Murray's Tavern: Croatian Wine Dinner

Superb seafood and lamb, delicious and intriguing Croation wines. It was quite an event, and the attendees all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the wine dinner.   

Recently, I was invited as a media guest to attend a Croatian Wine Dinner at Murray's Tavern in Revere. Owned and operated by brothers John and Greg Murray, the restaurant was established in May 2021, over five years ago. Their menu serves elevated classics, and is diverse and interesting, with some of their dishes include Spanish Octopus, Chicken Parmigiana Eggrolls, Irish Beef Stew, Chicken Schnitzel Piccata, Bolognese, Shrimp Scampi, and Skillet Mac and Cheese. They have a full liquor license and serve many local beers and their own inventive cocktails. It's a homey, neighborhood spot, a place for dinner for family and friends. 

John Murray was one of the hosts of the dinner, and he's very personable and clearly has a true passion for wine and food. 

Two of the other hosts were Mirena Bagur and Win Burke, the owners of Croatian Premium Wine Imports. For over five years, they have been importing over 100 Croatian wines into the U.S., and promoting Croatian wines all across the country. Through their website, you can get their wines delivered to most places across the country. I've known them since 2019, and they have become good friends. 

I'm also an ardent fan of Croatian wines, and have traveled to Croatia twice with Mirena and Win, having visited about 35 wineries, and tasted over 600 Croatian wines. Croatia produces plenty of excellent wines, of all different types, including Whites, Reds, Sparkling, Rosé, and Orange Wines. You can check out my 85+ articles about Croatia in my compilation post, All About Croatia. Those articles cover a range of topics from Croatian cuisine to the history of Croatia, from wine reviews to winery visits. If you haven't tried Croatian wines, you should seek them out. 

The guest chef for the wine dinner was Chef Johnny Sheehan, pictured above, whose primary restaurant is now at the Porto restaurant. Sheehan started working in restaurants at age 14, starting by washing dishes. He eventually graduated from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Cambridge. He has worked in a number of restaurants in the Boston+ area. He has also visited Croatia, exploring its culinary scene, and worked with local chefs there. He spent time with Chef Sasa Began at the Labrax restaurant, located in Zadar, and this visit inspired the food menu for the Croatian Wine Dinner. 

The menu was seafood-heavy, and as I love seafood, that was very appealing, and all of the seafood was prepared well, showcasing its flavors. His lamb dish was also excellent, and it's clear that Chef Sheehan is very talented. 

The dinner began in the bar area, where all of the attendees, about 35 in all, could mingle, enjoy some wine, oysters and shrimp cocktail. There were two local oysters, Duxbury and Wellfleet, both with a green apple and apricot mignonette. I enjoyed both oysters, offering that tasty briny element, but my preference were the larger Wellfleet ones. The mignonette was a nice accent to the oysters, adding a hint of sweetness and some acidity.   

The Shrimp Cocktail offered plump, tender shrimp with a slightly spicy cocktail sauce. A very good way to begin the wine dinner. 

The first wine of the evening was the 2023 Volarević Pošip, and Pošip is a perfect choice for pairing with oysters and other seafood. The Volarević winery, in the Komarna region, is one of my favorites in Croatia. The Pošip for this wine was produced on the island of Korčula, which some claim was the birthplace of Marco Polo. The wine is complex, crisp, and compelling, with a fine melange of flavors, including citrus, peach, and a hint of almonds. It's medium-bodied and possesses a lengthy, pleasing finish. It's an excellent wine for summer weather or paired with seafood. With the briny oysters, it was a superb pairing! 

After the oysters and shrimp, we were seated in the dining room and our first course was Pan Seared Scallops, with a corn puree, Chanterelle mushroom, and a summer succotash. A well balanced and delicious dish! The scallops were tender and sweet, and the corn puree was an excellent sauce (and I feel that scallops and corn is such a harmonious pairing). The earthy mushrooms provided a nice balance to the sweetness, along with some of the different elements of the succotash. The plating was also very enticing. A great start to the meal.

