When you first hear the term "moon wine" your heart begins to flutter at the inherently romantic phrase. When you hear that it is called "moon wine" because different phases of the moon affect how the wine is fermented, you do your best to prevent an instinctive eye-roll.
Brkic, a small, generational winery located in the town of Citluk immediately adjacent to Medjugorje, is one of a collection of excellent winemakers located in the southern, Hercegovina region of the country of Bosna i Hercegovina. They specialize in three types of white wines and one red wine, each with its own distinctive bouquet, vintage, and appeal to the five Americans who raided its premises last Sunday.
Without any reservation or prior knowledge that the winery would be open, we were warmly welcomed by two of the sons into the Brkic winery to see where the wines were distilled and fermented in large metal tanks and their eventual wooden barrels. My wife Maria and I had been to Brkic before, but were still delighted to hear the origins of the various wines again. All of their vintages have distribution across BiH, and some are even sold in California in competitively crowded Napa Valley distributors.
"This is our special wine," said my wife, interpreting the words of the tour guide from Serbo-Croatian to our untrained ears. "This wine is made special, and is produced depending on the different phases of the moon." "Moon wine!" I whispered excitedly into my aunt's ear before elbowing her violently. You see, I once was a skeptic, but I am now an enthusiastic convert.
"This is a limited wine. Only 1000 bottles per year," explained our guide. "Not shipped outside of the country." I could see my father's eyebrows peak - always expect a Pavlovian response from any Montoya when the words "limited," "exclusive," "no pictures," or "unlimited salad and breadsticks" are uttered. After being able to see all of the wines in the cool, dark environment of their production phase in the basement below, it was time to head upstairs for the tasting.
I'll spare the flowery descriptions of the three white wines and one red one that we sampled, since each end user experience is different, and I haven't the slightest clue about how to evaluate wine. Just make your own review in your head, and alternate using the following phrases: "buttery," "notes of lavender," "oakishness," "essence of lingonberry," and "brazen lack of self-control." Each of us liked different wines but I would like to say that all of the newcomers to Brkic are now believers in the power of the moon. The pour bucket, to dispose of wine after tasting a small amount, was only reluctantly and sparingly used. In BiH, they actually won't mind if you never use it at all.
If you plan on visiting Brkic, call a few days in advance, and aside from the wonderful tour, you can also eat at their main dining area or "al fresco" which is Italian for "post pictures of your experience to piss off your FB friends."
Our smiles at the end of the visit spoke volumes about how great the experience was. Actually, the volumes of wine we bought spoke volumes about our great time. Fifteen bottles for 5 people. Effing moon wine, baby.
Great Review!
ReplyDelete