27th Wine with a Spoon: Exotic Thai Dishes with Unusual Croatian Wines

Thai Me Up by Lira restaurant opened earlier this year in the centre of Zagreb (Teslina 5), offering excellent Thai cuisine at affordable prices. It is run by husband-and-wife team Yada, who is Thai, and Jura Dončić, a local restaurateur, who took on the challenge set by Renata Cisar and Mustafa Topčagić, organisers of the Wine with a Spoon events, to pair dishes from that part of the world with selected Croatian wines.

Several street-food venues in Zagreb currently serve Thai dishes, and some fusion-style Asian restaurants also include them on their menus. “Our restaurant isn’t a classic Thai restaurant, as we still keep some dishes and pizzas inherited from the old Lira, but we are definitely the most authentic in our offer. Our chefs have come directly from Thailand, and we have quite a broad selection of Thai dishes which we’ll continue to expand,” says Jura, adding jokingly, “Our life is a kind of fusion too – just like the food we make!” Yada and Jura met while working as hospitality staff on cruise ships sailing the world’s seas. They settled for a time in Bangkok, where their now-grown children still live, before life led them to Zagreb, where they are now contributing in their own way to the city’s gastronomic scene.

Before the guests sampled the Thai delicacies, their appetites were whetted by rakija and liqueurs from the Skender Distillery in Kondrić, near Đakovo. David Skender, whose father Danijel runs the family estate, presented Šljivovica (plum brandy), Viljamovka (pear brandy), Višnjevača (cherry brandy) and Jabukovača (apple brandy), as well as honey, walnut, elderflower, hazelnut and strawberry liqueurs. The Skender family began with hazelnut cultivation, later planting fruit orchards, and now produces high-quality brandies and liqueurs full of rich aromas and flavours. Each bottle combines tradition with a modern touch, with a label design inspired by the golden embroidery of Đakovo, evoking the beauty and heritage of Slavonia.

The dishes were further enriched by extra virgin olive oils from Vias Oliveti, produced by Vilma and David Brčić in Vižinada, Istria. Their olive grove contains 3,500 trees grown around Poreč, Kaštelir and Vižinada. David presented five single-variety oils (Buža, Istrian Bjelica, Frantoio, Pendolino and Leccino) and a Premium Blend, which guests tasted with fine homemade bread. Produced by cold pressing and stored under ideal conditions, these oils boast an exceptional richness of flavour and aroma, recognised by prestigious awards from New York, Berlin, Novi Sad and beyond.

Maja Jakobović, representing the B. Jakobović family winery from Vetovo in the Kutjevo wine region, introduced the first wine of the evening – Rosé Brut sparkling wine. The Jakobović family has been involved in winemaking for a century, with the modern winery founded around twenty years ago by Branko Jakobović. His children – Filip (who manages the winery), Nino (chief cellar master) and Maja (marketing) – all play key roles. The winery currently offers thirteen wines, including seven varietal, three cuvées, a rosé, a dessert wine and a sparkling. Their Graševina accounts for over 60% of production, complemented by Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Yellow Muscat, Cuvée Vetovo, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cuvée Stari Bokter, Rosé and late-harvest Graševina.

The Rosé Brut was produced in a limited series of 2,500 bottles using the traditional method, from the 2020 harvest, and released in 2023 after disgorgement – earning a Decanter Bronze award. Encouraged by this success, the winery is preparing a new series. Made from 50% Riesling, 25% Chardonnay and 25% Blaufränkisch, it has a delicate pink hue, fruity character, fine persistent bubbles, and a light acidity balanced by 7 grams of residual sugar. Their late-harvest Graševina was used for the dosage. This sparkling wine has already proved to be a perfect gastronomic companion – as it was this evening, served with crispy Spring Rolls, a Thai classic filled with glass noodles, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and chicken.

“I’ve tried all sorts of things in my life, but never anything like this! Normally such white wine goes with lamb, but this pairing was fantastic,” said Nenad Trifunović, who represented Bibich Winery from Plastovo in the Skradin wine region. He presented their R5 wine alongside Tom Kha, a mild coconut milk soup with chicken, Thai herbs and mushrooms. The R5 blend combines five varieties: Debit, Maraština, Pošip, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris in equal parts. “The wine has an old-school charm but in a modern form. You can sense oxidative notes – it’s quite a controversial wine, very distinctive. It takes you back to fine old Dalmatian wines,” said Trifunović, known by his blogging name Vinopija. The grapes come from the Bibich family’s best vineyards, cold-fermented with partial maceration and aged a year in American oak. The result is a powerful, balanced wine with buttery and almond aromas and a long finish with notes of vanilla, toast and Mediterranean herbs.

From Belje, one of Croatia’s largest wineries, came Sávoj Orange 2023, presented just after its Osijek premiere. Lukica Martić, Belje’s sales representative, explained that this gently macerated wine is a skilfully balanced blend of four varieties: Graševina, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. With an amber colour and rich body, it underwent two months of maceration under controlled temperature, followed by ageing in stainless steel and oak barrels. The Sávoj name honours Prince Eugene of Savoy, to whom Emperor Leopold I granted an estate in Baranja in 1697 after victory over the Ottomans. There, he founded vineyards and cellars and built a manor in 1712, laying the foundations of Baranja winemaking. Belje’s Sávoj line pays tribute to this heritage, and the Orange 2023 recently won a gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Paired with prawns in a rich curry sauce with peppers and onions, it proved an excellent match – as macerated wines often pair beautifully with Asian food.

Next came one of Thailand’s most beloved dishes – Pad Thai: stir-fried rice noodles in a special sauce with egg, tofu, pork and vegetables, topped with crushed peanuts. The restaurant’s owner, Jura Dončić, personally recommended pairing it with a rosé wine – and the choice was Vislander Rosé 2024, a gem from the island of Vis. Journalists and bloggers attending the 27th Wine with a Spoon event voted this the evening’s most successful pairing, even asking for seconds. Sanda Vojković, brand manager of Vislander, explained that their focus is on native Vugava and Plavac Mali grapes, being the island’s largest producer. The Rosé began as an experiment but performed excellently on the market. As Plavac Mali is quite strong, they softened it with 10% Kuč, a rare white Dalmatian grape that adds gentle acidity – a combination that clearly worked.

As the lively yet thoughtful evening drew to a close, it was time for something sweet: Mango Sticky Rice, a classic Thai dessert of rice, sweet coconut milk, mango and ice cream. It was paired with Cuvée Blanc Angelica 2024 from K55 Winery, a semi-sweet blend of Traminer (60%) and Yellow Muscat (40%) from the Erdut region. Krunoslav Dugalić, the winery’s owner, proudly described it as a unique blend in Croatia. The Muscat provides sweetness and aroma, balanced by the Traminer’s acidity and subtle spice. Initially created for female wine lovers, the wine has since become equally popular with younger men. Formerly known as Janečić Winery, K55 was taken over in early 2023 by Ivana and Krunoslav Dugalić, both agronomists and doctors of biotechnical sciences. They produce around 20,000 bottles annually, cultivating eight grape varieties on four hectares, including the once-forgotten Kadarka, a historic favourite of Slavonian nobility.

The organisers of Wine with a Spoon expressed their gratitude to the winemakers who, together with the restaurant Thai Me Up by Lira, embarked on this eno-gastronomic exploration – a journey that delighted everyone present and proved that exotic Thai dishes and top-quality Croatian wines can indeed make a perfect pairing.

FAMA / Foto: Julio Frangen