Hvar Wine from a Hvar Character: Andro Tomic and Bastijana

He may appear an unlikely Playboy pinup at first glance, but the President of the Hvar Wine Association, Andro Tomic, has featured in the Croatian version of the renowned girlie magazine, and the delightful eccentricities do not stop there, as he proudly showed us his collection of 30 togas on a recent visit.

Winemaker and Bon Viveur

Seemingly at the heart of much of the revelry on Hvar, Tomic was also part of the inaugural voyage to Paros, as a group of Hvar residents retraced the steps of the Ancient Greeks who arrived on Hvar from the Greek island in 384 BC. A smilar voyage to Lampedusa, to mark 150 years of fishing ties between the two islands, is planned for next year, and there will be a glass or two of Tomic red consumed on that journey.

That is one side of the Tomic story and is in stark contrast to the professionalism and precision he brings to his primary passion - quality wine.  The Tomic range of the Basijana wine company in Jelsa is among the best in the country, with a wide variety on offer, as Tomic has expanded the business and enhanced its quality with his deep viticultural knowledge, application of modern methods, and excellent marketing and branding.

The Andro Tomic Wine Range

There are suprises in the range on offer.  In addition to his standard and barrique offerings of Croatia's noble grape, plavac mali, Bastijana's Sveti Klement is straight from the vineyards of a classic Bordeaux - 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

His young Opolo rose is full of fruit, and his whites include another popular Croatian variety, Posip, while many visitors who are not usually partial to prosek (pronounced proshek), a dessert wine in Croatian, are more than persuaded by his excellent Hektorovic.

Visit Jelsa and Go Back to Roman Times

The Tomic winery is one of the most popular stops on any wine tour of Hvar, partly for the wine, partly for the hospitality, and possibly most of all for the wonderful setting.  The unassuming exterior of the property, in a modern suburb of Jelsa, belies the quality, history and love installed inside, as visitors are taken back in time to the Roman era with the tasteful use of stone and other artefects.

Check out the tasting room in the video below to get a flavour of what to expect.  Attention to detail, quality and style are very much in evidence, qualities reflected in the Tomic wine making process.  The arched ceilings for example, are 'sedra', sedimentary rock imported from the riverbeds of Bosnia, which although very hard, can be cut by an ordinary saw.

In addition to the winery, Bastijana has a beautifully adorned tasting room open for tourists during the season.  Set in the konoba of the family home about 50m from the main square in Jelsa, it offers a cosy ambiance, excellent wines and an opportunity to learn more about this unique wine maker.  See the Bastijana range and learn more about Hvar wine here.