Josić Winery: Fiš Paprika, Graševina & a Killer Restaurant

The compelling aroma of Fiš Paprika! Such enticing smells that immediately drew me in, making me desirous of having a bowl. And when I finally got to sample it, it lived up to every one of my expectations, such a complex and delicious dish. 

During our tour of Croatia, while exploring the region of Slavonia, we stopped for lunch one day in the small community of Zmajevac, within the county of Osijek-Baranja. We were guests of the Josić Winery & Restaurant, and began our visit with a multi-course lunch, paired with their wines, at their restaurant, before visiting one of their tasting rooms. This lunch would be one of the highlights of our time in Slavonia. 

As we arrived at the restaurant, my nose was tantalized by the appealing aromas emanating from a large pot cooking outside over an open flame. I would soon learn that this was Fiš Paprika, a traditional freshwater fish stew made with paprika. With Slavonia's closeness to Hungary, their cuisine has been influenced by that country, especially their frequent use of paprika, such as in their Kulen. The  Josić restaurant makes their Fiš Paprika from scratch, so it takes about 2.5 hours to prepare. Would it be ready for us to sample? That was the big question during lunch. 

Damir Josić and his wife, Vlatka, founded their winery in 1999, purchasing a small vineyard and wine cellar in the Banova Kosa hill area. The ancient Romans referred to this hill as Mons Aureus ("the Golden Hill") because of the quality of the land and vineyards. Currently, the Josićs own about 20 hectares of vineyards, five wine cellars, and they also added a restaurant. 

Storks are a common symbol in this region, so you will find them in many different places. The Josić winery also places various birds on their wine labels, which I'll discuss more later in this article.

The restaurant looks impressive, with a wine cellar to the rear, and it has an old-style European feel to it. They selected all of the courses for our meal and wine pairings, and it ended up being one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. Great presentation, incredible flavors, excellent ingredients. And all with impeccable service. 

We began our lunch with a glass of Bermet-style wine, which the winery produces although not for retail sale as they aren't legally permitted to call it Bermet. It's made from Cabernet Sauvignon, has a 25% ABV, and was tasty, with bright berry flavors and a prominent bitterness. It was smooth and well-balanced, a nice way to start a meal. 

Our first course consisted of Sautéd Peppers, with cream, atop rice crackers. A very pleasant first bite, and a nice blend of flavors and textures. 

Next up, a Smoked Duck Carpaccio, with pieces of orange and toasted hazelnuts. The silky, tender and flavorful duck was enhanced by the citrus and its acidity. The hazelnuts added a crunchy texture and a nuttiness that worked well with the duck. I love duck so this was a fantastic dish. 

For our initial dishes, we were poured a few white wines. The 2021 Josić Graševina, with a 12.5% ABV, was fresh and easy drinking, crisp and dry, with flavors of green apple and pear. Delicious! 

The 2020 Josić Graševina, with a 14% ABV, spent about 3 months in a barrel, so it presented a different flavor profile. It was more savory, with less fruit, and notes of almonds and spice. Dry and well-balanced, it was very different than the 2021, but very good on its own merits. Each wine would work well with different food pairings. 

The 2020 Josić Chardonnay, with a 14% ABV, also spent 3 months in Slavonian oak, which only accented the wine. It was still fresh and fruity, with tasty green apple and citrus notes, with only subtle spice notes.  

Our next course was Smoked Freshwater Carp Risotto, such a wonderful dish. Smoky, meaty carp, rice cooked just right, a delightful creaminess. Everything you want from a risotto. It's a dish of which you'll definitely wants seconds, and maybe even thirds.

For a more decadent dish, we also enjoyed Goose Liver, in a Hennessy Cognac sauce, with rice wrapped in zucchini. The goose liver was rich, silky and buttery, with a pleasing sweetness and tang from the sauce. Pure bliss.

The 2020 Josić Traminac, with a 14% ABV, was semi-sweet with typical Gewurtztraminer spice notes, and it was an excellent pairing with the goose liver. 

