CROATIAN FOOD AND WINE

Croatian Food and Wine Articles and Photos:

Authentic Cuisine from Vis Island - In yesterday’s eddition of Guardian.co.uk, the article about food and drink of Vis Island has been published. There is also a 9 minute video accompanying the article that features some local klapa music and comments of local people about Vis, its history farming, fishing, making wine and singing. The title of the video is “Life in the slow lane on the Croatian island of Vis”.

Grape and Wine Festival on Brac - Days of the Varenik 2009 - At the beginning of October, in Supetar on the Island of Brac, the traditional autumn event, “Grape and Wine Festival”, is hold. The festival is a week of local cuisine devoted to the “varenik”..

New Ilok accommodation with a view of vineyards   - As of spring 2009, visitors who choose to visit the Croatian town of Ilok  and its surrounding area, enjoy the many vineyards and taste excellent wine, will be able to use five 4-star apartments and a presidential apartment in Principovac near Ilok.

Istrian specialties presented around the world - The Italian gastro-guide Veronelli and the French Vienna-licensed guide Gault Millau present Croatian specialties and restaurants on their pages – to be specific, those from Istria and Kvarner.

Vineyards and Wine Cellars of Ilok   - When speaking of Ilok, Croatia’s easternmost city, for most people the first thing that comes to mind is good wine. This is, however a city also known for its wealth of cultural heritage.

The museum of Olive Oil Making at Island of Brac - The Museum of Olive Oil Making is opened in the village of Mirca – small place located on the northern part of the island of Brac. The village has always been known as a village of oil makers. The museum is located in the premises of the existing oil making facility, constructed in the 1950’s. Old machines..

About Croatian Cusine:

Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, and is therefore known as "the cuisine of regions".

Its modern roots date back to Proto-Slavic and ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions.

Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Proto-Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today - Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish - while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian and French.

Croatia has some great red wines. Some of the best ones are Kastelet (especially 1996 and 1997), Plavac and Babic. All of these are from Dalmatia and are especially good with fish and meat dishes, best served at room temp.

One might also wish to try Istrian Merlot, but if you're travelling to Croatia, you'll be able to taste some great locally produced wines in konobas, guest houses and bars which are generally not available in shops. For a sweeter, liqueur like dessert wine try Prosek, very smooth, light wine drank after dinner or sometimes as an aperitif.

Some of the better known white wines are Posip, Kastelet and Pljesivica (often drunk in the north mixed with sparkling water, called gemisht) and Daruvarski Rizling, a reizling white wine.

You might also wish to try some Croatia liqueurs, such as Maraschino (made from Maraska cherries in Zadar region), Kruskovac (from pears), Orahovac (walnut), Sljivovica (plum brandy) etc. which vary from region to region. (source: The Croatian National Tourist Office)