Uncorking Korcula
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BEYOND Summer Sips Uncorking Korcula On the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea lies Korcula, the island that is beginning to get attention from global wine connoisseurs and culinary enthusiasts. By Abhilasha Ojha You can sample port right hen Frano Banicevic pours Plavac Toreta from the barrel, including 2015, a fairly refi ned the one from your birth year. wine, it seems like drops of garnet dance Wand twirl in my glass. The Toreta vineyards are located in Smokvica, “Life,” he says, smiling intently, one of the oldest villages in Korcula. This family- “is useless without wine.” This is the owned wine brand—founded by Banicevic’s sixth wine that we’re tasting as part great grandfather almost fi ve decades ago—is of Korcula’s wine tour (pronounced considered to be one of the earliest private Kor-chu-la), a four-hour, must-do wineries to bring out premium-quality Posip. expedition organised by Korkyra Info It produces roughly 40,000 bottles of wine per Agency (korkyra.info) that takes you Clockwise: A plate of year, growing Posip, Rukatac, and Plavac. around the island, one of the prettiest chips and barbequed I realise that it is a matter of great pride that meat; vineyards in the in Croatia. It is a fascinating journey village of Lumbarda, we taste Posip in Korcula, the birthplace of this to understand Croatian wines, seed sifters, transfer wagons, fi eld tools, among Korcula; a bucket wine. There is such growing interest in this wine fi lled with wine the commodity that is gradually other objects. “These,” says Banicevic, pointing corks—restaurants globally that it is now protected by the Croatian getting noted in markets including to these objet d’art, “were used by my great in the old town don’t law to ensure best practices in cultivation of this the US, Australia,China, Japan, grandfather, and I bet he did more wine throw them away. particular type. Yes, feeling a sense of gratitude Opposite: Stradun and parts of Europe. production with these than what modern in Dubrovnik is for this experience is inadvertent. “Every wine,” Banicevic tells us, wineries do with technologically-savvy tools.” home to many cafe Croatia’s beauty was evident from the serving us a platter of home-made What may have been the secret, I ask, biting into and bars. moment our fl ight touched down in Split, cheese, “is diff erent vintage. There delicious cheddar cheese, as one of the attention- the second-largest city in Croatia with its rich is no cut-and-paste job in wines. seeking cats meow. “Ah,” Banicevic says, history, majestic buildings, beautiful beaches, Each wine,” he says, pouring his next shrugging his shoulders, “it is passion.” and gorgeous sunsets. Our trip to Croatia, creation, Posip Special 2016, “has to Toreta’s Posip collection is quite splendid. a reunion of sorts for two old school mates be created diff erently.” The straw-golden yellow-coloured wine leaves a and I, included not just Split, but also Trogir, By now, there are three cats vying thick trail in the glass given its richness. Korcula, and Dubrovnik. While all the cities have for our attention in Toreto’s wine Harmonious, pleasant and intense on the their charm, it is the wine paradise of Korcula, tasting room, which also houses a palate, Posip, for the record, is considered the inarguably Croatia’s most beautiful and greenest vintage museum of sorts showcasing perfect culinary companion to fi sh, shellfi sh, islands, which takes my breath away. From the old tools of the trade—vine cutters, PEARSON/GETTYIMAGES DOUG CLOCKWISE: FOODCOLLECTION RF/GETTYIMAGES; AGE FOTOSTOCK/ALAMY; ABHILASHA OJHA and white meat dishes. spectacular sunsets to the high quality wines grape crushers, wooden barrels, grape 5048 travelandleisureindia.intravelandleisureindia.in travelandleisureindia.in 49 T+L 07_BYND_Croatia_Food&Wine_17-2nd time.indd 48-49 27/06/17 11:02 pm BEYOND Summer Sips Uncorking Korcula On the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea lies Korcula, the island that is beginning to get attention from global wine connoisseurs and culinary enthusiasts. By Abhilasha Ojha You can sample port right hen Frano Banicevic pours Plavac Toreta from the barrel, including 2015, a fairly refi ned the one from your birth year. wine, it seems like drops of garnet dance Wand twirl in my glass. The Toreta vineyards are located in Smokvica, “Life,” he says, smiling intently, one of the oldest villages in Korcula. This family- “is useless without wine.” This is the owned wine brand—founded by Banicevic’s sixth wine that we’re tasting as part great grandfather almost fi ve decades ago—is of Korcula’s wine tour (pronounced considered to be one of the earliest private Kor-chu-la), a four-hour, must-do wineries to bring out premium-quality