Morphologically chastened by the editorial department for Richard goes to Croatia, I hereby present a pun-free account of the tastings encountered on my recent visit to Croatia. The Malvazija Istarska flight was tasted in situ in Istria, whereas the other two were held in the somewhat more sterile surrounds of the Hotel Westin in Zagreb. The notes are grouped by grape, then sorted by producer (sur)name.
Generally speaking, the 2008 vintage in Croatia was very difficult, with hail several times in July and August. A very dry spell followed, so the most successful wines were from winemakers with the strongest nerve, who left their grapes to ripen longest. 2007 was classified as above average, and 2006 was one of Croatia’s best ever harvests.
Malvazija Istarska Croatia’s native white variety, and the main grape of Istra in the north west (Istria in English, on the border with Slovenia). Excepting the few cold-fermented, homogenised examples, these wines demonstrated a very enjoyable and versatile range of flavours. Franc Arman Malvazija Istarska 2007 Western Istria 16 Drink 2009-11
Nuts, lemon juice, apple, very well-defined fresh fruits and generous body with just a hint of mineral on the finish. 13% (RH)
Marijan Arman Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16 Drink 2009
Gentle dairy cream on the palate, with greengage, citrus and soft steely mineral characteristics. 13% (RH)
Benvenuti Malvazija Istarska 2008 Central Istria 16 Drink 2009
Light, white fruits, inoffensive and correct with a drop of minerality and some dairy characters to flesh out the palate. 13.4% (RH)
Clai, Sveti Jakov Malvazija Istarska 2007 Western Istria 15 Drink 2009
Fragrant sweet flowers, roses and marzipan. The tropical fruit is ripe but can’t quite match up to the powerful aromatic qualities, leaving the finish unbalanced. 15% (RH)
Coronic Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 15.5 Drink 2009
Lively acidity that doesn’t quite match the fruit concentration, bitter tones on the finish with a light blossom flavour. 13.5% (RH)
Dajla Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16+ Drink 2009-11
Nuts, pear juice, stones, bracing acidity and a smoothly balanced mouthfeel with lovely fresh apple characters. Still very tense – might evolve with a year in bottle.
Festigia Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16.5 Drink 2009-11
Light and primary, with banana, a tiny hint of toast, vibrant citrus on the palate with textured minerality to finish. This is a good balance of classic terroir, akin to some Alto Adige white, and fresh fruitiness. 13.2% (RH)
Geržinić Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16 Drink 2009
Powerfully scented nose, some floral characters with the green apple fruit. Easy drinking and enjoyable, but quite straightforward. 13.2% (RH)
Kozlović Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 15.5 Drink 2009
Green apple, citrus, light-bodied and easy-drinking. Slightly too generic for its own good – euro-blanc. 13% (RH)
Kozlović, Santa Lucia Malvazija Istarska 2006 Central Istria 16.5 Drink 2009
Orange peel, concentrated and spicy with dairy and butter on the palate and ripe, full body with a little burn on the finish. This is hearty and powerful stuff, done with conviction. 15% (RH) Matić Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16 Drink 2009-10
Light, citrus, pears, mineral steel, dry and lengthy finish with fresh fruity tang and bitter yet ripe fruits. 13.1% (RH)
Matošević, Alba Barrique Malvazija Istarska 2006 Western Istria 15.5 Drink 2009
Very forward toffee and cream aromas with some underlying citrus fruits. The oak influence is ultimately too much: the vanilla dairy notes overwhelm the delicate fruitiness. 14% (RH)
Matošević, Alba Robinia Malvazija Istarska 2005 Western Istria 16.5 Drink 2009
Aged in acacia. Rich and buttery, lemon pudding, cream and nuts. Broad-shouldered and bold with a clean fresh finish and very successful balance. (RH)
Matošević Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 15.5 Drink 2009
Neutral white fruit, some floral tones, light and aromatic. 13% (RH)
Poletti Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 15.5 Drink 2009
Light, plain nose with sherbet citrus and fresh acidity, a hint of gunflint on the finish, rather neutral. 13.3% (RH)
Radovan Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16 Drink 2009
Pale citrus hints on the nose, some steely tones with a surprisingly full ripeness on the palate that lingers well. 13.7% (RH)
Roxanich, Antica Malvazija Istarska 2006 Western Istria 17 Drink 2009
63 days of skin-contact. Very deep shade of straw. Developed oxidative flavours, butter, bitter grapefruit on the finish, complex and concentrated with impressive length and a fresh quality that counterbalances the strong dairy and over-ripe fruit – like a good Gran Reserva Rioja Blanco. 13.8% (RH)
Terzolo Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16 Drink 2009-11
Very pungent flint, citrus fruit with a dry, rich body and plenty of persistence. There is a bitter almond-like character on the finish that combines well with the powerful mineral flavours. Quite esoteric – but whiffy hint of too much sulphur, perhaps? 13.7% (RH)
Trapan, Ponente Malvazija Istarska 2008 Western Istria 16.5 Drink 2009-10
Light and steely, gentle citrus, baked apples, very fine and delicate with good persistence and poise. 13% (RH)
Trapan, Uroboros Malvazija Istarska 2007 Western Istria 16 Drink 2009
Aged in acacia. Pungent and sappy nose, gentle fruit character on the palate, well-judged balance of wood and fruit, certainly quite distinct from the type of wood used – most similar to the Retsina style, though much less aggressive. 13.1% (RH)
PLAVAC MALI Translating as ‘little blue’ in reference to the appearance of the berries, Plavac Mali is an indigenous variety from mid and south Dalmatia, recently discovered by Carole Meredith of UC Davis and Profs Maletić and Pejić of Zagreb University to be a cross of Crljenak (Zinfandel) and Dobričić. It is mostly bush-vine grown, and is characterised by high sugars (rarely below 13% potential alcohol), low acid and high tannins.
