Vina Šember
Šember shines and sparkles as one of Plešivica's premier producers
My first full day in in Croatia in late April 2024 concluded with a visit to Bornstein, a wine bar and shop located not far from the cathedral in Zagreb’s city center. I opted for the most local experience, the Zagreb Hills Tasting. The first wine in the flight was Šember Brut Pjenušac – a sparkling Blanc de Blancs (Chardonnay) brimming with golden apple and juicy peach flavors wrapped in crusty bread notes from three years of sur lie aging in the bottle prior to disgorgement.
Little did I know that a week later, I would find myself driving solo in my oversized Peugeot SUV rental along the curvy narrow roads of the Plešivica Hills to taste at Šember. It was a late Sunday morning when I pulled into the drive. Family members were outside enjoying the sunny day and I felt like I had interrupted them. I had wanted to park near the entrance to avoid the narrow driveway, but they gestured to me to continue, which was a bit precarious for such a large vehicle, but I managed to turn it around and park beside the tasting room facing down the hill.
Šember is a multi-generational winegrowing and winemaking family, whose estate is located in Donji Pavlovčani in Croatia’s Uplands. Three generations of Šembers – Ružica and Stjepan, Zdenko and Ivanka, and adult children Nikola, Lucija, and Klara – have made a lasting mark in the country’s cooler-climate region known for sparkling wines.
Šember farms six hectares (15 acres) of hillside vineyards in Plešivićko-Okić (Pavel, Bresnica, Vučjak, Starjak, Mladina) – Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Noir – including traditional method sparkling wines, a traditional Riesling, a Pét-Nat, and Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir macerated, fermented, and aged to create what we call ‘orange wines.’ The vineyards range in age from 10 to 90 years old.
Nicola Šember hosted me for the tasting. Together we tasted all of the available wines, beginning with three sparkling wines and ending with the Pinot Noir. This winery visit was one of my favorites.
When I returned to Zagreb in late May – where I rented an apartment for four weeks – I typically took a rideshare to city center to the same drop-off point near Hotel Academia. There was a wine shop nearby named Winehouse (named after Amy Winehouse, I learned) that was never open when I walked by – until the penultimate evening of my stay in Zagreb. What drew me in was one of the shop’s specials on the sign outside, the Šember Brut Rosé Pjenušac. I felt like I had come full circle – beginning and concluding my seven weeks in Croatia with Šember. I spent a few hours chatting with the owner, Jakov. He had only opened the shop only a few months before, was a ‘one-man show’ (no employees), and was still trying to determine the best days and times to be open. Winehouse was such a wonderful choice for my last evening out in Zagreb. Jakov gifted me a book about Plavac Mali. And what better way to toast my the end of my stay than with Šember?
Šember Brut Rosé Pjenušac
Perky and pretty in pink – the perfect parting drink
Fresh, floral, fruity, and oh-so fine, Šember’s lively Brut Rosé of Pinot Noir bursts with red fruit flavors and yeasty goodness – like brilliant bites of ripe strawberry, wild raspberry, juicy pomegranate, and brioche – carried along the palate by tiny, delicate bubbles. Pair this sprightly sparkler with salmon and tuna sashimi and shellfish like crab, shrimp, and lobster.
Vina Šember
Pavlovčani 11b, 10450, Pavlovčani, Croatia
+385 1 6282 476
https://www.sember.hr/
Instagram: semberwinery
Bornstein
Kaptol 19, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
+385 1 4812 361
http://www.bornstein.hr/en/home/
Instagram: bornstein_zg
Winehouse Zagreb
Ul. Ivana Tkalčića 74, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
+385 98 280 392
Instagram: winehouse_zagreb