Posip. expedition organised by Korkyra Info It produces roughly 40,000 bottles of wine per Agency (korkyra.info) that takes you Clockwise: A plate of year, growing Posip, Rukatac, and Plavac. around the island, one of the prettiest chips and barbequed I realise that it is a matter of great pride that meat; vineyards in the in Croatia. It is a fascinating journey village of Lumbarda, we taste Posip in Korcula, the birthplace of this to understand Croatian wines, seed sifters, transfer wagons, fi eld tools, among Korcula; a bucket wine. There is such growing interest in this wine fi lled with wine the commodity that is gradually other objects. “These,” says Banicevic, pointing corks—restaurants globally that it is now protected by the Croatian getting noted in markets including to these objet d’art, “were used by my great in the old town don’t law to ensure best practices in cultivation of this the US, Australia,China, Japan, grandfather, and I bet he did more wine throw them away. particular type. Yes, feeling a sense of gratitude Opposite: Stradun and parts of Europe. production with these than what modern in Dubrovnik is for this experience is inadvertent. “Every wine,” Banicevic tells us, wineries do with technologically-savvy tools.” home to many cafe Croatia’s beauty was evident from the serving us a platter of home-made What may have been the secret, I ask, biting into and bars. moment our fl ight touched down in Split, cheese, “is diff erent vintage. There delicious cheddar cheese, as one of the attention- the second-largest city in Croatia with its rich is no cut-and-paste job in wines. seeking cats meow. “Ah,” Banicevic says, history, majestic buildings, beautiful beaches, Each wine,” he says, pouring his next shrugging his shoulders, “it is passion.” and gorgeous sunsets. Our trip to Croatia, creation, Posip Special 2016, “has to Toreta’s Posip collection is quite splendid. a reunion of sorts for two old school mates be created diff erently.” The straw-golden yellow-coloured wine leaves a and I, included not just Split, but also Trogir, By now, there are three cats vying thick trail in the glass given its richness. Korcula, and Dubrovnik. While all the cities have for our attention in Toreto’s wine Harmonious, pleasant and intense on the their charm, it is the wine paradise of Korcula, tasting room, which also houses a palate, Posip, for the record, is considered the inarguably Croatia’s most beautiful and greenest vintage museum of sorts showcasing perfect culinary companion to fi sh, shellfi sh, islands, which takes my breath away. From the old tools of the trade—vine cutters, PEARSON/GETTYIMAGES DOUG CLOCKWISE: FOODCOLLECTION RF/GETTYIMAGES; AGE FOTOSTOCK/ALAMY; ABHILASHA OJHA and white meat dishes. spectacular sunsets to the high quality wines grape crushers, wooden barrels, grape 48 travelandleisureindia.in travelandleisureindia.intravelandleisureindia.in 4951 T+L 07_BYND_Croatia_Food&Wine_17-2nd time.indd 48-49 27/06/17 11:02 pm BEYOND Summer Sips producers of wine today. “Our forte lies in producing only premium wines. Going forward, we will continue to grow in exports,” says that the island produces, Korcula is the Diana Petcovic, a senior offi cial of Blato 1902, destination to visit. while fi lling our glasses with a wonderful red. On a wine map, the island is divided into four Blato 1902 is a growing company, which sections: Lumbarda, Cara, Smokvica, and Blato, produces, besides wines, its range of olive each known for its particular grapes, vineyards, oils, and fi gs, and also has restaurants and and family-run wineries. While the central catering businesses. region of the island grows Posip and Rukatac, Our wine tasting experience, that includes on the eastern tip of the island grows Grk, freshly baked bread and freshly-pressed olive oil, another white grape only found in the village its jade colour almost sparkling as Petcovic pours of Lumbarda. Tipple tourism is at its best here, some in a pristine white, ceramic plate, is with the tourism board and private players subliminal. It is in Korcula, in the heart of the off ering curated wine tours to travellers willing numerous vineyards, where some of the best to explore the island. We see the entire island wines are produced, that one understands why on a self-drive tour, with stops at Smokvica wine tours have become so relevant. In a glass Kanavelic, a 16th century poet. The three-course and Blato, before heading to Korcula to fi nish of wine, there’s much more than just that—you lunch in Chakula—each course is paired with our trip in style with a three-course lunch paired are, obliviously, sipping on history, immersing a diff erent wine, of course—is an invitation with diff erent kinds of wines, red, white, yourself in local traditions, and tasting secrets to gastronomical luxury and history.