Huljić Wines
Welcome to our gastronomic fairytale, in which a passion for wine and good food has been passed down from generation to generation, through six generations of careful wine production. Teo Huljić is continuing the family’s proud tradition with his own wine cellar and restaurant in which he aims to present both the contemporary and the traditional, to satisfy all the senses.
The Huljić family produce their wines in the family house which is over 200 years old. Teo Huljić is following in the footsteps of his father Dinko, who was one of Hvar’s best-known wine producers. On finishing his schooling, Teo bought a vineyard in St. Luke’s Bay near Jelsa, modernized the wine cellar and embarked on producing wine independently in the other part of the cellar. He extended his knowledge through working in other wineries and well-known Croatian restaurants. He started producing his wines in 1993, and opened his restaurant ten years later.
White wines:
‘Maestral’
This wine is named after the cooling maestral (mistral) wind which brings relief in the burning heat of the high summer. It is a combination of four grape varieties: parč, bogdanuša, pošip and maraškino. It is made in stainless steel vats with chilled maceration and controlled cool fermentation. The different grape varieties are processed separately and blended in the later phase. The wine is aged on a fine residue until the New Year, and blended in January.
This wine’s characteristics are: elegance, balance, medium structure, drinkability, with a fruity aroma and pleasant mineral content. Notes of flowers and herbs are evident.
It is recommended for pairing with fish, pasta dishes and light cheeses.
‘A Drop of Sunshine’ (Kap sunca)
This wine is a blend of two grape varieties, parč and bogdanuša, which come exclusively from one vineyard in St. Luke’s Bay. The bay is well known as the place where the Ancient Romans grew grapes and made wine. They had their own landing stage for the boats which transported the wine for export, although this no longer exists. The yields from the vines are relatively small, but they produce a balanced medium-bodied wine with a broad structure, good mineral content, a flowery aromatic smell. Citrus notes dominate the aroma – lemon, green paprika, apple, grapefruit and aromatic Dalmatian plants – immortelle and camomile. Lemon, camomile, immortelle and apple can be sensed in the taste. The wine consists of 70% bogdanuša and 30 % parč grapes.
It is recommended for pairing with bakalar (dried salt cod), fish soup, stews and suchlike.
‘Pošip’
This is a full-bodied white wine, which is greenish-yellow in colour, mildly acidic, with a creamy taste. It develops a fruity bouquet with a distinctive, rich flavour redolent of the scent of apricots, figs and spicy herbs. Pošip is an autochthonous Dalmatian variety, originally from the Island of Korčula. Because of its distinctive flavour and high quality it belongs at the top of Croatian white wines.
Recommended for pairing with fish, white meat and shellfish.
‘Mekuja’
Our Mekuja wine is made from the grape variety of the same name, which was present about a hundred years ago in the central region of Hvar Island. Between the neglect of individual vineyards and the planting of other grape varieties, mekuja has become threatened with extinction, rarely to be found on the island. Nowadays there are only between 2000 and 3000 vines of this variety. Our ‘Mekuja’ wine is medium-bodied with a pleasing fruity flavour. We produce about 400 bottles a year, which are only available in our Huljić wine-bar.
Recommended for pairing with pasta in a light sauce and white meat, as well as cooked fish (the local dish, gregada) and shellfish cooked in sauce (školjke na buzaru)
‘Palaruša‘
Our Palaruša wine is made from the grape variety of the same name, but very little is known about this variety. It used to be grown in the central area of Hvar Island. ‘Palaruša’ is a pleasant summer wine with pronounced fruity notes and mild acidity. On Hvar only about 200 palaruša vines are left, and we make about 100 bottles a year, which are only available in our own wine-bar.
Palarušais is recommended for pairing with grilled fish, shellfish and semi-soft cheese.
Red wines:
‘Global‘
This wine was given its name because it is a blend of the international varieties cabernet sauvignon and merlot, combined with the autochthonous Dalmatian variety mali plavac from the Jelsan vineyards on the north side of Hvar Island. It has a full flavour and mildly stated acidity, with a long-lasting harmonious body.
It reveals its youth with its intensive aromas of dark berries -blackberries and plums – through the freshness of blueberries and even a hint of atypical cranberry (similar to cranberry jam). It has a noticeable herbal freshness. In finish this wine is medium-lasting and fruity, its taste gently leaving the mouth.
Recommended for barbecued meals with dark sauces.
‘Plamen‘
Our Plamen is a red wine made from plavac mali grapes grown on the southern slopes of Hvar Island around Ivan Dolac, in the areas of Marinovica and Medvid Bad. Mali plavac wines from Hvar’s southern slopes are among the best red wines in Croatia. Because the hillsides are so steep the land has to be worked manually, and there is no way of using mechanical machines. Pesticides and fungicides are totally unnecessary because of the steeply angled ground and poor soil, so that these wines are produced ecologically and organically. The yield per vine is 0.5 kg. The wine has a pronounced bouquet of sweet cherries, sour black cherries and liquorice.
Recommended for pairing with red meat, game and the local speciality pašticada (marinated meat with gnocchi).
Rosé:
‘Huljić Rosé‘
Our rosé wine is made from plavac mali grapes in the traditional way, after the grapes have been crushed, poured after two or three hours and cold-fermented at 17°C. This is a medium-bodied dry wine with bittersweet notes of raspberry and cherry, with a light pepper taste at the finish, ideal for drinking in the afternoon.
Recommended for pairing with pasta dishes, patés and salads
WINE TASTINGSs
Our wine tastings take place in the wine-bar which is part of our old family wine-cellar, presented in the old rustic Dalmatian style. Tastings of different types are organised by arrangement. We believe our task as wine-makers is to re-discover the grape varieties which were grown by long tradition on the island, and which have virtually disappeared. So in our list of wines we have some made from grapes which are close to extinction, and our wine-cellar is the only place where you can sample them.
THE HULJIĆ WINE LIST
WHITE WINES:
Maestral
Kap sunca
Pošip
Mekuja
Palaruša
RED WINES:
Global
Plamen
ROSÉ WINE:
Huljić Rosé
Contact information:
Vina Huljić
Address: Jelsa, 21465 Jelsa
Telephone: +385 (0)91 178 8880
E-mail: teohuljic@gmail.com
Facebook: / https://www.facebook.com/thuljic
