A Great Year for Tomic and Hvar Wines: Happy New Year from Jelsa

It has been quite a year!

As 2014 draws to a close, we thank you for your company and your support throughout the year, and we wish you all the best for 2015, which promises to be an exciting year on the Hvar wine scene.

There were plenty of highlights for Tomic in 2014, not least Andro's performance at the European Parliament in Brussels, where he calmly explained to European MPs in French the difference between Prosek and Prosecco.

It was also a year of innovation at Bastijana, with the launch of the Euforija range of stronger liquor, as well as the unveiling of a new limited edition premium red wine, Veliki Plavac Mali. And as the year drew to a close, the first-ever late harvesting of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes just 16 days before Christmas will lead to another new, but VERY limited edition, new red called Politak.

These are exciting times for the Hvar wine scene, and the team at Tomic looks forward to meeting you over a glass of wine in 2015.

Happy New Year! 

Harking Back to Roman Opulence: Divine Wines Visits Tomic

2014 was a great year for wine tastings at Bastijana, and the winery is delighted at the steady increase of visitors to Jelsa who are keen to try the Tomic range. While not everyone writes about their experience at Tomic, it is always nice to receive some feedback,

One visitor last month was Lidija Biro from Divine Vines, who spent a couple of months on Hvar visiting and working with the island's winemakers. Lidija kindly wrote a blog about her visit to Tomic. Thank you Lidija, and we hope to see you back soon.

"During my stay on Hvar, I visited Tomić Winery (Bastijana est. 1997, in Jelsa, http://www.bastijana.hr/index_eng.html) several times. The winery produces between 130,000 – 150,000 bottles yearly.

It has to be the most beautiful of the wineries to date from the stand point of decor, barrel cellar, and winery working area. A lot of thought (and money) has gone into the design of the winery.

Upon entering one is greeted in the pillared foyer where examples of three different soils and the wines these terroirs produce are on display." Read more...

New Limited Edition Wine from Tomic: Politak

It has been quite a year of innovation at Bastijana. First came the release of the Euforija brand, adding a harder liqour to the Tomic range of wines. This was followed by a limited edition quality wine, Veliki Plavac Mali. Available only in boxed magnums, the 1,800 bottles come from the very best Plavac Mali selection, and the wine has been a big hit already. 

And the good news is that Tomic is finishing the year with yet another quality addition to the range. An unusual late season harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on December 9 yielded enough for about 100 litres of wine. The working name for this new Tomic addition is Politak, which translates from dialect as 'after summer'. The wine will obviously not be available for a while, but it finishes of what has been a great year for the winery, with plenty of new things on offer. 

Grape Picking in December: Life on Hvar 16 Days Before Christmas

The main harvest may be long collected, but there was something a little different at Tomic this December - the sight of workers in our organic vineyard near Vira picking grapes in glorious sunshine just 16 days before Christmas.

The unusual sight, a first for the winery, was due to the unusual conditions which permitted the late harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon. In all, some 400 kilos were picked, and these will be used to make a very special Tomic red. One to watch out for, but the quantity will obviously be very limited. For more information about the day, click here.

Why are Women Better Wine Tasters Than Men?

It is often claimed that women are better wine tasters than men. The question is - are there any scientific facts to back up this claim?

This  gender difference is mainly related to the sense of smell and taste. The senses of smell and taste work together to successfully determine which food (and drink) is good and which is bad for us. Because of that, certain food smells good to us, while, for example rotten food is repulsive.

Thanks to the female hormone estrogen, women are able to detect odors in much lower concentration than men. Since fragrance represents about 75% of the total impression of a wine (and food and beverages in general), women in this regard have a significant advantage over men.


Furthermore, research of Dr. Linda Bartoshuk (Yale University, 1999.) has shown that women are twice as likely to be super tasters than men. Super tasters have up to a hundred times more taste buds (papillae) on the tongue than average tasters. Taste buds are responsible for transmission of taste. Women naturally have more of these papillae on the tongue than men.

All this makes women potentially better tasters. This means that, although women naturally have better physiological properties that are necessary for informed wine tasting, men (and women) can by exercising  evolve and improve these skills.

Why Do We Clink Glasses?

Few dinners, celebrations, weddings or parties go without toasts and the clinking of glasses. But, do you know how this ritual was created and what it actually means?

One legend says that in the Middle Ages people were clinking glasses in order to expel demons. Germans of previous generatios clinked glasses to scare ghosts, and in Tibet there was also a custom of “creating noise” by clinking glasses before drinking but, for them it was for good luck and prosperity.

In ancient Greece, the sound has also had an important role in drinking wine, but the reason was their belief that wine brings spirituality and beauty for all the senses, so in addition to taste, color and odor, by clinking glasses, they were creating a sensation for ears too.

However, there is a much more realistic theory associated with this custom. Namely, in the medieval courts in Europe, the enemies were mainly "removed" by poisoning - pouring poison in the wine. Over time, word for this "method" became known, so guests at the courts became distrustful of any offered drinks. The solution was found in hitting (clinking) glasses during which, thanks to the force of impact, part of the fluid from one glass would mixed with the liquid in the second glass as a guarantee that the host did not have evil intentions towards his guests and that he respected them.

Today, clinking glasses usually means joy and happiness, and in some countries the expression of respect.

Tomic Wines Now Available for Delivery All over Europe

One of the advantages of EU entry is that it is now easier to ship Croatian wines among the countries of our European partners, and the good news is that a firm in Zagreb is now offering a service to ship quality Croatian wines to the following countries:

 Austria,  Belgium,    Bulgaria,    Croatia,    Czech Republic,    Denmark,    Estonia,    Finland,

    France,  Germany,   Greece,    Hungary,    Ireland,    Italy,    Latvia,    Lithuania,    Luxembourg,

    Netherlands,    Poland,    Portugal,    Romania,    Slovakia,    Slovenia,    Spain,    Sweden,

    United Kingdom

On the list for purchase (cases can be mixed) are the Tomic Plavac (2010), Plavac Mali Barrique (2008), Caplar (2009) and Hektorovich Prosek. THe company also says it will source other wines on request. 

So to have your favourite Tomic wines shipped to your front door, click here.