At an after work party in Zagreb’s Sherry’s bar, a presentation was held of Agris wines from the winery of Jadranka and Boris Lešić – Graševina 2015 and Malvasia 2015. The party was organised by the Women on Wine association, whose active member is Jadranka Lešić. Agris wines are interesting as a product of a different approach to winemaking. The Lešić family owns no vineyards nor has a tradition, family emblem or anything like most small winemakers, Fama.com.hr wrote on November 9, 2016.
“But my family, from my grandfather, father and to me, has a rich history of drinking good wines,” joked Boris Lešić, a well known PR expert, whose love for wine, together with his wife, professor Jadranka, became a business.
As travel lovers, they toured many wineries and vineyards in the world and one day decided to do the impossible, with their daughters Vana and Petra helping out. The grapes for the Graševina were bought where it is best – in Kutjevo (Venje) – and the Malvasia was procured at the famous position Santa Lucia where some of the renowned Istrian winemakers have their vineyards. The Lešić family has, for our notions an unusual custom, of paying for the grapes right away, so they are even better cherished and of excellent quality. With the help of enologist Miodrag Hruškar, from the first harvest they made, in their winery in Rakitje near Zagreb, quite likeable wines of appropriate price, amounting to 3.000 bottles per variety.
“When talking about quality, we know no compromise. We were ready, if the wines are not good enough, to leave them off the market,” the Lešić’s explain, who distributed part of the production in better wine shops. But there was no reason to worry. Recognition came soon in the form of orders from famed Kvarner and Zagreb restaurants and hotels, followed by a silver diploma for the Malvasia at the Vinistra manifestation in Poreč.
The unusual labels are the work of Slovenian designer Leon Zakrajšek, who already made some new solutions which means the Agris winery could soon surprise us again. From the 2016 they doubled their capacity, so in the spring from Rakitje we will see 12.000 bottles of Graševina and Malvasia. “We strived to make wines which will go along with food, so they are adorned with freshness and minerality,” said Lešić.
For this occasion, the Graševina was served with vegetable spring rolls and sweet-sour sauce and tuna tartar with sesame oil, soya sauce and wasabi. The Malvasia was joined with chicken in panko crumbs with Asian sauce and shrimps in a white bean cream, proving to go well with dessert as well – Sherry’s apple pie.
