JOSIC

About

The one who thinks or says, that he knows Croatia as sea land, has to be conscious of the fact that Croatia is also one big wine land and its people are one numerous wine nation.Without exaggerating, the one who acknowledges this truth will also know that wine people are ingenious and wine lands idyllic. If you wish to be a part of that golden wine epoch and pearly environment under the wine-hills, you will surely come to Zmajevac in Baranya. You will walk around and see the birth of the true and pure wine perfection. You will enjoy the empire of taste, scent end phantasy. You will look at fertile land, different sorts of birds, you will see freedom. Few steps further, behind the wine-hills, there are forest and water which pours itself into moist clearness and freshness of crystal pure grapes. You will enjoy sweetness of life, you will breathe in the purest air which will sharpen your senses and you'll become a part of the oldest idyll and feast. Then you will unveil the most hidden secrets. There are also natural cellars which are dug through the clay hills. These cellars are always shady and they keep divine power of making quality and taste. Again, you will enjoy sweetness of life and this walk will not make you tired, but it will fill you with admiration. After all you will relax, sit down and think that everything was just a dream. But you will be a bit deceived! ABOUT WINE CELLARWe are situated in Zmajevac in the Baranya region on the east of Croatia.About BaranyaBordered by the Drava and the Danube rivers and divided by Croatian-Hungarian state border, in the east charmed by a swamp, in the south and southeast sheltered by mouths of the river and in the north and northeast open for connection via wine roads and paths – Baranya is even today quite closed, almost secluded, more mystical than ever before. Despite old bridges having been renovated and new ones being built, regardless of the fact that it is dappled with several international road routes and that it is becoming an ever more interesting tourist destination – at this day Baranya manages to preserve a unique note since its people jealously keep their existential secrets. They strongly and clearly remember the tales older than their own families, secrets of life and survival, of love and dying, wines, hot peppers, special kind of fishing, weddings, buše (traditional masks from Baranya), pudarine (guarding ripening grapes), paunići (embroidered motifs of small peacocks on traditional folk costumes), slamnjače (straw beds) and i kandile (hanging candles). Owing to this still existent ethnographic magic which can be read from the faces of people living outside main roads, Baranja is capable of attracting, yet never revealing itself to the fullest.For centuries, the grape-vine is raised on the hill Banova kosa, in direction East-West along the whole Baranya. The Romans called that hill „the Golden hill“, not because of the gold mine, but because of the „gold drop“. In those days, wine was especially appreciated, because it was drank for refreshment and pleasure. Wine-yards also existed during the reignig of the Turks, and they exist today. The Josić family from Osijek bought in 1999 an old wine-cellar of 42 m2, which was built in 1935. They renovated it, but kept the traditional interior and bought the modern technology. At the same time, the family also bought cca 1,6 ha of old grape-wine plants. Quality wines are made of authentic sorts of grapes raised in their wine-yards on Banova kosa.Love, ambition, enthusiasm and business spirit bring the family the first results. They won some prizes: gold, silver and bronze in 2002 for the vintage 2001 (graševina, pinot gris, and combined red wine sorts).For the last year vintage, the family won the gold for graševina. On the fair „Gast 2004“, which was held in Split, they won the golden medallion for the wine label design. All those prizes were won by the family wine-cellar Josić from Zmajevac, in spite of the great competition of 365 exhibitors from Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.RESTAURANT JOSIĆWe can also introduce our newly opened exclusive restaurant, which tells the story of history of Baranya and its well known wine roads.Unique experience of tasting the delicacies with a view on our 100 years old wine cellar with about 100-thousand liters of wine, what is specific for Josić winery restaurant, in which returnes all those who step in ones.The Restaurant winery Josić certainly can experience hundreds of years old story of Baranya Surduc that will bring to life the tastes of traditional cuisine with an emphasisthe superior quality of prepared meals. Surduk - the Turkish name for the typical notch in the hill with wine cellars, "gators" buried in the ground where the temperature is at all timesbetween, ideal for wine, 12 and 15 degrees Celsius. Surduk, indeed, is one of the most influential cultural and historical resources of this part of Baranya.Gastronomic profile of restaurant is a traditional origin, but with a valuable intervention of contemporary trends. Its offer includes specialties of freshwater fish such as perkelt, Fisherman's soup, smoked fish and meat dishes,wild board meat dishes prepared on barbeque, under the lid,on the grill and the inevitable gulashes. All meals are prepared in the sight of guests.JOSIĆ wines are so far, crowned with numerous gold medals for the quality and multiple awards for design and completely original approach to equipping the wine bottle labels on which are the rare and endangered species of migratory birds of this area. Special flavor on top of everithing are many events that take place in the area of restaurants and wine tasting rooms, which are arranged in a so-called eclectic style that combines traditional - rustic elements with contemporary design solutions. The restaurant is also hosting art exhibitions, regular music program (tambura music, old music, etc.), periodic concert performances. You can also enjoy periodic special culinary events as competition in cooking local dishes (Fišijada, Kulenijada), Days of old Croatian food, wine presentations, and even sommelier courses for amateurs.Restaurant and winery capacity:- Restaurant: 150 seats- Wine Tasting: about 50 seats (also can be organized for serving meals)- Terrace (in summer season): 150 seats- Parking: 60 vehiclesOpening hours: daily 12:00-23:00 hours.SOME OF OUR WINESOur high quality wines have been produced from the authentic Baranya grape sorts grown in their vineyard on Banova kosa. Our wine cellar with its wine production and good marketing promotes the values of the Nature Park Kopački rit. They have decided to use labels presenting rare and imperiled bird species such as: black stork (ciconia nigra), white stork (cicionia ciconia) and redshank that can be found in Kopački rit. Thus they have proved their good relation to environment promoting and offering scope for rare and imperiled birds that have made this area known. - CUVEE (CABERNET FRANC)Very interesting ruby-colored wine, tasting very softly in a pleasing manner. It agrees best with venison, dark meat and strong cheese. It was produced by mixing three sorts of wine: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Pinot.- GRAŠEVINA/RIESLINGVery nice greenish-yellowish wine, of specific taste and bouquet. It agrees best with fish and white meat.- PINOT GRISSoft wine, strong-bodied, with specific bouquet. It agrees with spicy dishes prepared with white meat and quality food fish.- SAUVIGNONRich, harmonious wine of muscatel taste and bouquet, tasting after elder flower. It agrees with white meat served with mushroom sauce.THE WINE ROADThe wine road is a special way of selling the agricultural products of some wine-growing district where farm owners and other participants together, known as wine road, offer their products, especially wine and other specialities. Not only food and drinks, and other tourist offers make the wine road, but also beauty of nature and environment, natural and cultural sights. A wine-growing district includes also potential wine-growing area and nearest tourist attractions, inhabited area which are not on the wine road route, but enlarge an eco-tourist offer. „Construction“ of the new wine road includes many activities like defining the food and drinks offer, defining the wine road route, adjusting the interrior and farm yards for guests, making the signs for the wine road, enlargement of the tourist offer, reconstruction of the routes etc. The basic criterion for defining the wine road routes should be wine offer and other specialities of wine-growers. The „construction“ of the wine road presupposes many skills and knowledge about market and wine marketing, wine-growing and wine-selling, architecture and environmental architecture, law, food and drinks etc.The end of the „construction“ does not mean the end of the business. This is just the first step. The wine road will never be completed and one has to invest in it constantly.

At a glance

• Verified listing
• Typical visit: about 1 hour