wines that seemed to go down particularly well were Beleca, Plavac, Caplar and a first ever taste of a prosek, the Tomic Hektorovich.

Thank you for your visit, Jo, and your kind words, and we look forward to showing you our winery in Jelsa sometime in the future.

Hvar Wines and the Tradition of Organic Production


2398 years ago Ancient Greeks inhabited the island of Hvar. They raised the very first vineyards on the most spacious plain among the Adriatic islands – in the Ager of Stari Grad.  Two centuries later, Romans continued with wine production, but they also improved it. From ancient times until the past fifty years, people on the island of Hvar lived exclusively with an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals were not used, and exactly that is now a fundamental tenet of organic farming.  Hvar vineyards have ideal natural conditions for the production of organic wine. More  than 2600 hours of sunshine warms the vineyards throughout the year. South-facing slopes in particular „impose“ an ecological approach. On that steep terrain without moisture, with a small amount of rainfall and maximum insolation, reigns plavac mali, and most of the vineyards are processed manually.

Today, we are proud that we can observe an increasing return to traditional cultivation of grapes. Chemical protective agents are used less and less, but at the same time people are taking into account all available knowledge of the 21. century. Most of Hvar's winemakers today are restoring an ecological style of viticulture and winemaking.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Brasserie on 7 and Tomic Wines: A New Split Partnership


A busy day in Split for the Tomic team tomorrow, as Dalmacija Wine Expo opens at the Radisson Blu at 11:00 for businesses, the first of a two-day event of the inceasingly important regional wine fair.

The focus tomorrow evening's activities, however, will be focused on the historic Split waterfront in front of Diocletian's Palace, as Tomic wines will be among the delicacies on show at the grand opening of a new brasserie on Riva, called simply Brasserie on 7.

It promises to be a special evening and a great addition to the Split gastromic scene. Yet one more place where you can enjoy Tomic wines with great food in Croatia.

If you are a restaurant or bar looking to work with Tomic wines, please contact us for more details of our services via our website.

Tomic Taking Part in Dalmacija Wine Expo in Split. Starts Tomorrow!


The promotion of Tomic wines continues.

After a successful Wine and Dine event at Radisson Blu in Split recently, Tomic will be returning to the luxury hotel tomorrow for the start of Dalmacija Wine Expo 2014, the first time this increasingly important regional wine fair will be taking place in Split.

The two-day event will be open to business contacts from 11:00 to 15:00, and to the public from 15:00.

For the full programme, click here.

We hope to see you at the Radisson! 

Monday, April 14, 2014

What is Terroir?


Terroir is a French expression which does not have a simple definition.  Terroir applies to the influence that the overall natural environment of a vineyard has on the final product – the wine. Climate, the slope of a microlocation, the structure (composition) of the soil, insulation, ventilation… -all of these are factors that give the wine characteristics of the location or terroir. Such environmental impact on the wine is generally unrepeatable, or unique. All good winemakers are trying to preserve the trace of terroir in their wines, and in that way to exploit the most of what nature has given them.

A man can recognize the terroir in the same way that he can recognize a person:  by the look of the face,  sound of the voice, the way that he/she smells, movements and gestures!
C. Howell

Monday, April 7, 2014

Tannins and the Colour of Wine, and Tannins in the Wine




They are found in plants, seeds, tree bark, leaves and skin of red fruits. They are responsible for acer / bitter taste of fruit, tea, chocolate ...We can recognize them by sensation of  "shrinkage" that they creates in our mouth (astringent property).

Tannins are colored compounds. They can be orange, amber and yellow hues. Because of tannin, an older red wines take on brown and shades of color bricks. In young (black) wines purple shades predominate. Compounds responsible for this color are similar to tannins, and they are called anthocyanins. With time, these molecules are deposited on the bottom of the bottle. Therefore, the wine loses its original color and takes on the color of the bricks ie tannins.



TANNINS IN THE WINE

Tannins act as natural preservatives. This means that because of tannins wine can keep its good properties for a longer time. They give the wine a desirable sensation of dryness and cleanliness. However, if there are too many tannins in the wine, the sensation can be uncomfortable. The dose of tannins in wine is an important factor of its quality.

Red wines are rich in tannins, and white are poor. The reason is simple: most of the tannins are located in the skin of the berries. During fermentation of the red wines, there is contact between the skin and juice, so tannins can cross from the skin to juice. In the fermentation of white wines, there is no skin and juice contact. Besides the grape, tannins can get to the wine via oak barrels as well. So, white wines which have been aged in these barrels, also  contain some of the tannins.

Andro Tomić Tells EU Parliament the Difference Between Prošek and Prosecco in Brussels


Croatia's most charismatic winemaker, Andro Tomic from Jelsa, was in the European Parliament in Brussels on April 3, 2014, in the latest chapter of the Prošek versus Prosecco saga, which was covered last year by Digital Journal.

The EU decreed last summer that the name prošek is too similar to the Italian prosecco, and must therefore be replaced. The fact that the two products have different names and are totally different products - one a sweet dessert wine, the other a sparkling wine - is of no consequence, and nor is the fact that the Croatian brand has a centuries-old tradition, whereas prosecco is a product of the latter half of the 20th Century.

The decision, announced weeks before Croatia's accession to the EU on July 1, 2013, sparked outrage and was a wake-up call for some on the realities of joining the wider European family.

Tomic, as the leader producer of prošek (pronounced 'pro-shek') with his Hektorovich brand, became the most sought-after interviewee in Croatia, as a horde of international journalists including AP and BBC television made its way to his impressive Romanesque cellars in Jelsa on Hvar to seek out his opinion not only on the prosecco debate, but also his feelings on European integration.

Speaking in flawless French in Brussels yesterday (as reported on 24 Sata TV), Tomic once more pointed out the absurdities of the possibility of confusion between prošek and prosecco.

Click here to watch Andro in action.