We then enjoyed the 2018 Josić Cabernet Franc, with a 14.5% ABV, which is their first time using this grape as a single varietal. They used to produce only blends with it, and based on this example, they should continue making 100% Cabernet Franc wines. The wine spent 1 year in barrique and 1 year in the bottle, and was also unfiltered. With a dark red color, it had a powerful aroma of black fruits and spice. On the palate, it possessed restrained tannins, good acidity, tasty plum and black cherry flavors, and spicy notes. Powerful yet elegant, I very much enjoyed this wine. Highly recommended!

Although this region is primarily know for white wines, Josić Winery, and others, have shown that excellent red wines can be produced here as well, such as this Cabernet Franc. In the future, you'll likely see a larger percentage of red wines being produced in this area. 

Next up, Duck with House-made Pasta, in a spicy paprika sauce. Tender and flavorful duck, enhanced by the spicy paprika sauce, with the interesting addition of the pasta with a creamy sauce. I'd love the recipe for that sauce, as it would work well in a variety of dishes.   

The 2018 Josić Grand Cuvee is a limited edition, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Alicante Bouschet. It is a big, bold and complex red wine, with intense black fruit and spice flavors. This is a wine that goes best with a hearty steak or other meat dishes. 

For dessert, we first had Ravioli, filled with jam, in a walnut sauce with hibiscus. Pasta for dessert? This traditional Slavonian dish is known as Tačkrle. It was such a unique and delicious dessert, with all of the flavors working so well together. We definitely need more restaurants to offer dessert ravioli. 

We also had a second pasta dish for dessert, although it wasn't as delicious as the ravioli. 

The 2021 Josić Rosé, a blend of 70% Frankovka and 30% other red grapes, is semi-sweet, and was stated to be produced specifically for women who preferred sweeter Rosé. It was fine but not my preference.  

At the end of the meal, we were brought four Rakija, including Jedna Cabernino (cherry and Cabernet Sauvignon), Jedna Jabuka (apple), Jedna Viljamovka (pear) and Jedna Sljiva (whole plum).  My favorite was the Sljiva, which was delicious, smooth and intense with a more unique plum taste. This would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving feast, or any holiday feast.

Quite a line-up of wine and rakija. And our wine tasting wasn't over yet! And neither was lunch.

We were able to get a bowl of the Fiš Paprika! The fish they used was called smudge, which is likely a nickname for some other type of fish, although I'm unsure of the type, but it might be a type of river trout.  The broth was amazing, complex, flavorful and spicy. The tender home-made pasta went well with the broth and the fish was tender and delicious. This dish was definitely worth the wait and I'm so glad we were able to sample it. Next time in Slavonia, I'd love to do a Fiš Paprika crawl!

There is a tasting room and wine cellar, from 1934, located next to the restaurant, and we stopped there after lunch to taste a couple more wines.

As you probably noticed on the Josić wine labels, different birds are depicted on the labels, all except for their  Rosé. For example, the Pinot Sivi has a heron and the Chardonnay has a stork, while their lighter wines have a swallow. The more powerful Graševina wines have an eagle. 

The 2021 Pinot Bijeli (Pinot Blanc), with a 13% ABV, was bright, fresh,  and crisp, with tasty flavors of citrus and grapefruit. The Josić Barajski Siler is a blend of Frankovka and Cabernet Sauvignon, and was almost semi-sweet, with a pleasant fruity profile. It was said this can be served lightly chilled. 

Overall, we had quite a delicious and enjoyable visit to the Josić Winery & Restaurant. If you're in the region, I highly recommend you dine at their restaurant and check out their wines. Seek out the local and traditional Slavonian dishes, like Fiš Paprika and Tačkrle. And once again, I strongly recommend you taste some Graševina wines from Slavonia. It's a grape you really need to know, and I'll bet you'll enjoy it as well.