Croatia's De Gotho Grasevina a Tropical Treat

My journey to Croatia to speak at the International Wine Tourism Conference was a lovely first trip to this Balkan land.  Seeing the old Hapsburg-influenced capital in snow was among the memories I treasure, as was staying in the Regent Esplanade Zagreb, a historic luxury hotel built solely to provide

 accommodation for travelers on the famed Orient Express.

But one treat that I didn't have enough of was drinking the local wines.  IWINETC is truly an international event, and there were wines from around the world to enjoy.  A snowstorm shut down our scheduled winery visit, so I left the country feeling like I wanted to learn - and taste - more of this land's vinous creations.

Luckily, I came home with a bottle of white Croatian wine - the 2012 De Gotho Grasevina.  Grasevina is the most planted white grape variety in Croatia.  It is the Croatian name for the same grape called Welschriesling in central Europe.

As soon as I pulled the cork, fruit aromas came wafting out of the neck when I lowered my nose to it. In the glass, the aromas of tropical fruits, including lychee and pineapple, were abundant.  The wine is a lovely light gold color, and the mouthfeel is medium weight.  I really enjoyed that - despite the plush tropical and citrus fruit on the palate - the wine has a zippy acidity.  This is a spunky wine that is enjoyable with many foods or on its own.  It paired perfectly with a chicken in a lemon parsley sauce that I picked up for dinner.

Next year's IWINETC is in Georgia, whose wines I already know offer many delights and surprises. As for me, I'll look for the opportunities to taste more Croatian wines here at home, as my bottle of Grasevina is almost gone.

A well structured white for summer - Friuli's Ribolla Gialla

The wine region of Friuli in the northeast corner of Italy has a number of unique indigenous grapes.  As July begins to heat up, perhaps its the best time to cool off with the unique Friulian grape Ribolla Gialla.

When I attended the IWINETC blogger trip to Friuli, I visited a number of local wineries that grew the grape and fermented single varietal wines from it.  These medium bodied wines had flavors of both citrus and stone fruits, lively acidity, and very good length.  It could be consumed on its own, and it's weighty enough for grilled chicken, pork dishes, or served, as it often is in Friuli itself, with the heavenly (and local) San Daniela prosciutto.

One of my favorite Ribolla Giallas I tried in Italy was from the winery Zorzettig. We were hosted by the wonderful winery staff, who treated us to prosciutto, savory tarts, and cheeses, as we tried their Myo Ribolla Gialla.  This is a DOC wine from the sub region of Friuli Colli Orientale.  I was struck by the balance of the wine, and how wonderful all the local Friuian snacks tasted with it.  The line of wines that include Myo all include a natural creature under a wine glass on the label - a constant reminder that the winery regards its role as standing alongside the natural world.  They consider themselves guardians of their vineyard's lands, and seek to respect the native flora and fauna as they grow their grapes.

Friuli is a cool, wet climate, and white wines do very well here.  For summer fare, including seafood, light sauce pastas, cheese plates, and more, try a glass of this delicious wine that is distinctively Friulian.

Vino e Sapori site guides visitors to Friuli Italy

Italy is one of the world's most visited countries, but when tourists get tired of the Venice, Rome, Florence routine, they might consider traveling to a little known region in the far north east: Friuli Venezia Giulia.

This region, whose green landscape can be attributed to plentiful rainfall, is home to memorable medieval towns like the well-preserved Civedale, as well as a rewarding food and wine route that now has its own website in English - Strado del Vino e dei Sapori (wine and food routes) http://www.vinoesapori.it/en/home/.  The site has sections covering information along the routes, in the region, and events.   

One of the most helpful parts of the site for wine lovers is an up-to-date list of the wineries that are open to visitors with no appointment.  Friuli wanted to make wine tourism easier for consumers - especially those who are accustomed to visiting wineries without scheduling in advance. Americans are definitely in this category! Just search on the Wine and Food link and you can see which wineries are open this week - or a future week when you may be in the area. 

If you click on a specific winery (known as Cantina in Italian) link, you'll see detailed information about the winery, including the types of wines it makes, and even how many parking spots are available - for buses and cars!  

The Friuli wine tourism movement has put a lot of effort into making this site as easy to navigate as possible.  Venice is the closest major destination city, so travelers headed there may want to add a weekend in Friuli on their itinerary using the site as an easy guide.