For goulash, note is i made while tasting the 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Filipetz winery, located just fifty meters or so from Samobor’s central King Tomislav Square. While none of the Filipets bear the name of Croatia’s first king, whom we might affectionately call Tomi today, there is a Toni, or rather, Antun Filipec.
A Master of Bermet
Only police officers and tax inspectors call me by my real name Antun, said Toni Filipec, undisputed master of this small winery, which is likely the largest producer of bermet in the world. We happily enjoyed his Cabernet with modest Saturday barbecue meal of ćevapi, oven-roasted potatoes and fresh tomatoes.
It isn’t a classically opulent Cabernet, but it is a fine, refreshing wine well-suited for summer. It offers notes of gooseberry rather than the typical blueberry or blackcurrant, and its taste is fresh and lively, perfect for a summer lunch in temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius. The Filipetz family has lived in the center of Samobor for seven generations. For over a century, they were in the leather business, but Toni learned to make bermet from his father Vojko. He enroll in the Faculty of Agriculture and launch his own business in 1999.
Muštarda is both sweet and spicy
The Filipetz winery also produces nice fresh wines from Graševina and Pinot Gris, as well as a semi-dry rosé Frankovka. The latter contains 7.5 grams of residual sugar, making it an ideal pairing for muštarda. This is the Samobor version of mustard, a sweet and spicy condiment enriched with various spices that complements hearty, piquant local dishes. And, for the benefit of the Potjera (The Chase) quiz show writers, muštarda was introduced to the region by Napoleon’s soldiers. But bermet wasn't.
For the benefit of the Potjera question writers: Bermet was being produced in Samobor as early as the 18th century, whereas the French arrived in 1809, when the town became part of Napoleon's Illyrian Provinces. Yet, on at least two occasions, Potjera has featured a question asking what the French brought to Samobor in the early 19th century.
Quiz Potjera (The Chase) disrespected Bermet
On both occasions, the contestants stated they didn't know the answer, leading the hosts to incorrectly claim that the answer was Bermet. Had the contestants known the truth, they could certainly have sued HRT and walked away with a much larger sum than whatever prize money they might have won on the quiz show.
From the archives of Toni Filipac we tasted a 2004 Frankovka. It is a mere twenty-two years old, yet fresh and elegant, with just a hint of delicate pepper. His vineyards are in Sveta Nedjelja, and they are stunning. Alongside the aforementioned varieties, he also grows some Pinot Noir and Zweigelt.
Bermet goes into pralines, too
He bottles around 10,000 bottles annually, half of which is Bermet. In addition to wine, they produce wine vinegar, elderflower cordial, Bermetica spirit, olive oil from their own grove near Šibenik, Bermet-infused pralines, and white and dark chocolate with dried fruit. A brief history of Samobor Bermet you can reed here.
