Franjo Žnidarić and his wife Daniela, from Hrastina between Zaprešić and Marija Gorica, named their cabernet sauvignon rosé “023” after the last digits of their children’s birth years. The children were born in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and the wine was the star of Okusi ljeta (Tastes of Summer), a small festival of raspberries and rosé that continues on 13 July, from 5 p.m., at their winery and the nearby Đurinski winery in Hruševec Kupljenski and Vugec winery in Donja Pušća.
The first day of this fruit-and-wine gathering offered cheer and music, and guests enjoyed wines beyond the rosés as well. At Franjo’s, be sure to taste the rizling still maturing in a concrete egg; at this stage of its development it comes across as a very fine, refreshing summer wine. Not to be missed, of course, are Traminac 2023 and the traditional-method sparkler Luce mala, both crowned with gold medals at Mundus Vini in Germany, one of the world’s largest wine competitions.
Stjepan Đurinski and his family made their first rosé from last year’s harvest. Cabernet sauvignon dominates it, seasoned and freshened by smaller proportions of wine from several other varieties. There, too, the first day of Tastes of Summer was full of merry playing and singing, so there is no doubt it will be the same on Sunday. Wines from traminac are also Štef’s pride – predikat bottlings, very sweet, such as the Traminac Selection of Dried Berries 2015 (izborna berba prosušenih bobica) or the Ice Harvest 2015. The former was the overall champion at this year’s Kvarner International Wine Trophy, while the latter placed second at this year’s tasting of Vinski klub’s 100 Best Wines of Croatia.
At Štef’s, meanwhile, a young “true” – that is, red – cabernet sauvignon suited the pleasantly cool evening. It is unburdening, quite airy, and every sip brings a smile. Poured straight from the tank, it was at nearly the perfect temperature, cooler than we are usually accustomed to for wines of this variety but absolutely fitting here. Should the sun warm things before the evening, a young Graševina (welschriesling, Slavonia’s signature white) will refresh; and once the moon rises – full, we should note – an excellent bijeli pinot (pinot blanc) will fortify. Summer is precisely the season to enjoy last year’s wines like these, which are ready yet still resting in the tanks.
13.07.2025.
