Piližota Babic
This past summer I was so blessed to be invited on a wine trip to Croatia & Slovenia - and wow - what an eye-opener! It was so amazing that I have now been back several times and can honestly say that I have fallen in love!
Our summer trip started in Croatia with it’s jaw-dropping beauty and ancient cities!
I struggle to express how incredible it was to be there - the stunning beauty and the gracious people who welcomed us with open arms! People who’s homes and lands were taken from them when no one could own land (communist rule dictated all land belonged to the state) and then survived the Serbian war. Land mines are still found in vineyards and often buildings are pockmarked from bullets. It’s a world we don’t experience here and while I remember watching the fall of the Berlin Wall and the ending of Yugoslavia & the Soviet Union, it is an entirely different thing to see it in person. To share food & wine while hearing the stories. And it’s a bit like going back in time to walk through ancient cities (seeing where Marco Polo lived!)!
Dalmatia is strikingly beautiful with stunning beaches and cliffs that reach to the sky - bright blue water so clear you can see the bottom even when it’s so deep that you have no perception of what is the bottom and what is close (makes jumping off cliffs slightly intimidating but sooooo fun!). The region hugs the sea so almost everywhere you go has a slight saltiness to the air. Vineyards here are also steep and they gaze at the sea - and oodles of indigenous varietals with names we haven’t seen much of in the States! How fun is that?! Which brings me to Piližota Babic - the perfect wine for cooler evenings and such a perfect representation of this awe-inspiring place ~ I am CRUSHING HARD!
Ivica Piližota is the sweetest, kindest and most humble guy! Who is making legit AF wine just outside the beautiful and historic town of Šibenik, in Central Dalmatia. Soil here is made up of red and brown top soil with clay stones, and a rugged and tough limestone foundation. The vineyard locations are on slopes at about 50 to 300 meters above sea level. These vineyards see some of the warmer temperatures in Dalmatia but with cooler nights and constant salty breezes that vines just love. Hand-harvested, de-stemmed with approximately 10 days of skin maceration (during spontaneous fermentation - duh!) in open stainless steel vats. Resuling juice is put into large (600 liters) used Slavonian oak barrels for about 6 months to provide some softening of tannins and oxygen exchange.
Ripe dark fruit (think blackberries, blueberries, plums, and figs). The typical earthiness of Babić brings balance to the fruit and complexity / structure!! The tannins are smooth & firm with mouthwatering acidity. It is gamey with a lingering gentle finish. Perfect with braised meats or hard cheeses - oooo I had it with the most amazing Cholera Pie (look it up - sooo good!) and it was perfect.
Often places outside of the more familiar wine regions get overlooked even dismissed, but they boast such interesting climates, rich winemaking culture and attention to indigenous varietals. Get outside your comfort zone and give Croatia a try! Go for a visit!! Go soon!!