A wealth of shiny bubbles
Bubbles refresh us, pair wonderfully with gastronomy, cheer us up, and are a real treat for the palate. And if they're local, then the pleasure is doubled!
Perhaps not everyone knows that Kvarner is the third wine region in terms of sparkling wine production in Croatia. It is really worth taking a wine trip from Kastav and Zvoneć, via Krk, all the way to Novi Vinodolski and experience the sparkling wines that our region has to offer, mostly produced from white indigenous varieties such as Žlahtina on Krk and in the Vinodol area and Jarbola in the Zvoneć region, but also from Trojiščina, a red indigenous variety originating from the island of Susak that has adapted ideally to Krk.
Although Bakarska Vodica is still the main link with Kvarner for many, it is now just a distant memory because the region today produces high-quality sparkling wines using various methods, and I, as a resident of Rijeka, can say that there is nothing better than a Kvarner sparkling aperitif while looking out over the Kvarner Bay with good company and the smell of a fine fish dinner.
As in many other wine regions, the three main methods of sparkling wine production in Kvarner are: the traditional, classic or champagne method, which we will recognize by the aromas of butter, toasted bread, croissants and sophisticated bubbles, the charmat or martinotti method known for its freshness and fruity and floral aromatics, and the first sparkling wine production method ever, ancestral, unfiltered wine that stands out for its freshness, lightness and fruitiness.
These are the three most important methods of producing sparkling wine that we find on the world market today, so we can once again witness the region's great leap forward towards international trends in the wine world, because in order to be of high quality and recognizable, we must always learn from the best!
I love to enjoy the sparkling wine of the Ružić winery and family, which is produced using the traditional method from the indigenous Marbola grape variety. It has all the elements that I desire in a sparkling wine: freshness, complexity that comes from two years of aging on the yeasts, aromatics that continuously open in the glass, and elegant and numerous bubbles. It is an ideal wine for an aperitif before a meal, with cold appetizers such as white fish carpaccio or raw shrimp, but even with a warm appetizer such as pasta with crab.
Everything that is special is interesting and that's why I am most impressed by its uniqueness, because the Masbola variety is only found in that small area, and the sparkling variety is only found in the Ružić winery, so when we have the opportunity to taste this label, we know that it is truly unique.
Monika Neral – a linguist by profession, but her love for wine has accompanied her throughout her life, especially during her long stay in Italy and return to her native Opatija, where she turned that love into a hobby and a job, connecting languages and wine and constantly working on her own education and knowledge. Monika is a sommelier with the third level of WSET, the only woman in Croatia and Italy with a gold international ASI diploma and for the last three years in a row she has placed third at the Croatian Sommelier Championship, representing the only female face in the semi-finals and finals. She also had the honor of attending the Austrian Sommelier Championship, which opened up new horizons for her and contributed to her professional experience. After working in various luxury hotels in Croatia and abroad, she found her satisfaction in her own business for sommelier education and services Vinner and performs her work dynamically in various countries, which makes it tailor-made for her.
