Muris Varajic and Monthaven Cabernet from Octavin

Saturday nite and I’m gonna pep it up a bit with the music of a guitarist whose life story could be turned into a movie. Muris Varajic is a Bosnian born September 24th, 1979 in the town of Foca in Bosnia & Herzegovina. He was quite the student in his early childhood with a passion for math and science. But in 1992, war broke out and his family was forced to move to Sarajevo to avoid the ethnic cleansings carried out by the Serbs. Sarejevo, however, was a war zone without food, water, gas, or electricity. No place was safe and people were routinely killed in the streets. It forced Muris to stay inside where he taught himself to play the guitar by picking out the licks of Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Joe Satriani, Chet Atkins, and Steve Vai, sometimes practicing seven hours a day. In 1994 he enrolled the Music High School in Sarajevo and received his first formal music education.


Since then, he’s become a rock star in Bosnia, playing with some of their biggest groups and working additionally as a studio musician and hired gun. As you’ll see, he is a true virtuoso. Enjoy!

Final Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-sizjxwUK8

Junk Medley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DNfG5QBmm0

Zajdi Zajdi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0-2meOf9qY

Mojo Oro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAPZCfg8HUo

Improvisation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcm8Ee4-3M0&feature=related

Scarified: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDPWt0ba190&feature=related

Flight of the bumblebee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3uk0tyUg1c&feature=related

Django Rules: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR2YyUG3Hto&feature=related

Play For Me 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgqOS8qw5BA&feature=related

Five’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV6TrGbwiv4&feature=related

2008 Guitar Idol final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKUyXie7Awg&feature=related

Kalajdzisko oro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc9heARKEUc

Since it’s Saturday nite and we’ve got a true rocker on tap, let’s go with a wine tap, but not just any wine tap, Monhaven’s Cabernet Sauvignon in a box from Octavin. Cab’s often need to be exposed to air for a bit before drinking and while this one was good right from the box, decanting some into a pitcher and letting it air for 30 minutes really opens it up and softens it a bit. It’s deep purple with aromas of cherry and blackberry that follow in the mouth with a few hints of cassis and chocolate. By the way, it also goes great with dark chocolate. What could be better than dark chocolate, three liters of a very nice Cab, and the music of Muris Varajic? Can you say, “Party?” Enjoy!

Cheers!