Welcome to the Tasting
Whether you are visiting a local vineyard or dining out, attending a wine tasting (degustacija) is a great way to practice describing subtle qualities in Croatian.
A Hint of Flavor: The Suffix -kast
In English, we add "-ish" or "-y" to adjectives to soften their intensity (like "sweet" becoming "sweetish"). In Croatian, you do this by adding the suffix -kast to the adjective's stem.
This is perfect for describing delicate flavor profiles. For example, if a wine isn't heavily sweet, it is slatkast. These new words behave like regular adjectives and change their endings to match the noun they describe.
As you take a sip (gutljaj), you might notice other mild flavors. A wine that has a hint of sourness (kiseo) becomes tart or sourish (kiselkast).
Complex Notes and Aromas
Wines often have a specific aroma or note that brings out a hint of bitterness. Adding -kast to bitter (gorak) gives us gorkast (bitterish).
These deep, complex flavors often develop because the wine was aged in an oak barrel (hrastova bačva).
Describing Colors
The -kast suffix is not just for taste; it is incredibly common for describing colors that have a "hint" of a certain hue. A wine that leans yellow (žut) is yellowish (žućkast), and one with a hint of red (crven) is reddish (crvenkast).