Croatian Wine of the Week – Vina Papak Radosh Rajnski Rizling Ilok 2022

Move over Germany – this Riesling from Croatia is a worthy contender

In 2014 enologist Mladen Papak – previously the director of winemaking at Iločki Podrumi and a former mayor of Ilok – returned to his childhood home to grow and make wines under his family name – Papak – from 13 hectares (32 acres) of estate vineyards (plus some purchased grapes).

“I am 60 years old and there’s one thing older than me here now and that’s this tree. It’s 63,” he remarked as we climbed the stairs to a small tasting area that felt more like a home.

It was in this space I had the good fortune of tasting with Mladen on May Day/Labor Day – a holiday in Croatia. I am grateful he made time for me – as did his youngest daughter – who translated for us.

As we tasted through the lineup, I was not surprised by the mouthwatering acidity. May 1, 2024 was a surprisingly chilly, blustery day in Ilok – and it was even more so at Papak. This microclimate makes it an ideal location for producing acid-driven wines like Graševina, Frankovka (Blaufränkisch) – and the Rajnski Rizling (Rhine Riesling) that won my heart.

Vina Papak Radosh Rajnski Rizling Ilok 2022
Move over Germany – this Riesling from Croatia is a worthy contender

While Graševina is Ilok’s flagship white, Mladen’s Rajnski Rizling took center stage during this tasting. It’s so lip-smackingly good I’d love to put it in a blind tasting with some from Germany. Notes of honeysuckle, white peach, and a hint of varietally correct petrol tag team with flavors like ripe nectarines, golden apples, and juicy citrus – culminating in a lively and luscious finish. This is a refreshing quaff that will accompany a variety of foods like spicy curries, duck, pork, potatoes, risotto – and especially Croatian cuisine like kulen (minced pork sausage), seasonal asparagus soup, Iločki ćevap, Zagreb schnitzel, or Ćevapi, the dish below.