Andro Tomic Supports Dalmatian Tradition at Night of Museums 2015 in Split

Dalmatian traditions are at the heart of the Bastijana wine culture, and Andro Tomic is a known passionate supporter of the various traditions of Dalmatia.

As such, Andro was to be found in the Ethnographic Museum in Split yesterday evening, supporting a presentation of Miki Bratanic's 'Konoba', which is now inscribed as Croatian cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture.

The konoba (or 'cellar') is of course a cornerstone of the traditions of wine-making in Dalmatia, and you can see Andro and friends enjoying the Bratanic konoba in Vrbanj in this excellent video below.

How Many Calories are in a Glass of Wine?

Wine , chemically speaking, consists of approximately 85% water, 12% alcohol, and the remaining part consists of sugars, acids, aldehydes, tannins, esters, vitamins, minerals and other ingredients.

Calories (unit of measurement for energy; mark is cal) in wine come mainly from alcohol and sugar; and their share is largely dependent on the grape varieties as well as the climate.

Dry wines have a minimum sugar content (up to 4 g/l), while for example sweet wines have a sugar content higher than 50 g/l. One gram of sugar is about 4 kcal (kilocalories). The alcohol content in most wines ranges from 10 to 15% vol., and one gram of alcohol can be as high as 7 Kcal! Generally, we can say that about 1 oz of wine can have from about 60 to about 90 kcal!

However, it is good to note that despite the calories and alcohol, moderate consumption of wine (one or two glasses per day) has a beneficial effect on our health. This is due to the favorable realtion and composition of acid, tannins, minerals and vitamins. We are proud that our indigenous variety Plavac Mali is one of the very top of these by the share of tannins that have strong antioxidant properties.

And finally a few interesting facts: donut with topping (chocolate or vanilla) has approximately 190 kcal or almost two glasses of wine, a burger has about 390 calories or three and a half glasses of wine, while a portion of French fries has about 500 calories which is almost as four glasses of wine.

Taking Good Care of Central Dalmatia's Best Vineyard

Among the very busy events of 2014 was the awarding of best vineyard in Central Dalmatia by ecological association Lijepa Nasa for the Tomic vineyard at Vira in Hvar Town. If a good wine starts with happy grapes, there are few grapes which could start life with a better view than this!

Having a great vineyard is one thing, keeping it well-maintained is another, and the Tomic team were out in force earlier this month pruning the vines. Labour intensive work, but with a view like that under trademark Hvar blue skies, there was not too much to complain about...  

From the Archives: Gourmet Croatia Tours Hvar with Andro Tomic

Making wine is the core of the essence of Andro Tomic, but the island of Hvar is dear to his heart, and Andro is a tireless promoter of the magic of his native island.

In 2011, he spent some time in the company of Rene Bakalovic from Gourmet Croatia, taking him on a tour of the characters and special places on Hvar, with a glass or two of quality Tomic wine on the way. There is an impromptu swim fully-clothed, some passionate singing in Renaissance clothing, and plenty of insights into the passion that Andro has for his wine and his island. Enjoy!

Andro Tomic Interviewed by Hvar TV about that Decemeber Grape Picking

A very nice snapshot of winter life from our friends over at Hvar TV in the video below, including the morning they spent with the Tomic team at our Vira vineyard in December, for the unusual Politak grape picking.

Andro was of course on hand to supervise all, and he took time to explain a little more about the unusual harvest. Check it out below.

Prošek, a Fine Dalmatian Tradition

Prošek is a traditional dessert wine of Dalmatia. It is made from dried white (maraština, vugava, grk, pošip, bogdanuša, prč ...) and red grapes (plavac mali, drnekuša, okatac ...).

Overripe clusters are harvested late, after which it is subsequently dried naturally in the shade of attics or in driers; in this way sugar content increases because of the reduction of fluids in grapes.  Grapes prepared like this are then transported into a barrel where they are cooled and left to ferment until the achieved alc. 15-17% vol. naturally stops the fermentation. Prošek mainly contains more than 100 grams of sugar per liter.

Production of Prošek  has always been a tradition in families in Dalmatia. The farmer's family basements produced only a few liters of this sweet wine which was usually kept in small “Demi-Johns” or barrels. It is a popular custom that in the year of birth of a female child, one bottle of Prošek of that vintage is kept, to be opened only on the girl's wedding day.

Prosecco was a valued drink in folk medicine for recovering patients and to invigorate anemic and ailing people. It is also indispensable in the cuisine, where is often added to the local specialties, because of its significant aroma and special charm. Whipped egg mixed with prošek or dry cakes soaked in Prošek, are delicacies which raised many  generations of children in Dalmatia.

Tomic the Wedding Planner: An Email from California

While making wine is the core activity at Tomic, it is a product of celebration and joy, and we are always delighted to find ways to help others celebrate with a glass of Jelsa's finest.

Like weddings, for example. Bastijana was delighted to host the wedding of Ben and Justina from California a couple of years ago, with catering by Me and Mrs Jones, adn Hvar TV recorded the event in this excellent video below. The years may be passing by, but the memory is fresh, as we received this very nice email this week about the event from a guest at the wedding:

Every aspect of this place was perfection. Very professional wedding planner staff, incredible food, spectacular view and when you felt like a guest at your wedding it cannot get any better.

Thanks for the kind words, and we look forward to seeing you back in Jelsa soon. To celebrate a christening perhaps!

Food and Wine Pairing, with some Tomic Wine Recommendations.

Food affects the taste of wine, and wine affects the taste of food. Knowing about these interactions can help us to avoid negative and unpleasant flavor combinations. It is important to emphasize that all people are not the same, which means that "good pairing" of wine and food is, after all, primarily a matter of personal taste.

We shall take the most basic flavors that dominate in food and their impact on the taste of wine:
Sweet food (desserts) seeks sweet wine, preferably sweeter than the food. Otherwise, the wine will seem bitter, sour and not fruity enough.

Acidic food (various sauces, stuffings ...) intensifies the impression of fruitiness and sweetness of wine, but it also reduces the acidity. With acidic foods (eg. salads...) we advise that you combine fresher wines, due to the balance of acid.

Fatty food is often best combined with more acidic wines - acid "cuts" through molecules of fat - which is good to keep in mind at this time of holiday feasts!

Salty food intensifies the impression of fruitiness of the wine and makes it richer, which is why some popular wines are often blended with salty cheeses (eg. dalmatian Prošek with gorgonzola or powerful red wine with cheese from island of Pag). Also, the salt in red meat causes a "softening" of tannins and makes the wine softer: for example Plavac mali wines and a delicious steak.

Very spicy food intensifies the impression of "fire in the mouth" - especially due to high levels of alcohol in wine. Therefore, we recommend that you combine spicy dishes with aromatic or lighter wines with less alcohol!

• Bitter food intensifies the taste of bitterness in wine.

WINE AND FOOD

First of all, rich dishes look for richer wine and vice versa, delicate dishes look for wines which will not overridden it. If you  want  to enjoy both the food and wine, you need to taste them equally, which means that they must be of a similar intensity.

A few selected examples from winery Tomic:
boiled white fish, Swiss chard with potatoes, fish broth from island of Hvar - Bogdanuša
• grilled whitefish, shrimp or lobster in Dalmatian sauce - Posip
• grilled bluefish, stuffed squid, octopus baked under the bell, fish stews and various red meat dishes - lighter Plavac
• steak, Dalmatian pasticada and other meat and dishes of complex taste - Plavac mali aged in barrique barrels
• Dalmatian rozata (dessert made from eggs, milk and sugar), various dry cookies – Dalmatian Prošek