“There are no small parts, only small actors”. I’m sure you’ve heard this expression before and while it’s adjustably applicable to acting, the wine world doesn’t tend to beat around the bush. Big grapes are big for a reason. You commit to them properly and know your shit in both vineyard and winery, you’re in for some mind-altering experiences. Continue reading “House Pour: A Real Guide to Italian Nebbiolo”
Tag Archives: wine
Ask the Pros: 2017 Balkan Vintage Report
What a rollecoaster of weather conditions 2017 has been. From spring frost to extreme temperatures to heavy rain, this was truly the survival of the fittest. Only the most competent viticulturists got their grapes out of this alive and well and have passed the torch to their winemakers. Talking to some of the most skillful people in the Balkan region, I can conclude that the 2017 vintage will bring bottled magic to our tables. We just have to WAIT. Will it be worth it? Read on and find out. Continue reading “Ask the Pros: 2017 Balkan Vintage Report”
Filling in the Blancs: Aleksandar Duković
In the new Filling in the Blancs I’ve interviewed one out of my 10 life mentors. People always laugh at this, but I kid you not, I have a list stashed in my notebook of the ten people that influenced my perspectives on existence & business and shaped me to be the man I am today. I was introduced to some very early (hi, dad), while others arrived through different networking events and situations. Aleksandar Duković has always fascinated me and is simply one of those people that you just listen to and think “damn, this guy has HUSTLED”. Continue reading “Filling in the Blancs: Aleksandar Duković”
Filling in the Blancs: Gregor Kren
Dear readers, let me introduce you to a man that pushed the level of studying at the Austrian Wine Academy to another level, a level many have never even come close to. Gregor Kren, a sommelier at Oštarija (Novo Mesto) and creator of Slovenia’s hip Pop Up Wine Festival, is the leader that every squad strives towards having. He organized some of the best wine tastings I have ever attended in a place that I would have never seen myself in a hundred years – Rust, Austria. There, while studying the WSET Diploma, we opened Champagne with sabers, studied the shit out of those huge books and laughed our asses off with some of the biggest names in the business. I’ll take this opportunity to thank him for all the awesomeness and legendary friendship we formed. Now, enjoy! Continue reading “Filling in the Blancs: Gregor Kren”
Wine Blown: Carska Vina Žilavka Premium Edition 2015
This blog is taking it’s turn into a source of wine knowledge that sparks interest for anybody to jump on with his/her contribution. Of course, not just ANYBODY can judge a wine and go public with it, so for the first time in Grape Nomad’s history, I’m proud to announce the first helping hand on this website – Adin Bulatović, manager of Delikatesna Radnja and wine aficionado in the making. Adin started out as an exemplary beer drinker, but found passion in wine a few years back at a couple of my workshops. He jumped right into the wine world by trying several samples primarily from B&H, but slowly continued to Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Spain…He not only focused on the practice, but also hit the books (and Google) hard, soaking up info about food pairings, regions, grape varieties and soils. The place he works at is one of my favorite places in Sarajevo to just kick back and relax with a proper glass of wine and a simple bite to eat. It’s basically a wine bar/bistro that takes pride in quality and aims for uniqueness with a concentration on Balkan wines, but also a convenient selection of Italian and Spanish as well. Continue reading “Wine Blown: Carska Vina Žilavka Premium Edition 2015”
Your Istrian Go-To Winemaker: Trapan Wine Station
Call him the bad-boy of winemaking, the Istrian RocknRolla or the young zealot of Teran. But whatever the name tag is, one cannot dispute the fact that Bruno Trapan is definitely a game changer freshening up the scene with his avant-garde approach and thrilling personality. You may be shocked by his bluntness or click with him immediately, but one thing is certain – you will not leave his winery indifferent. Continue reading “Your Istrian Go-To Winemaker: Trapan Wine Station”
Istria Is Launching Wine to the Moon and It’s Going To Be Epic
Biodynamic production just entered a whole new dimension. Well, sort of. By the end of 2017, Istrian producers of the indigenous Teran should launch their wine(s) to the Moon. The offer for this seemingly insane fantasy came from Google Lunar XPRIZE, a competition worth 30 million dollars. Team Synergy Moon, one of the five finalists, will launch a rocket that Google will fund to travel 500 meters and transmit high resolution video, images and data back to Earth . The team’s rover created just enough room for a bottle of Istrian Teran to make history in outer space. Continue reading “Istria Is Launching Wine to the Moon and It’s Going To Be Epic”
Bucketlist: Wine Regions of Former Yugoslavia
You are sitting in a wine bar with a couple of friends, thinking of what new wine to try and one of them suggests a bottle of Prokupac. Proku what? Most wine drinkers have never heard of this popular Serbian grape variety nor of Vranac, Blatina, Rebula, Teran, etc. for that matter. Even though relatively small, all ex-Yu grape-growing regions (all in all, six of them) have a unique ability to spark up your wanderlust and put you on the first plane to the south-eastern part of Europe. Continue reading “Bucketlist: Wine Regions of Former Yugoslavia”
Wunderkind of Pelješac: Boutique Winery Vicelić
Lately, I’ve been having a lot of these first-winery-epic-greeting moments. Vicelić is a surname to engrave into this category without doubt. Honestly, I haven’t read or heard a lot about this guy up until my visit, but I must admit, eating tuna steak in a vineyard 200 metres above the Adriatic Sea is all the PR I need. A boutique winery humbly producing 20.000 bottles a year, Vicelić is the new kid on the block who you introduce to your friends, tell them you know your stuff, let him show his skills and BOOM, you have a reputation. Definitely a better love story than Twilight.
Mateo and his wife Lucija, together with their 3.5 hectares of vines, are the definition of blue-chip hosts. Along a rocky-limestone path, which is the main culprit for the greatness of Plavac Mali, we experienced a real rally ride to their open air tavern. For six hours we talked, laughed, ate and admired the magic of Pelješac, especially the pureness of the Adriatic Sea near midnight, when all goes numb, giving way for darkness to intoxicate every single pore in the body. You feel no burden, no racing thoughts. Just pure bliss cleansing the spirit. Continue reading “Wunderkind of Pelješac: Boutique Winery Vicelić”
Filling in the Blancs: Exotic Wine Travel
You know how most pilot episodes, books or articles are consisted of the author being crazily hyped up, having basically no idea what’s going on, but hoping that his “new thing“ will not fail miserably? Well folks, the first Filling in the Blancs had many candidates lined up, but I’d say this one initially struck the lotto. Matt and Charine are two young wine lovers who have decided to flip over the table and head on a quest of turning their passion for THE drink into a career and call it Exotic Wine Travel. It’s been a bumpy road through lesser-known regions, but step by step, winery after winery, they’re getting closer to their goal. So far, they’ve published two books – Travel Learn Earn: Let the World Be Your Guide to Freedom, as well as Uncorking the Caucasus: Wine from Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia and have appeared on JancisRobinson.com, Wine Folly, Future Travel and Wine Tourist Magazine. Continue reading “Filling in the Blancs: Exotic Wine Travel”
Grape Nomad 