Hvar Wine and Culture Tour of Italy

The Hvar wine message is spreading!

A Hvar wine and culture delegation, lead by Hvar Wine Association President, Ivana Krstulovic Caric, has just returned from a week-long tour of Italy, and Bastijana is proud to have been one of the five winemakers involved.

Ivana has just written an excellent trip report, which you can read here. 

Of Presidents and Ambassadors: Which Hvar Wines were Served at the Inauguration?

Croatia's first female president took office last month with an impressive inauguration ceremony in Zagreb. 

As part of the ceremony, of course, a fine meal was put on for visiting dignitaries, and congratulations to the team at Bastijana, who had not one but TWO of the Tomic range on the menu.

According to a report in Vecernji List, there were two wines each served with the 3-course, include the Tomic Caplar with the main meat dish,the Tomic Hektorovich with dessert.

Bastijana is proud to have supplied the wines, not just to the President, but also  the American Ambassador, who was in Jelsa last summer stocking up on supplies - Tomic wines are also served at official American functions in Zagreb.  

Is it not time you paid a visit to Bastijana in Jelsa to taste the wines of presidents and ambassadors? Learn more on the official Tomic website.

A Special Opolo Rose Label for Pink Day

Andro Tomic was delighted to attend the 3rd Pink Day in Zagreb recently, an event organised by Women on Wow.

To commemorate the event, and to celebrate women ahead of International Woman's Day, Bastijana produced a special label for the event, which translates as Wine Whose Sediment is a Pearl.

Andro was in fine form, and many thanks to Mina Jevremovic for these excellent photos.

Uses for the By-Products of Wine Production

The industry of Viticulture and Enology creates a large amount of waste and by-products. It includes the stems of pruned vines, grape pomace, wine sediment and wastewater. Unfortunately, only a small portion of these materials are used for practical purposes.

Pomace is the solid part  which remains after crushing or pressing grapes or some other fruit. The wine precipitate mainly consists of yeasts and tartrate (tartaric acid salt). It’s also possible to extract grape seeds from the pomace, of which the most common production is precious oil. This oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and is a strong antioxidant. In addition to being edible, it also has great potential in cosmetics.

Furthermore, grape pomace and precipitate can be distilled in order to obtain a strong alcoholic beverages such as various spirits. Also, tartaric acid (used in nutrition and pharmacy) can be isolated from pomace and sediment, as well as various dyes and pigments. The precipitate can be added to animal feed or a mixture for compost production. Another popular potential use of grape pomace these days is burning or processing in order to obtain usable bioenergy and biogas.

The combined use of different methods enables maximum utilization of these by-products and minimum waste, but intelligent use of them brings several benefits.

The industry of Viticulture and Enology creates a large amount of waste and by-products. It includes the stems of pruned vines, grape pomace, wine sediment and wastewater. Unfortunately, only a small portion of these materials are used for practical purposes.

Pomace is the solid part  which remains after crushing or pressing grapes or some other fruit. The wine precipitate mainly consists of yeasts and tartrate (tartaric acid salt). It’s also possible to extract grape seeds from the pomace, of which the most common production is precious oil. This oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and is a strong antioxidant. In addition to being edible, it also has great potential in cosmetics.

Furthermore, grape pomace and precipitate can be distilled in order to obtain a strong alcoholic beverages such as various spirits. Also, tartaric acid (used in nutrition and pharmacy) can be isolated from pomace and sediment, as well as various dyes and pigments. The precipitate can be added to animal feed or a mixture for compost production. Another popular potential use of grape pomace these days is burning or processing in order to obtain usable bioenergy and biogas.

The combined use of different methods enables maximum utilization of these by-products and minimum waste, but intelligent use of them brings several benefits.

Flying Home from Split and Looking for a Tomic Souvenir?

Bastijana has many visitors to the winery in Jelsa who come for tasting and would like to take some bottles home as a reminder of their Hvar holiday.

With many of our visitors arriving by plane, the current regulations regarding liquids on flights makes this somewhat complicated, but there is a solution for our Prosek Hektorovich lovers...

The Split Airport duty free section has a seletion of Croatian wines for sale, including the Tomic Prosek, an ideal gift for a loved one back home (or why not keep for yourself...), so there is a chance to take Tomic home back on the plane without worrying about breaking bottles in your luggage. Price 23 euro.