Ivan Dolac, Svirce Plavac Mali 2005 Hvar 16+ Drink 2009-14
Redcurrant, a bit of cassis, cedar wood and pencil shavings with tannins as big and furry as a fairground teddy bear. Needs either time or food to be most appreciated. 14.3% (RH)
Donja Banda, Plavac Mali 2006 Pelješac 17 Drink 2009-13
Bacon rind, sweaty saddle, ripe red fruit – rather attractive and authentic-seeming. Lovely cherry and smoked meat combo on the palate with good balance of tannin and acid and a very satisfying length. Smoked like a kipper, but retains enough fruit to match it. 14% (RH)
Kolekcija Plavac Mali 2004 Pelješac 15.5 Drink 2009
Vanilla, earth, blackberry, pushy tannins, soft fruit, a bit empty mid-palate. 14.3% (RH)
Korta Katarina Plavac Mali 2006 Pelješac 16 Drink 2009
Black fruit cordial, jammy, liquorice and medicinal characters. Not enough definition and distinction between the flavours – a bit of a blur, and the tannins need a little more taming. 14.2% (RH)
Libertas Plavac Mali 2006 Pelješac 16.5 Drink 2009-14
Lots of plump blueberry flavour here – this flies the Zinfandel flag like the Stars & Stripes on Independence Day. Pure liquorice and medicinal hints too, adding nice complexity. Firm tannins, tight flavour profile, lots of potential. 13.8% (RH)
Madirazza, Reserva Barrique Plavac Mali 2006 Pelješac 16 Drink 2009-12
Ripe blueberry, dark chocolate, a bit of charred oak on the finish, high tannins and a bit harsh at the end, which just spoils the ripe jollity of the nose a smidge. 14.7% (RH)
Matusko, Reserva Plavac Mali 2004 Pelješac 16.5 Drink 2009-13
Ample blueberry fruit on the nose with a medicinal twang. Fine-grained but strong tannic structure, with a focused cassis character on the mid palate and eucalypt notes on the finish. 14.8% (RH)
Mediterano, Plavac Mali 2007 Hvar 16 Drink 2009-12
Intense black fruit, vanilla, cedar, very full and ripe fruit character. High but smooth tannin, lingering vanilla spice and some piquancy too. Full-on and bold but well balanced. 13.3% (RH)
Medvid, Plavac Mali 2005 Hvar 16.5 Drink 2009-15
Animal, black fruit, chunky tannins, very tight and intense with leather, liquorice and tobacco scent just emerging, plus some mint and cedar. Could develop over another few years. (RH)
Milicic Plavac Mali 2006 Pelješac 17 Drink 2009-13
Open, earthy aromas, with a ripe vegetal tone that integrates well with the mushy red fruit. Spice, high tannins, vanilla, soft red fruit and a smooth finish with decent length. This is like a cross between a Rioja, a burgundy and an Hermitage with some Nebbiolo tannin added in for good measure. An enjoyable oddity. 14.1% (RH)
Milos, Stagnum Plavac Mali 2003 Pelješac 15.5 Drink 2009-13
Meat juice, blackberry, earth, medicinal antiseptic aromatics and something of a compost aroma that is a bit distracting. Lots of liquorice and black fruit on the palate, but the pong remains, hanging around like a bad smell – shame. 14.6% (RH)
Lucic Plavac Mali 2005 Pelješac 16.5 Drink 2009-12 Moderate intensity, black pepper that seems very Shiraz-y, firm tannin but somehow soft mouthfeel. 14.4% (RH)
Saint’s Hill Plavac Mali 2008 Pelješac 16 Drink 2009-12
Smoke, bacon, ripe cherry but a bit lacking on the mid palate – primary fruit is fine but no great follow-up in evidence, although there is a bit of spice on the finish. (RH)
Skaramuca, Reserva Plavac Mali 2006 Pelješac 16.5 Drink 2009-13
Strong-armed fruit power plus leather, dried meat with a sweet, ripe red berry flavours on the palate. A pinch of spiciness, too, that offsets the alcohol well, and chewy tannic structure. 15% (RH)
Tomic, Barrique Plavac Mali 2006 Hvar 16.5 Drink 2009-12
Ripe, cakey fruit with leather and liquorice hints. Very dense, almost Port-esque fruit – lots of concentration and intensity with a charcoal-toasted complexity on the finish. Very solid tannic structure. 14% (RH)
Zlatan, Barrique Plavac Mali 2006 Hvar 15 Drink 2009-12
Pongy, farmyard nose with a ripeness of fruit that is almost off, plus a bit of volatile acidity too. High tannins, soft red fruit but a lingering bacterial funkiness that upsets the quality. 14.5% (RH)
