“Poderane gaće” to ward off curses and wines that were served at royal weddings

Vukovar and Ilok were our destinations on the second day of our trip. Saturday morning dawned shrouded in fog, so much so that we could not see the Danube from the walkway, and had the eerie impression that the scattered fishermen was sitting on the edge of the world. The fog did not stop us from taking a bike ride along the mighty river, however. What we lacked in ducats and Cashmere shawls, we more than made up for in eagerness to see the city and its surroundings. Vukovar Tourism Board Director Marina Sekulić accompanied us on our ride and served as our guide.

The City of Vukovar Museum, housed in the Eltz Castle, built in the Baroque and Classicism style in the 18^th century, was our first stop. The building sustained so much damage in the Croatian War of Independence that it was rendered virtually unrecognisable. Restored to its former glory, it now stands as a prime example of the region’s abundant cultural heritage. It was our great pleasure to see the Museum’s permanent exhibition, which covers the entire history of the region, from the Vučedol culture period to the modern times.

Fried sterlet, jam-filled “taške”, and a little something to ward off curses

Having completed our tour of Vukovar, we stopped in Ilok, Croatia’s easternmost town, where we were served lunch at the Dunav Hotel restaurant, with a breath-taking view of the river on one side (which we were able to see this time, the sun having chased away the fog), and the Franciscan Monastery and the 14^th century St. John of Capistrano Church on the other.

The patio was again packed. While the waiters bustled all around us, carrying cauldrons of “fiš” (fish stew), plates of breaded or fried freshwater fish, and other dishes, we ordered “rakija” (fruit brandy) made from quinces, and settled down to wait for our own food. As is the custom in Slavonija, for appetizers we were served fish pâté, ham-wrapped freshwater fish rolls, “fiš” stew, fried sterlet, and catfish à l'Orly. The restaurant had excellent vegan options too, including a zucchini and potato pâté, clear vegetable soup, creamy mushroom risotto, and salad.

For dessert, we had homemade jam-filled “taške” (pastry pillows), topped with ground walnuts and poppy seeds. The dishes were paired superbly with Graševina Dekan wine by the Trs Winery. 

Even though we were full to bursting, some of us were of a mind to try out the Hotel’s electric scooter rentals. They would have been a nice way to get to our next stop, Stari podrum by Iločki podrumi Winery, only about a kilometre away, but it soon turned out that our scooter riding skills left a lot to be desired, so we postponed the ride for another time.

Stari podrum by the Iločki podrumi Winery is comprised of two wine cellars, dating back to the 15^th and the 18^th century, with a garden patio in between that looks particularly lovely at this time of the year. As you might have guessed already, the patio was packed, with foreign tourists who arrived on one of the river cruisers drawing special attention. As we sat down to wait for our tour and tasting, a bowl full of “poderane gaće” or “langošice” (a type of fried bread; the name “poderane gaće” literally means “torn underpants” in Croatian) was brought to our table!

“Oh, here’s a little something to ward off curses”, Denis Despot commented. We all looked at him questioningly, wondering what the soft, pliant bread had to do with curses.

“It’s to prevent us from getting wasted”, our colleague offered an explanation that I will never forget for as long as I live (a pun in Croatian: “urok” means “curse”, and “urokati” means “get waisted”, as in to have too much to drink).

Since there was way too much of “poderane gaće” for us, we ended up sharing it with a group of pensioners from the USA, who had a big laugh when their guides explained what the dish was called.

After our delicious lunch, we were taken on a tour of the Stari podrum wine cellar together with a group of foreign tourists, who were most interested to hear that Traminac (Traminer) from Ilok, one of the wines presented there, was served at the coronation of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, in 1953, as well as at Prince Harry’s and Meghan’s wedding in 2018.

We tried Iločki podrumi’s excellent wines and sparkling wines, and ended up the most impressed by the “Auslese” (term in German wine classification, literally meaning “selected harvest”, which refers to late harvest wine) Traminac from their “Prädikatswein” product line. Iločki podrumi’s “Trockenbeerenauslese” (literal meaning: selected harvest of dried berries) 2016 Traminac was hailed as the champion at the 32^nd Sabatina International Winemakers and Vintners Festival 2022, held last weekend in Vodice, in the semisweet, sweet, dessert wines, and Prädikatswein category. The winery won the same title at the Sabatina in the category of dry and semidry white wines with their 2018 Chardonnay Principovac.

Papak Winery, sitting in the middle of a vineyard

To give our impressions and the wines we tasted some time settle, we drove to the Principovac Country Estate, also the property of Iločki podrumi. After a brief walk, we headed for the Papak Winery, our way lit by the new moon that had replaced the sun. The only winery in the region that is located right in the middle of a vineyard, which stretches over 13 hectares in Radoš, the easternmost wine-growing area in Ilok and Croatia, the Papak Winery and Tasting Room is positioned in the former location of the house where owner Mladen Papak was born. To honour the family tradition, this winemaker and vintner incorporated the old house’s bricks into the winery building. At the Papak Winery, we tried the 2014 Radosh Rose sparkling wine, the 2021 Graševina, the 2021 Rhine Riesling, the 2015 Rosamal Traminac, and the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, following it up with a classic dinner of chicken ragout and braised baby beef in vegetable sauce, with a side of mashed potatoes and salad.

Our stomachs full, and drunk on the fresh Srijem air, we thanked the great wine connoisseur Mladen for his hospitality, and made our way to Vukovar once again