Home » Croatia » A taste of Croatia: Boškinac and the wines and flavours of Pag

A taste of Croatia: Boškinac and the wines and flavours of Pag

by Amanda Barnes
Pag wine and Boskinac flavours

Pag is, like most of Croatia’s islands, quite remarkable. A large, sun-bleached rocky outcrop in the middle of the Adriatic sea, surrounded by crystal-clear water and with perfect beaches that pull in the tourists. But there’s another reason that gastronomes and oenophiles might want to stay the night – on Pag you can enjoy some of the tastiest, most succulent lamb in the country. There are a host of tasty flavours in Pag and the Boškinac restaurant and hotel offers an insight into some of the island’s delicacies, Croatian flavours and Pag wine.

Boškinac hotel, restaurant and Pag wineBoškinac today is a beautiful hotel and restaurant tucked into the hillsides of Pag island, but the original incarnation of Boškinac was a winery after the owner, Boris Šuljić, set out to rescue an indigenous grape variety that was on the verge of extinction. Gegić is a white variety native to the island and his mission was to revitalise this variety, which his father had vinified in a local blend of this Pag wine many years before. Boškinac is now the proud owner of the world’s largest vineyard of Gegić – with just one and a half hectares of it.

It’s not surprising it was abandoned; Boškinac’s own vines produce less than 500g of grapes per vine (compared to the 5kg-yield of some varieties of vine). However, the family has chosen to champion this grape and, while it isn’t particularly aromatic (light blossom, fruit and citrus aromas), it has an appealing mineral, saline note that works nicely with food. As an orange wine, it develops a sweet almond note and candied mango but still finishes with a mineral freshness which makes it very enjoyable. The family restaurant is the perfect place to showcase the variety – with both winemaking styles.

The restaurant champions local ingredients in a modern gastronomy scene. Take, for example, the Pag cheese – a sheep’s cheese, which has a salty quality that sits nicely with a glass of Gegić. I tasted Pag cheese all over Croatia and it is clearly highly revered. The reason for this is that the sheep on Pag (whether used to produce cheese or meat) come from a unique terroir that influences the flavour. 

The island has this vicious wind, called the bura, which can blow up to 150 miles per hour and strips the land of much of its vegetation, leaving only the hardy Mediterranean shrubbery and herbs for sheep fodder. The result is deeply flavoured meat, where herbal aromatics come through, regardless of the seasoning added during cooking. The Pag lamb goes well with the deep, berry-licious Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend also made on the island.

The other great meat that comes as a blessing from the bura wind is locally-produced prosciutto – which is dried in the wind. Intense, salty and mouth-watering with a glass of chilled white wine.

Another, more inclusively Croatian experience is the olive oil tasting. There is one from Istria in the north, which is the most peppery; another from Peljesac in the south, – which is smooth with a slow spiciness; and the sweetest oil of them all is from Dalmatia, in central Croatia.

But, as with any renowned restaurant, there are always those chef-y touches too: take the cuttle fish sashimi with al-dente ink spaghetti, smooth garlic mousse and popping roe. Who doesn’t delight in a mixture of textures and bubbles of liquid popping in their mouth? That’s what makes tasting menus fun.

Another dish that shone in a chef-sense was the most delicately prepared scampi, lightly steamed to remain practically translucent, and smoked in rosemary, which was served with a rich bisque. Seafood is a staple on the Croatian islands and this was an accomplished dish.

My favourite Pag wine pairing was, in fact, the orange Gegić – the most universal pairing wine of them all. I love skin-contact white/orange wines for food and this one hits the nail on the head. I tried the 2015 vintage, but the server proudly told me that the 2012 vintage is the one to try: the grapes that year were covered in salt (whipped up from the sea to the vineyard in a big storm), the winemaker put them in a barrel to deal with later, forgot about them, and a few months later a miraculous orange wine was born.

Boškinac clearly has a fondness for certain vintages, as you can tell by their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend: usually, this wine retails at about €30 but 2009 was apparently so spectacular it costs €1000 on their menu today…

Regardless of the interesting pricing strategy, the foodie-wino-experience at Boškinac is more than worth making a visit to the island. The setting is idyllic, the staff professional, and the visit gives you a ride through Croatian – and Pag – flavours, which are certainly something to be savoured.

Take a look at the whole tasting menu on our Instagram feed below:

How does an 8-course Croatian tasting menu go? It goes a little something like this… – Pag lamb tempura ball with olive garnish with their traditional method sparkling Ugni Blanc. The secret to this is Pag lamb- it only eats the hardy herbs that can survive the harsh wind on the island, giving the meat a flavourful herbal character. – Olive oil tasting with oil from the north (Istria), the middle (Dalmatia) and the bottom (Peljesac) with homemade bread. – Cuttlefish finely sliced and served on top of garlic foam and cuttlefish ink spaghetti with row, an ultimately textural experience! Served with their native Gegić grape. – Rosemary-smoked scampi with samphire, so delicately steamed it was almost translucent. Delicious, especially with the delicate, volcanic Chardonnay. – Octopus under a bath of foam, egg yolk, smoke and crisp. A very sensual dish! – Pag lamb prepared two ways with a sweet carrot mouse and bright green beans. Perfect with the Cabernet Sauvignon- Merlot blend. – Some interesting palate cleanser that I don’t remember too well… beetroot, carrot and Campari? I might have enjoyed a few too many glasses by now 😋 – Pistachio go home- an ET style pistacho dessert. Served with delicious Croatian straw wine. – A sweet treat to help you count some ship and finish your evening! 🐑 – A fabulous whirlwind of Pag & Croatian flavours @hotelboskinac 🇭🇷🍷

A post shared by Amanda Barnes (@80harvests_wine) on

Pag wine tasting notes from Boškinac winery
Gegić 2016 €10

This white variety is the pride and joy of the winery because they saved this indigenous grape from extinction, and their production of it is the world’s largest (just over a hectare in total!). It has a lightly aromatic nose and mouth with blossom, white pear, citrus and tropical notes and medium body with a saline, mineral finish.

White Cuvee 2014 €15

A blend of Gegić (40%), Chardonnay (30%) and Sauvignon Blanc (30%), this blend shows a bit more development on the nose, with notes of almond among the white blossom and orchard fruit notes.

Red Cuvee 2013 €30

This intense blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon has spent two years in barrel, but shows plenty of rich berry notes on the nose, reflecting the warm sunshine that graces the island. More structured in the mouth, with a long-lasting tickle of spice and a forest herb aroma, this wine is spectacular with the very special local lamb.

Ocu 2015 €30

This is light for an ‘orange wine’ with more of a deep golden colour. In the nose, it is charmingly approachable with notes of marzipan, dried mango and white chocolate and follows through with a fresh but full mouth. A lovely, interesting Pag wine. And most definitely the only orange Gegić in the world.

Want to see the harvest on Pag island? I snuck into a neighbouring vineyard to capture the harvest…

It’s a family affair: harvesting today on the volcanic island of Pag, Croatia

A post shared by Amanda Barnes (@80harvests_wine) on

Other Croatian wine guide articles:

Facebook Comments

You may also like

Leave a Comment

Please subscribe to our lovely, spam-free newsletter to keep up to date with 80 Harvests:

or like us on Facebook:

We will never share your details with third parties. Scout’s honor.