Although it may seem to lovers of natural wines today that there are more and more wine bars in Croatia, the truth is that there are actually still very few. Of course, more natural wine bars are opening, and yes, more winemakers are switching to natural viticulture, but progress is still quite slow compared to many European countries. If we travel to France, we will see that they started with the first wave of natural wine bars as early as the beginning of the eighties, in Ljubljana you’ll find several bars and natural wine shops, not to mention Italy, Austria... In Croatia, such bars are still very few, but it seems to be getting better.
One of the natural bars leading the change on our scene is the wine bar Sorsi in Pula at Maksimijanova Street 19, whose owner, Edi Perenić, we talked to about his impact on Pula and its surroundings. An impact he modestly does not admit to himself, and about the entire domestic scene.
Edi Perenić is a native of Pula. On paper, it says he is forty-one, but in conversation with him, we think the birth certificate is lying. The only detail that could betray his true age is a few gray hairs in his beard. Youthful, enthusiastic, and a very pleasant interlocutor, he knew from an early age that he wanted to work with wines, which eventually led him to open Sorsi, the only natural wine bar in Pula. When he discovered natural wines seven years ago, his whole perception of wine changed. Of course, as with many lovers of natural wines, we are talking about a mild fanaticism here, but we completely understand him.
Edi‘s story with wine did not begin in wine bars, but in his parents‘ house where, as a kid, he would sneak his father‘s wines. His father was not aware of it then, nor was his older brother, who also did not go unpunished. After years of working in hospitality, he felt burnout and decided to dedicate himself to what truly drives him. When he returned to Pula, fate gave him the opportunity to take over the space where Sorsi is now located. Edi thought about how to use the opportunity and decided on a different niche because he likes to be original and cannot stand boring, same old stories. His initial plan was simple and modest – to do one season and then decide about the future. However, he quickly realized that there is an audience that appreciates his vision of natural wines in a pure, uncompromising form. Instead of returning to Zagreb or looking for safer options, he decided to stay and build what Sorsi is today.
Sorsi opened in 2023, and this is the third summer it operates under a name that means “sips” in Italian. The decision from the start was uncompromising: exclusively serving natural wines. At first, someone might think this is a sure path to success, considering that natural wines have become a global trend. But such thinking ignores a key variable – Pula. Unlike some other cities where novelties are quickly accepted, the Pula audience is, according to many, specific. It is an audience more inclined to the traditional and tried-and-tested, where new concepts are approached with a dose of caution. In such an environment, where the question “why don’t you have malvasia?” reflects deeply rooted habits, offering only natural wines was not just a bold move, but also a significant risk. A risk that paid off. But not overnight.
The food offer is not standard either. At Sorsi, you will find small, daily fresh dishes on your plate, such as shrimp crudo or smoked mussels with bulgur and cherry tomatoes, and the menu changes weekly. The whole philosophy extends to coffee – only specialty coffee from the local roastery Bora Nera from Vodnjan is served, and he is especially proud of cocktails with Ruke gin, a new project by Luka Žuljević. We recently wrote about Bora Nera in the new issue of Dobra Hrana magazine, which you can read here.
Prices at Sorsi are based on accessibility and democracy. Edi does not want to overprice, but wants people to drink, enjoy, and come back. He is guided by the idea that wines should be available to everyone, every day, sourcing fantastic bottles in the mid-price range up to twenty euros. His wine list is a living organism, just like the wines on it. Currently, the offer includes several nice sparkling wines, from Donadi’s Casera Frontini (€35) to Šember’s rose Pet Nat (€40). Among white wines, you’ll find labels like Oklaj from Cota (€35) and Janko Štekar Sivi (€42), and when there is malvasia, it’s always something special, like Atimo Malvasia (€43). Actually, it’s best that you go there at least once and check for yourself. But the key advice is always to ask if there’s something new. Because, as Edi told us, he often brings wines for tasting, so you might get an interesting bottle that’s not on the list.
Sorsi has also become an important spot for tourists who come purposefully, guided by word-of-mouth recommendations, from winemakers like Janko Štekar to friends. Edi is open to giving recommendations, often sending guests to Slovenian winemakers. Through his offer, he wants to show that Istria has fantastic winemakers. He is especially proud of local names he strongly supports, such as Dimitrije Brečević (Piquentum), Rafael Ravnik (Rawino), and Filip Koletnik (Atimo). He respects the work of conventional winemakers, but does not hide his disappointment with the trend of uniform, fresh Istrian malvasias. These are wines that seem to come from the same mold, with predictable aromas that tell no story except about the cellar where they were technically perfected. “Isn’t it cool that we all have different wines?” he asks, and so do we.
His philosophy also breaks the common myth often attributed to natural winemakers, that they only make wine the way their grandfathers did. The truth is often the opposite. It is not necessarily a return to the past, because our grandfathers, with no ill intent, often made wines full of flaws, with too much sugar and poor hygiene. In other words, the only way they knew how. The modern natural winemaker, on the other hand, must be much more careful and possess more knowledge precisely because he has consciously given up chemical additives, “glues”, that correct mistakes. It is, therefore, about taking a huge risk that is often not economically justified, all with one goal: to let the wine be what it is.
Edi, in his old Crocs, full of tattoos, hipster looks, has created a relaxed atmosphere that reflects his guiding life thought: people need warmth, humanity, they want to meet the person and talk about everything. People want a relationship as if they came to a friend’s, not a formal service with a hand behind the back. People want to get to know the wines, not the cellar. Although he did not reveal all the details, his eyes light up as he talks about a new, bigger project that will finally allow him to fulfill his dream of a real bar-restaurant.
Of course, at the end of the day, this is just one wine bar that seats about thirty people. It would be pretentious to call it the epicenter of a revolution. But at the same time, it would be unwise to ignore the educational role of such places. And yes, critics are somewhat right – wine does not happen on its own in nature. It is crucial to understand that this is not about a romantic idea of wine as a gift of nature, but about a philosophy that follows the natural path to the bottle. That path begins in the vineyard, with clean cultivation without herbicides and pesticides, and ends in the cellar, with a conscious decision not to fix or standardize the wine, but to allow it to be an authentic reflection of its variety, year, and land.
But, although slow, changes are becoming more visible here too. In the past few years, several excellent natural bars have opened across the country, natural wine festivals are increasingly numerous, from the GrapeSton festival in Ston to the recent Lovran Unfiltered in Lovran, and the scene is finally gaining the needed dynamic. It is also worth mentioning Marko Kovač and his now internationally recognized Karakterre, which was one of the first in this region to step out with the idea of a natural wine festival. Of course, and most importantly, more and more winemakers are turning to natural winemaking, and even entire regions are beginning to change. Such is the case with Plešivica, where the Tomac winery since 2019 leads a micro revolution with its biodynamic approach.
Pula‘s Sorsi is not Edi Perenić, but the wines he pours and presents to the public. Likewise, Aha! in Zagreb is not Tino Pattiera, nor are Nesputana Vina Boris Sarjanović, and Karakterre transcends Marko Kovač. They are not brands, but people who have taken on the role of curators and passionate guides through a different, more honest wine world.
All of them do what they do with one goal: to bring natural, honest wines closer to the public. Their mission is not to sell themselves, but to create a community that understands and values authenticity. In a world that strives for standardization and safe, predictable flavors, they offer risk, character, and sometimes, imperfection. That is why their greatest value is not in their names, but in every bottle they open, because each one tells a story worth hearing.
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