Tomic Wines Part of Major Wine and Culture Tour of Italy This Week

The global promotion of Hvar wine continues, and Tomic wines will be part of a strong wine and culture tour of Italy starting on March 8, with the Hvar delegation visiting several destinations in a programme put together in assocation with Ines Sprem, Cultural Attache at the Croatian Embassy in Rome. Full programme below in Croatian.

Are you ready, Italy?

PROGRAM

Prezentacija otoka Hvara, hvarske kulture i hvarskih vina

08.03.2015.
polazak za Italiju Split-Ancona / druga opcija je putovanje kopnom

09.03.2015
Azienda Romana Mercati
Centro Servizi per i Prodotti Tipici & Tradizionali
Via dè Burrò, 144 (Piazza Sant'Ignazio)
15.00 – 15.30
Prezentacija turističke ponude Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, Joško Stella diektor TZ Splitsko-dalmatinske županije
15.30 – 17.00
Prezentacija: Kad je vino na stol, ni potriba cvićo.
Priče o baštini, vinarstvu, gastronomiji i  etnologiji otoka Hvara
Uvodna riječ Veleposlanika RH prof.dr.sc. Damir Grubiše
prof. Ernesto Di Renzo, antropolog, Sveučilište Tor Vergata
Vino u praksama valorizacije kulture i izgradnje teritorijalnih identiteta

prof. hrvatskog i povijesti umjetnosti Zorka Bibić
Bašćinu gledajuć, oh koli lipa je!
etnologinja Marija Plenković
Koza, loza, srdela - hraniteljice otoka
Predsjednica Udruge "Hvarski vinari" Ivana Krstulović Carić, dipl.ing.agr.
Nek te Svemogući očuva od ova tri biča.
17.00 – 18.00
Prezentacija hvarskih vina i tradicionalnih proizvoda (slane srdele, kozji sir, Starogrojski paprenjoci, Cviti...)- vina predstavlja službeni sommelier Aziende Romana Mercati
– Udruga "Hvarski vinari", Ženska Zadruga Faria i dr. otočni proizvođači
Nastup Klape Kaštilac
napomena: Očekuje se 20-tak novinara, 09.03.2015.
20.00 – 23.00
Kulturna udruga „Vita Romana“, Via del Conservatorio, 73
Rasprava o funkcionalnim i hranidbenim aspektima spontanog bilja: Budućnost je u prošlosti
Sudjeluju:
Antropolog prof. Ernesto Di Renzo, Sveučilište Tor Vergata iz Rima
Ilenia Gradante,
Ivana Krstulović Carić, dipl.ing.agr.
Prof. Zorka Bibić
Slojedi degustacija rakije od rogača, divje zeje i slane srdele

10.03.2015.
10.00 -12.00
Prezentacija otoka Hvara u središti Rima, Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina
TZ Općine Jelsa predstavlja otok Hvar u suradnji sa klapom Kaštilac i otočkim proizvođačima
13. 30 odlazak prema Apuliji, Mandurija
19.30 predvidjen dolazak
20.30  susret s institucionalnim predstavnicima Općine Mandurije te službena večera
Smjestaj osigurava domacin

11.03.2015.
Sudjelovanje na Fiera Pessima (sajmu u Manduriji koji se održava preko 200 godina u kontinuitetu)
Susret s vinarima konzorcija Primitiva - prezentacija Vinogorja Hvar – Ivana Krstulović Carić, dipl.ing.agr.

12.03.2015.
9.00 – 12.00 Obilazak vinarija Konzorcija Primitivo di Manduria
18.00 – 21.00 Prezentacija hvarskih vina i ulja u Masseria Maccarone (Fasano)
u suradnji s AIS ( Associazione Italiana Sommelier – Udruženje Sommeliera Italije)
Vođena degustacija od strane AIS-a i kušanje vina za širu publiku
Prezentacija Vinogorja Hvar – Ivana Krstulović Carić, dipl.ing.agr.
Prezentacija i kušanje hvarskih ulja (Napomena: Masseria Maccarone proizvodi maslinova ulja izvrsne kvalitete)