The wine pairing was the 2022 Zure Grk, from Korčula/Dalmatia. "Grk," which means "bitter" in Croatia, is also known as Grk Bijeli. It's a rare grape, and is primarily grown on the island of Korčula. Much of the Grk, which grows in sandy soils, evaded phylloxera because of those sandy soils. The grapes in this wine saw a bit of skin contact. It's a bigger white wine, smooth and tasty, with mild tannins, subtle fruit flavors and hints of spice. Complex and intriguing, it was one of my favorite wines of the dinner, and worked very well with the scallops.  

The second course was Ahi Tuna Steak, with a strawberry balsamic reduction and insalata verde. The tender tuna, which was cooked perfectly, was delicious, especially with the sweetness of the reduction, and balanced out with the more bitter greens.

With the tuna, we enjoyed the 2023 Volarević Plavac Mali Rosé La Chic, which is produced from 100% Plavac Mali, the most dominant red grape in the Dalmatian region. It only sees stainless steel, and had a rich pink color. It's a dry and crisp Rosé, with bright red fruit flavors, especially strawberry and watermelon. A pleasant summery wine, and it did well with the tuna. It would probably be a good choice for Thanksgiving dinner as well. 

The third course was Grilled Lamb Chops, with a salsa verde, smashed potato, and swiss chard. The three chops constituted a very hearty dish, and the lamb was tender and delicious, enhanced by the salsa verde. The lamb wasn't gamey at all, and was cooked just right, making quite a superb dish. This is a dish that calls for a bigger red wine, and that's what we received. 

The 2022 Rizman Tribidrag is primarily produced from the native grape Tribidag, with a small percentage of Tempranillo. You might have tasted Tribidag before, as it has spread from Croatia to Italy and California. In Italy, it's known as Primitivo while in California, it's known as Zinfandel. Yes, Zinfandel, which is often seen as an American grape, actually originated in Croatia! The grapes for this wine were from the Komarna region, and the wine was aged in old French and American barrels for about 8-10 months. It's a bigger, bolder wine, with moderate tannins, and a complex blend of flavors, including ripe plums, black cherry, chocolate, and spice notes. A lengthy finish, well balanced, and perfect for lamb chops to steak. Why not try the original Zinfandel? 

For dessert, I thoroughly enjoyed Grandma’s Chocolate Cake, with a cherry cola buttercream, almond brittle, and vanilla gelato. Such a delicious mix of textures and flavors, it actually seemed like a light dish. The buttercream was light and creamy, and the cake was moist and full of chocolate flavors. An excellent way to end the dinner.  

With dessert, we drank the 2015 BIBICh Bas de Bas Crno, a blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Merlot. In an episode of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain visited the BIBICh winery, and this wine was one of his top favorites. This wine, only made in certain vintages, is oaked for about 2 years. This is a powerhouse of a wine, yet with sufficient restraint so that it doesn't overwhelm. Bold tannins, strong black fruit flavors, a spicy backbone, and a lengthy finish. It's an impressive wine, well balanced, and would also pair well with a juicy steak or game meat. 

After dessert, we were presented with one additional wine, the 2021 Crvik Amber Blaise, an orange/skin contact wine, made from the Malvasia Dubrovačka grape, which has existed since the time of the ancient Greeks. The grapes for this wine were fermented in a barrel, and then aged with the pomace for about eight months, and then aged for another four months without the pomace. I've previously enjoyed the 2017 vintage, and the 2021 vintage is very similar. The wine is complex and intriguing, with a fascinating melange of flavors, including peach, almonds, orange peel, floral notes, and a subtle mineral aspect. Excellent acidity, well-integrated tannins, and a lengthy finish. There is so much going on in each sip, and you could easily sit and savor a glass for hours, reveling in what can be found with each taste. 

Many thanks to John Murray, Mirena Bagur, Win Burke, and Chef Johnny Sheehan, for presenting a fun, delicious and informative Croatian Wine dinner. So, I recommend that you dine at  Murray's Tavern and Porto, and also order some Croatian wines from Croatian Premium Wine Imports.