Visit Tomic at Zagreb VinoCOM Today and Tomorrow

Team Tomic is in Zagreb this weekend for the annual Zagreb VinoCOM wine fair, and looking forward to your visit.

A range of Tomic wines will be available for tasting, and the Tomic stand can be found at Hotel Esplanade in the Emerald Ballroom, stand E26.

We hope to see you there! For more information about VinoCOM, click here.

Tomic in the Community: Biciklijada 2016

(with thanks to Vivian Grisogono from Eco Hvar for the photo)

October has begun in Jelsa, and all the grapes have been harvested from the fields. Andro, along with many other Jelsa residents, took the opportunity to take a breather on Saturday, helping out at the annual charity fundraiser, the Jelsa Biciklijada, which is organised by the Hvar Rotary Club, of which Andro is a very active member.

Bastijana was a proud sponsor of the event, which was very well attended, and including some rather spectacular cycling skills from a visiting professional German cycling. Do not try this at home, but have you ever seen a more stylish way to burst a balloon?

Bastijana Included in Innovative Roots of Zinfandel Tour from USA to Dalmatia

One of the great attractions of Croatian wine to an international audience is that this is the home of original Zinfandel. Croatia may have some obscure and unpronounceable indigenous grape varieties (some 130 or so), but in 2001, the University of Davis provided the DNA proof that the popular American variety was actually a 100% match of one of those Croatian tongue-twisters, Crljenak Kastelanski.

Dalmatia's most popular red, Plavac Mali, is related to the noble grape, and so it came to pass last year that some representatives of the influential Zinfandel Advocates and Producers association visited Jelsa on a fact-finding tour ahead of a planned organised trip to the source of original Zin.

The tour, which is scheduled for 2017, is now available for booking through Food and Wine Trails, and includes Bastijana as one of the participating Croatian wineries.

We are looking forward to the visit. For more information, click here.

Tomic Caplar Included in Suhi u Casi Wine Buying Guide

The Tomic Caplar continues to attract positive reviews from wine experts.

The popular Bastijana red, a combination of Plavac Mali and Cabernet Sauvignon, was included in the Suhi U Casi summer wine buying guide by leading Croatian wine writer Zeljko Suhadolnik. Here is what he had to say:

♣♣♣ (♣) (XL) CAPLAR 2012 barrique – TOMIĆ    

HVAR ISLAND

■ VINEYARD: slope • sort: Cabernet Sauvignon & Plavac Mali

■ ALCOHOL: superior with controlled origin • dry • 14,0%

■ BOTTLED in: 0,75 ℓ • bottle: normal • model, type: bordeaux • CAP: cork – serious

■ DESIGN: elegant • label: attractive – original – recognisable from distance – two sections – clear, readable: good.

WINE is complex, spruced up, warm, with plenty of liveliness. Mild tertiary bouquet, appears to be in prime that can last. Looks lively, ruby-granite, transparent. Discrete on the nose, points to skin, burning and smoke/mild, chocolate, coffee, spices/with measure and well blended. Rounded in the mouth, polished tannins, salty. Very good in body&structure, salty and quite long warming ending. Retronasal: almond.

■ SERVING: ⇗    • uncap bottle several hours before serving - decant •large bordeaux glass • 18° C

For more information on the wines included in the Summer guide, click here.

Tomic at Festa Vina Jelsa: Join Us Tonight, Great Atmosphere!

It is the final night of Festa Vina, the Jelsa Wine Festival, tonight, and the atmosphere in the Town of Wine is fantastic. A wonderful evening of entertainment for all the family last night, and the party went on late into the night, as it will tonight for the main and final evening.

Andro was taking things in his stride, entertaining friends with a little Beleca and Veliki Plavac Mali.

Just around the corner, Team Tomic were pouring the wines for tourists and locals alike.

Tomic wines can be found as part of the Hvar Wine Association tasting stands between the main square and the catamaran. Come and join us tonight - it will be a fine evening celebrating the best of Jelsa wine!

Pink Day Organisers Women on Wine Vote Tomic Opolo Nobile Best Croatian Rose

These are exciting times for the Croatian rose wine scene, with more and more quality roses coming to the market each year.

So much so in fact that a dynamic group of ladies and wine lovers formed an association five years ago called Women on Wine (WOW), with their main event each year being a great festival called Pink Day, a celebration of the rose wines of Croatia. It is an event which Bastijana is delighted to participate in, and we look forward to next year's edition.

WOW recently celebrated their fifth anniversary, and to honour it, they invited Restaurant Paradigma sommelier Roko Bekavac to a special tasting to find the best red, white and rose in Croatia:

The best rose is the Tomić Opolo Rose. “This rose won us over with aromas of ripe red fruits and fullness of body. It has a light, yet lovely bitter note,” the jury felt.