Zlatan, Ctljenak Plavac Mali 2006 Hvar 16.5 Drink 2009-12 Violets, medicinal, potent black fruit and redcurrant sauce, lifted aromatics, noticeable grippy tannins and meaty characters on the finish. 14% (RH)
Zlatan, Grand Cru Plavac Mali 2006 Hvar 16.5 Drink 2009-13
Grand Cru is an unofficial term, referring to old vines in this case. Earth, mineral and black fruit but a slight volatile acidity scent that taints the aroma. Dry tannins with a oaked finish leaving a vanilla spice aftertaste. Very firm and forward. 14% (RH)
GRAŠEVINA Graševina is a synonym for Welschriesling. The Croatian name derives from grasak meaning ‘green peas’, a reference to the grape berries in early stages of development. This was an erratic line-up, with something of an identity crisis throughout. The quality wasn’t necessarily in question, but consistency of style was. Some were like New World Chardonnays, others like Rhine Rieslings – plus several dessert wines for good measure, the terminology for which is as follows: izborna berba = auslese; izorna berba bobica = beerenauslese; porsusenih = trockenbeerenauslese; ledena = icewine.
Bartolovic Graševina 2007 Kutjevo 16.5 Drink 2009
Vanilla, butter, pineapple, sweet spices, soft banana and apple fruit. Quite a broad range of flavours here, nicely balanced and dry to finish although having an apple cake or dessert-type quality on the mid palate. 13% (RH)
Belje Graševina 2008 Baranja 16 Drink 2009
Rich, creamy, vanilla pod, soft cheese, spice, apples, a touch of tropical fruit, and plenty of body that carries the alcohol well. 14.7% (RH)
Daruvarska, Izborna Berba Bobica Graševina 2004 Daruvar 16 Drink 2009-12
Rich, generous tropical fruit, treacle and caramel, preserved fruits. On the palate, honey, burnt sugar, mixed peel and oranges. 15.4% (RH)
Daruvarska Graševina 2007 Daruvar 16.5 Drink 2009-10
Developed and expressive orange peel, lemon zest, marmalade and sweet spice aromatics. Broad palate with gradually fading length and a good level of complexity thanks to a certain oxidative style, plus an off-dry finish which gives attractive fullness. 13.4% (RH)
Dvanajscak-Kozol Graševina 2006 Slavonija 15 Drink 2009
Sweet. Crystallised ginger, lemon, orange, spice-box. Rather light for a sweet wine, and not especially complex. 13.9% (RH)
Enjingi, Izborna Berba Graševina 2004 Kutjevo 15.5 Drink 2009-12
Treacle, marmalade, botrytis characters, floral and expressive. Heady and intense core that doesn’t quite balance with the alcohol, making it quite a heavy, impenetrable style. 16% (RH)
Enjingi, Kasna Berba Graševina 2006 Kutjevo 17 Drink 2009-10
Late harvest, but dry. Pronounced marmalade and orange zest nose with fresh lime juice, slate and a slight hint of funky cheese. Fresh acidity and a peppery bite on the finish – good range of flavours makes this very interesting and gastronomic. 14.2% (RH)
Frlan Graševina 2007 Ozalj-Vivodina 15.5 Drink 2009
Grapefruit, bitter lemon, light floral and some mineral hints. Crisp acidity and rounded citrus flavours. Moderate body and intensity, entirely inoffensive. 11.7% (RH)
Gerstmajer Graševina 2007 Slavonija 16.5+ Drink 2009-12
Sweet. Strong flinty aromatics, crab apple and lemon fruit, honeycomb, treacle and a sweet but not luscious finish with a pleasant fresh hazelnut aftertaste. 12.6% (RH)
Goldberg Graševina 2007 Baranja 15.5 Drink 2009
Rich, creamy, vanilla bean, baked apple, but a bit one-dimensional with overt oak use. 14% (RH)
Adzic, Hrnjevac Graševina 2007 Kutjevo 16.5 Drink 2009-10
Flint, slate, mineral, apple and grapefruit. Smooth, creamy and ripe with a nicely defined apple fruit on the finish and freshly milled spices that linger on the back palate. 12.5% (RH) Kalazic Graševina 2007 Baranja 16 Drink 2009
Golden-hued in the glass. Proud buttery oak upfront, candied apple and sweet spice with a lick of toffee and caramel on the finish. Warm alcohol. Not for the xylophobic. 13.9% (RH)
