Croatian Portfolio Tasting article roundup

A number of articles have been written about the Croatian portfolio tasting event last week in New York City at Hudson Terrace. Here’s a roundup of a few of them:

Croatian Chronicle emphasized that, “Now, with a new generation of winemakers, Croatia is turning the page to a new chapter of Croatian winemaking.” This is something that we’ve noticed constantly with these new wines and it makes for a very exciting time to look in to Croatian wines.

Do Vallé notes that in regards to the reds descended from Crljenak Kaštelanski (Zinfandel), “… instead of being jammy fruit bombs, these wines seemed to adopt a sense-of-place toting surprisingly rustic aromas and flavors.”

Vino Moda saw the obvious food pairing angle and noted that “…various dishes were served including lobster rolls. I really enjoyed a sample of the famed Paski cheese from the island of Pag (served both fresh and aged) along with the other gastronomic treats.”

Lastly, Vecernji who saw the business side of things stated, “Croatian wines are becoming more interesting to foreign markets that require unique and indigenous varieties…”

One item that made it in to many reviews though was the emphasis on the use of Slavonian oak in the barrels. While it is true that there is a good deal used, there is also a lot of French, and even Californian oak used at some of the wineries. I’m curious if this was an opinion drawn from one winemaker or if the group present really do only use Slavonian oak–not that there is anything the least bit wrong with that as it does indeed make some tasty wines.