Read the full report here.

Festa Vina Jelsa: Join Us for the Biggest Wine Festival on the Adriatic

Jelsa is the town of wine on Hvar, and it has a proud wine tradition dating back centuries.

It also has the biggest wine festival on the Adriatic, a chance to celebrate with locals and try the finest wines from the island's producers, and as usual, Bastijana will be a proud participant in 2016.

Join us tomorrow evening in the pretty St. Ivan's Square just off the main square in Jelsa, for the regular weekly tasting of the Hvar Wine Association, including Tomic, for an evening of wine, live music and a wonderful Dalmatian atmosphere.

The biggest party of the festival will take place on Saturday, the biggest party of the year. What better way to celebrate than with a glass or two of Tomic wine? For more information about Festa Vina 2016, click here. 

Hektorovich and Beleca Available for Shipping All Over the EU

Good news for fans of Tomic wines who would like to drink a little Hvar magic at home...

We have many people visiting the winery in Jelsa who ask where they can buy Tomic wines internationally. There are a limited number of outlets around the world, but now there is also a reliable and affordable option from here in Croatia.

The Hektorovich Prosek has been on the initial list of wines offered for sale and delivery all over the EU by Zagreb-based company The Wine and More. Priced at 19.99 euro and with the ability to ship in flexible quantities and with the option of mixed cases, Hetkorovich has been making its way into homes all over the EU in recent months.

From next week, the Tomic Beleca will also be available, priced around 9.99 euro plus delivery. So now you do not need to limit your enjoyment of Tomic wines to visits to our winery or the many restaurants which offer the Tomic range on their wine lists. For more details about how to order, click here.

New from Tomic: Meet the Posip 2015

Allow us to present our new product - premium quality dry white wine Pošip, vintage 2015.
The wine is made from a selection of grapes from Ager (location between Jelsa and Stari Grad) and the southern position of the island Hvar (vineyards around Milna and Hvar). 30% of young wine is aged for 6 months on fine lees in oak barrels, which gives the complexity of flavors. This exclusive wine (about 6,500 bottles) is best served at a temperature of 8-10 °C and perfectly accompanies octopus under baking bell the or grilled squids.

Price at the winery: 90.00 HRK (12 EUR) per bottle (0.75 l)

Here is it in the bottling process:

How Far Does Tomic Wine Travel? A 90-Point Plavac Tasting in Indonesia!

Tomic wine tastings take place in various places. The most common of course are in the comfort of our Bastijana winery in Jelsa, and we are open daily during the season (and otherwise by appointment) to introduce our range of wines. 

But sometimes, tastings take place without our knowledge, in faraway places, but surely not many have taken place as far away as... Bali in Indonesia!

Check out this video below from the team at Exotic Wine Travel, the moment when they are first introduced to Plavac, with a bottle of Tomic Plavac 2013. And with a rating of 90 points from the tasting, this will probably not be the last time Exotic Wine Travel will be checking out the pride of Dalmatia. 

To learn more about our wine tours, visit the Bastijana website. 

Celebrate Tomic Beleca with Hvar's UNESCO Mediterranean Diet Tonight

Did you know that Hvar's diet has been officially recognised by UNESCO?

With such a healthy diet, based on quality olive oil and wine, it is perhaps hardly a surprise that Hvar, as well as six other locations on the Mediterranean, had its diet inscribed as UNESCO intangible heritage back in 2013, the fifth UNESCO heritage for this amazing island.

The Hvar Wine Association has decided to celebrate this event together with its partners, and a Festival of the Mediterranean Diet is currently taking place on the island, celebrating the Hvar story of wine and sardines. Tonight the action moves to Jelsa, with a wine tasting at St. John's Square, but not before you have the chance to enjoy a glass or two of Tomic Beleca, accompanied with some specially priced dishes for the festival at participating restaurants Me and mrs Jones, Taula and Spizza. 

We are All Millennials: Andro Tomic at Opening of Pharos bayhill hvar hotel

No Hvar party is complete without Andro Tomic, and the Jelsa winemaker was a very contented guest at the recent opening of the newly refurbished Suncani Hvar hotel, Pharos bayhill hvar.

The former two-star hotel has undergone a 7 million euro makeover, and it is something of a departure for the hotel scene on the island, aimed at the millennial market.

It may be aimed at the younger crowd, but one thing remains the same - the quality of the wine on offer, and if you would like to try some of the Tomic range while staying at Pharos (or any other Suncani Hvar hotel this summer), ask your waiter, who will point out some of the Tomic favourites on the list. 

