If it’s a Tuesday and you love fine wines, Bornstein is the place to be.
There are more and more wine bars and venues where you can taste fine wines in Zagreb. Wine Tuesday is a new concept introduced by the legendary and oldest wine shop and bar Bornstein located at Kaptol in Zagreb. The project has been conceived and organised in cooperation and joint production with Menu, an internet portal for gastronomy and tourism.
The project includes wine workshops held once or twice a month, always on Tuesdays, where different wines will be presented and tasted, accompanied by delicious snacks from the Bornstein kitchen. Autochthonous wine varieties from all Croatian regions, produced by both renowned winemakers and by those winemakers who are still not well-known and are yet to find their place in the Croatian market.
In addition to the Croatian wines, wines from all the world's regions will be sampled as well, with particular emphasis on autochthonous varieties and world-famous regions, as well as regions and winemakers not yet represented in the Croatian market.
The first Wine Tuesday was held this week under the title New World Wines – Australia, which is not surprising given that the owner of the company and the wine shop Ivan Srpek is a Croat born in Australia.
The guests tasted the wines produced by the D'Arenberg winery, which has been present on the Croatian market for 15 years now and is one of the oldest wineries in Australia, officially established in 1912 in the Maclaren Vale region in southern Australia. It has been in the family ownership for four generations, and today it is headed by the owner, winemaker and main oenologist Chester Osborn, who continues the tradition by using traditional methods in vineyards and winemaking.
Given that the family used to breed horses, the first investment in the winery was money received from a sale of a racing horse, and one of the first wines was named after it, The Footbolt Shiraz, which is still offered today. In 2004, the D'Arenberg winery was selected among the 100 most popular wineries in Australia by the influential English journalist and oenologist Matthew Jukes. This year, Chester Osborn was included in the list of 100 most influential business people in Australia by The Advertiser's List of South Australia. While the focus is primarily on wines, the winery also owns a top restaurant, d’Arrys Verandha, which was declared one of the best in Australia in 2005.
Today, each of the winery vineyards has a certificate for organic and biodynamic wine production issued by NASSA. The pride of the winery is a newly-built part of the cellars and presentation halls, a beautiful example of modern architecture. The building, which opened to the public in 2017, is named The Cube, and it has received a nomination for the most beautiful among the greatest architectural achievements in Australia. A decision by the expert jury is expected soon.
The winery offers numerous wine labels, but some of the best known are those offered at the tasting part of the first Wine Tuesday at Bornstein. The wines in question were: The Stump Jump RSM 2017 – Cuvee of Sauvignon, Riesling and Marsana, The Olive Growe Chardonnay 2017, and the main star of the event, an excellent Shiraz which is great value for money for just 140 kuna – the celebrated The Footbolt from 2015.
There is no doubt that Bornstein's Wine Tuesdays will contribute to wine education and provide journalists, bloggers and wine specialists, as well as those who just love wines and want to learn something new, a permanent venue for enjoyment and discussion.
Photos by Rene Karaman