13.03.2015.
16.00 – 18. 00 Konferencija: Kad je vino na stol, ni potriba cvićo
Priče o baštini, vinarstvu, gastronomiji i  etnologiji otoka Hvara
Uvodna riječ Veleposlanika RH prof.dr.sc. Damir Grubiše
Prozdravni govor predstavnika tri zajednice Moliških Hrvata
prof. Ernesto Di Renzi, antropolog, Sveučilište Tor Vergata
Vino u praksama valorizacije kulture i izgradnje teritorijalnih identiteta

prof. hrvatskog i povijesti umjetnosti Zorka Bibić
Bašćinu gledajuć, oh koli lipa je!
etnologinja Marija Plenković
Koza, loza, srdela - hraniteljice otoka
Predsjednica Udruge "Hvarski vinari" Ivana Krstulović Carić, dipl.ing.agr.
Nek te Svemogući očuva od ova tri biča.
prof. hrvatskog i povijesti umjetnosti Zorka Bibić
O Forskemu jaziku
dott. Carolina Iorio - ONAV Molise prezentacija moliških vina
Ivana Krstulović Carić, dipl.ing.agr. - Prezentacija Vinogorja Hvar
18. 00 – 22.00 Prezentacija hvarskih vina u Moliseu u suradnji sa ONAV (Organizzazione Nazionale Assagiatori di Vino – Nacionalno udruženje kušača vina) - sekcija Campobasso
Klapa Kaštilac koncert
Kušanje hvarskih i moliških vina i specijaliteta.

14.03.2015.
18.00 – 19.00 Vođena degustacija – Sommelier Bibende – na tečaju Bibende
18.00 – 20.00 standovi za degustaciju hvarskih vina
20. 00 – 22.30 Dalmatinska večera u Amantei (Kalabrija) u hotelu Le Clarisse
u suradnji sa Bibenda (Fondazione Italiana Sommelier -  Fondacija talijanskih sommeliera), kuha Ivo Carić (vinar i kuhar),  Ivana Krstulović Carić, dipl.ing.agr. i prof. Zorka Bibić -
U pauzama između slijedova jela će se pričati priče vezane zu servirana jela i na taj način predstaviti naša kulturna i povijesna baština. Uz jela će biti servirana hvarska  te kalabrijska jela tako da će to biti praktični primjer dobrog sljubljivanja naših jela i talijanskog vina čime se odašilje  snažna kulturološka poruka.
Večeru će zaključiti tradicionalni kalabrijski napjevi.
Moguce sudjelovanje i Slow Food Calabria

15.03.2015. - slobodan dan, eventualno posjeta Wine Fredane Festival -
organizatorima u Avellinu, Pompeji i Napulj

16.03.2015. - povratak iza Ancone za Split (dolazak u Split
17.03.ujutro)

Rakija, Connecting People: An Insight into Homemade Rakija

In Dalmatia, there has always been a culture of homemade grappa distilling (in Croatian grappa is rakija). Basic grappa is grape brandy: lozovača (in Croatian loza = vine) or komovica (in Croatian kom = fermented crushed and drained grapes, which is also called drop or drof).

After wine production (drop) what remains of the grapes is left for a few weeks in plastic bags, whereupon it undergoes distillation (in Dalmatia there is expression “na kotol” or even more often “lambik”, which means copper boiler which is heated by lighting fire). Apart from grapes, grappa is also made from various fruits of which are perhaps most famous figs, strawberry tree (native to Mediterranean region) and carob. Also, people often put different aromatic herbs in already-made grappa, and so travarica (herb brandy, from Croatian trava = herbs) is obtained.

The fire under the boiler must not be strong, which is why, as the wood burning material, low calorific value trees are used (Phoenicean Juniper, pine or cypress). It is important that the boiler is heated lightly, because then condensation of steam is carried out gradually in the second boiler which is called serpentine. The two boilers are connected with a pipe; under the first boiler a fire is maintained, the alcohol vapor slowly evaporate and travel through the pipe to the second boiler (which is filled with cold water) where the vapors are condensed into a distillate of pure spirits.

The first grappa that flows has a high percentage of alcohol, so it’s called špirit (methylated spirits). Grappa that comes last is much milder and is called flema. Špirit is put to the side; usually used for lining and disinfection. Since there is not much of špirit, there is a saying that says "in a small bottle spirit is kept".

Grappa is an important element in any Dalmatian household. Old people washed themselves with a rag soaked in grappa. Grappa was also used to treat all types of injuries and ailments. Dalmatian nono (from Italian, meaning grandfather) began every day with a sip of grappa - it is called “a mouth wash”, and Dalmatian nona (grandmother) necessarily added grappa to her special Dalmatian sweets, pašurate and fritule.