Prošek as the pride of Kvarner
No matter where you are in Croatia, the crowning glory of any sumptuous meal is the moment when a tempting dessert, prepared with a lot of effort and love, arrives on the table. In the wine world, it is always a dessert wine, and in Kvarner it is called prosecco and is made from the queen of Kvarner wines – žlahtina. Prosecco is traditionally produced in Kvarner and the islands, and sometimes doctors even prescribed it as medicine. Today, this wine is carefreely enjoyed on various occasions.
Even birds on a branch know that Žlahtina can produce a wide range of wine styles, and what would you say if I told you that you could accompany a 5-course dinner with only one variety, our indigenous Žlahtina?! That would truly be a true Kvarner wine experience! Sparkling wine for an aperitif, fresh wine for a cold appetizer, aged wine for a hot appetizer, macerated wine with the main course, and prosecco for dessert.
Winemakers recognized long ago that Žlahtina is a real wine chameleon. It is a variety that suits different wine styles, including dessert wine, and through years of long tradition, winemakers have perfected various techniques and tricks to make that wine even better. Thanks to all this, guests from all over the world recognized the quality and long tradition of these wines, which led to an increasing demand, and thus to the production of the same.
What better way to end a Kvarner wine and gastronomy dinner than with a glass of Žlahtina prosecco? If you think that cake is the only way to sweeten your meal, then you are wrong!
My choice for ending the dinner is a glass of dessert wine, thick and sweet like syrup, and the dessert wine of St. Ivan winery The Ivan Katunar Wine House proudly boasts a luxurious and rich bouquet of overripe fruits such as figs, quinces and peaches, raisins, honey, candied almonds, candied orange and lemon peel. And if you really don't want to give up cake, imagine what a combination it would be if you treated your palate to both! However, keep in mind that in such a combination the wine should be sweeter than the food in order to complete the experience and the wine to prolong the flavor. My suggestion for pairing this wine with food are the indigenous Kvarner sweets such as Rab cake and fritule.
And don't forget, dessert wine doesn't require a special occasion. It can be enjoyed at the end of any lunch or dinner, formal or casual, summer or winter.
Marinela Mrkonja – she has a master's degree in economics by profession, but she found her true passion in the world of wine. Since 2019, she has been systematically studying and training, and she obtained her sommelier education at WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust), one of the most prestigious wine schools for education about wines and spirits, passing the second level in 2021 and the third level in 2023. She is also a member of the Croatian Sommelier Club and for two years in a row she tried her hand as a "trainee" jury member in wine evaluation at the prestigious Vinistra wine fair. She wanted to stimulate interest in wine culture and table culture among young people, and she finds joy and motivation in every glass of wine precisely because each one is different and can be experienced differently.
