Walking through the center of Zagreb, on Tkalčićeva street, it is impossible not to notice among the numerous cafes, restaurants and houses of this oldest part of the city - a vineyard! Along the stairs of Bartol Felbinger (a famous architect from the 19th century), which connects Tkalčićeva Street with Radićeva Street, for the most part, about half a hectare of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines stretches. The owner of the vineyard is Mr. Emin Teskeredžić, who lives at the given address. He planted it 12 years ago, after there had been an orchard before that.
There are two reasons why he decided to make that move. First, his mother's family had vineyards and was engaged in viticulture in the area of Križevci, so this is a kind of continuation of the family tradition. And the second, probably more important reason, is that in the past the center of Zagreb (including that plot) was full of vineyards, and Mr. Emin, as a native of Zagreb, decided to revive this rich part of his city's history at least a little in this way.
What is interesting is that the vineyard does not only serve as a decoration of the city, but sparkling wines are also made from its grapes. And very good sparkling wines, in white and rosé version. The quality should not be surprising because the project was supported by prof. Edi Maletić who suggested an assortment suitable for planting, and our famous winemaker and former wine queen Ivana Puhelek, in whose cellar these sparkling wines begin their life. The quantities are not large, it is a few hundred bottles each year, which are mostly consumed by family and friends. The plan is also to create a label for the 'Uppertown sparkling wine' designed by the Zagreb painter Marijan Kolarek.
Emin Teskeredžić is one of the biggest Croatian fish experts, a doctor of science in the field of fisheries, a retired university professor and winner of numerous trophies in spearfishing. He is also the owner of a pond in Gračani where he breeds rainbow trout. He is also a Croatian veteran, twice wounded in the Homeland War, which is why he has difficulty walking today.
As far as I know, the Zagreb vineyard is the closest vineyard in the central square of a European, and probably world metropolis. Paris and Prague also have something similar. The Parisian one is called Vigne du Clos Montmartre and it is located about 3 kilometers north of the Louvre museum, so it is not exactly in the strict center, but it is not far either and it is certainly interesting to visit. This vineyard is owned by the city company that maintains the parks, and around 1,000 bottles of wine produced from it are sold at an auction, the proceeds of which go to charity.
Although today it is much better known as the country of beer, the Czech Republic also has a rich winemaking tradition. Much of the credit for this goes to King Charles IV, who in the 14th century had vineyards planted on all the hills in and around Prague facing south. Some of these locations still have vineyards, the most famous of which is the one named after St. Vaclav, in the immediate vicinity of the Prague Castle, a little more than two kilometers away from the old city center. Riesling and Pinot Noir are planted here, and the wine can be tasted exclusively in the restaurant within the castle.
All these vineyards are a great tourist attraction, especially for wine lovers and all those looking for unique experiences. Therefore, we are extremely happy that we have managed to include this pearl of ours in Zagreb, which people usually just pass by and take pictures, in our Zagreb - Wine & Heritage walking tour, so that Gornjograd sparkling wine will now be able to be tasted not only by tourists but also by all Zagreb residents who want to get closer. get to know the history of your city and experience something special
