Croatian Wine of the Week – Tomac Rosé Extra Brut
This paragon of Plešivica has pure panache
After departing Vina Šember, I began to make my way to my lunch appointment at Restaurant Karlo (address: Plešivica 41, 10450, Plešivica, Croatia), but I was not used to the narrow, winding roads of this higher-terrain region. Instead, I drove back to my hotel and ordered an Uber. I suspect the driver came from Zagreb to transport me, but he happily and skillfully drove me through the hills of Plešivica.
However, the maps on our phones did not provide the exact location. My driver ended up pulling into the front yard of a family’s home to ask directions. After a few more misturns, we finally arrived at the restaurant. He got out and confirmed I was where I was supposed to be, then he left. As he drove away, I realized that it would be unlikely that I would find another Uber driver to come from Zagreb on a Sunday afternoon to get me. I did not know how I would get to my next two winery appointments or back to my hotel. (To be continued.)
At the charming Restaurant Karlo – located in a traditional wooden building that resembled a home – and is owned and operated by Chef Karlo Navoj and Sommelier Marijanka Navoj – I was presented with a handwritten menu in Croatian that I could not read. However, my server managed to communicate to me in very basic English words what my choices were.
I chose the asparagus soup, duck, and strawberry mousse dessert. It was one of the best meals of my travels – made even better with this week’s Croatian wine of the week, the Tomac Rosé Extra Brut.
Tomac Rosé Extra Brut
This paragon of Plešivica has pure panache
From one of Plešivica’s original sparkling wine producers (the family’s farming roots date back over 100 years) – led today by Tomislav and Martina Tomac – comes this traditional method Rosé Extra Brut made from their own estate’s biodynamically farmed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fermented and aged in large barrels, then in bottle.
Its crisp and creamy palate – chock-full of juicy strawberry and freshly baked brioche flavors – was the perfect accompaniment to all three meal courses – even dessert.
Unfiltered, unfined – unbridled and untamed – this sparkler quickly made me forget my potential transportation challenges, the perfect ‘Plešivica panacea.’
Tomac Winery
Donja Reka 5, 10450 Jastrebarsko
Phone: 00385 1 6282 617, 00385 98 351 036
E-mail: tomac@tomac.hr
https://www.tomac.hr/
@tomacwinery on Instagram
U.S. Importers: Raw Wine and Vinum USA.