Tomic and Hvar Wine Tasting Tonight and Every Thursday Night in Jelsa Town Centre

A refreshing day at the beach, relaxing under the trademark Jelsa blue skies, a fine dinner in one of Jelsa's waterside and old town restaurants (perhaps washed down with a fine glass or two of Tomic wines...) - how to end another perfect day in Jelsa.

Thursday is Wine Day in Jelsa, and Tomic wines, in association with other members of the Hvar Wine Association are holding wine tastings every Thursday night in the picturesque old square of St. John, just off the main square. If you are walking along the waterfront, look out for the red carpet from the riva.

In addition to the opportunity to meet soe of the Tomic team and taste a range of Bastijana wines, there will always be live music. If you can't make it tonight, we will be there all summer until October, so don't forget that Thursday night is Wine Night in Jelsa. See you there!

A Big Day for a Big Wine: Veliki Plavac Mali into the Bottle

Our cheerful company this week again rolled up their sleeves and bottled 2700 liters of premium quality dry red wine "Veliki Plavac Mali" vintage 2011. That was the year that gave us exceptional quality grapes from southern positions of our island where old vines regulary are low on yields, but also give us top quality grapes in return.

Women on Wine (WOW) Meet Tomic Opolo Rose

The Croatian rose scene has become much more high profile in recent years, thanks largely to the efforts of the fabulous ladies from Women on Wine (WOW), whose annual Pink Day event in Zagreb has become one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the Croatian wine calendar.

A very pleasant evening in Zagreb last Thursday, as the ladies from WOW at a promotional event for Reviderm. Andro's daughter Janica presented the 2015 Opolo Nobile 2015 which is drinking very nicely. Why not come by our cellars in Jelsa and taste for yourself?

Drink Tomic Wines in a Game of Thrones Location: Vinski Podrum in Split!

It is one of the most impressive wine tasting locations on the cicuit, as well as being perhaps even better known as a filming location for Game of Thrones, and the Tomic team will once more be in action in the basement of UNESCO World Heritage Site Diocletian's Palace in Split on May 20-21, for the annual Vinski Podrum fair.

Doors are open from 13:00 - 21:00. Learn more about the event here, and we hope to see you there!

Andro Tomic and Jo Aheane MW: The Hvar Rose Dream Team in Zagreb

A wonderful day in Zagreb yesterday at the 4th Pink Day at Mimara, organised by the fabulous ladies from Women on Wine.

Andro was of course on hand with his Opolo Nobile, and he was photographed with one of the stars of the show, Master of Wine Jo Ahearne, who was presenting her Ahearne Rosina, made from 100% Darnekusa grapes, for the first time. Feedback has been outstandingly positive.

Jo shared this photo on her Facebook page with the following message:

"Andro Tomic and Ahearne Rosina - would never have been made without him and the Tomic family. Hvala puna."

Congratulations on this first successful public outing for Rosina, Jo, and we look forward to seeing you back at Bastijana very soon. 

A Big Day for a Great Tomic Friend: Jo Ahearne MW Debuts Hvar Rose at Pink Day

A regular and very popular figure at Bastijana in the last year has been Master of Wine Jo Ahearne. Jo, one of just 350 Masters of Wine in the world, made the decision to move to Hvar and become the first Master of Wine to produce wine in Croatia.

The Tomic family was delighted to help her out at the beginning, offering her a little space in the winery and a little logistical help. After all, it is not every day a Master of Wine turns up on your island wanting to make wine!

Jo has since found her own premises in Sveta Nedjelja and has been busy producing her very own rose, from the indigenous Hvar variety, Darnekusa. Jo will be presenting tank samples of the rose at today's Pink Day in Zagreb - an historic day in the history of Croatian wine.

Good luck Jo, and many thanks for your friendship, knowhow and contribution to the Hvar wine scene.

Tomic in Zagreb Supporting Pink Day - Today!

There is only one colour in Zagreb today - pink!

The energetic ladies from Women on Wine are opening their doors at Mimara at midday today, for the fourth Pink Day event, celebrating the very finest of Croatian rose.

A fantastic event, which is growing every year, and here is Andro at last year's Pink Day, where he produced a special Opolo Nobile label for the event.

See you there! For more information about the event, click here. 

Andro Tomic Interview: Time for an Explosion of Island Wine

These are exciting time for the winemakers of Hvar, and for Croatian island winemakers in general. Indigenous grape varieties are being discovered by international experts, new innovations are being recognised, and interest in Croatian wine generally is on the increase.

Andro Tomic recently gave a detailed interview on the subject on the rise and potential of island wine for Blue Oyster. To read the full interview (in Croatian), click here.