Krauthaker, Izborna Berba Prosusenih Bobica Graševina 2007 Kutjevo 17 Drink 2009-12
Developed marmalade, oil, honeycomb, paraffin and crystallised orange fruit. Incredible viscosity and denseness with smart acidity to retain freshness. Ornate, luscious, complex and delicious. 13% (RH)
Krauthaker, Mitrovac Graševina 2008 Kutjevo 16.5 Drink 2009-10
Butter, ripe apple, ice-cream, quite weighty on the palate, with good persistence and tacky (in the non-pejorative sense) mouthfeel. 14% (RH)
Krizevacka, Barrique Graševina 2006 Kalnik 16.5 Drink 2009-10
Lemon curd, toast, butter, cream and a good dose of slate. Dry, vibrant acidity that counterpoints the viscosity well, and the fresh fruit harmonises well with the noticeable oak ageing. Good. 12.4% (RH)
Kutjevo de Gotho Graševina 2007 Kutjevo 16.5 Drink 2009
Tropical fruits – banana, melon, mango – with a hint of TCP antiseptic lotion and mint. Creamy mouthfeel and good concentration, showing tropical fruit crush with a bitter tang on the finish. 13.4% (RH)
Kutjevo, Ledena Berba Graševina 2005 Kutjevo 17 Drink 2009-13
Preserved fruits, honey, lime sorbet, remarkable smoked meat and tobacco finish that lingers for a long time. The savoury characters on the finish mark this out as a real peculiarity. 12.6% (RH) Mihalj Graševina 2006 Kutjevo 16 Drink 2009
Smoke, flint, citrus, dairy cream on the palate and a smooth, satisfying body. 12.6% (RH)
Zigrovic Graševina 2007 Zelina 16 Drink 2009-10
Apples, bitter herbs, some dairy tones. Citrus, green apple, quite decent persistence but overall rather too unspecific. 13.3% (RH)
Continental Croatia is divided into following wine areas (from east to west – right to left):
- Podunavlje (Danube) region
- Slavonija (Slavonia) region
- Moslavina region
- Prigorje-Bilogora region
- Pokupje region
- Plešivica region
- Zagorje-Međimurje region
Climate is typical continental with cold winters and hot summer. Average rainfall is evenly spread throughout the year. Although the regions share similar geological features, the differences are visible.
Regions on the far east (Podunavlje) are mainly plains and enjoy lots of sun and strong winds. The soil is relatively poor (loess) and suited for the varietals, which are high in yields and sugars.
Already the first region more on the west (Slavonija) is more humid and has richer soil. Geographical and climate conditions are similar to some Bourgogne regions, such as Côte-d’Or, therefore the typical varietals from that region show some good results. The most important appellation in Slavonija is Kutjevo valley (Kutjevačka dolina), called also Golden valley. The valley is surrounded by smaller mountains, such as Krndija, on whose slopes are the best vineyard positions.
Even more on the west the climate is colder and other grapes are grown. Mainly those are aromatic varietals, such as Sauvignon, Muscat and Pinot Grigio, but also indigenous grapes, e.g. Skrlet, Moslavac (Furmint). On the northwest the best results are obtained with “Predikat” wines (late harvest, ice wine,etc), aforementioned varietals and some Austrian and German grapes, such as Sylvaner and Riesling.
FW Croatia, which can be interpreted as ‘Fine Wine’ or ‘Forward’ Croatia, is a project for a sustainable promotion of Croatian wine in the world. The Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture support the idea as a long-term program for establishing Croatia as the important wine producing country and the gastronomic brand.
The Project was initiated in July 2009, when the first five-day event was organised during the XXXII World Congress of Vine and Wine and the 7th General Assembly of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). During the event a group of very important foreign wine journalists, critics, sommeliers and consultants were invited to Croatia to visit the wine regions and taste Croatian wines.
Croatia produces wines of very good quality and great diversity thanks to excellent natural conditions, long tradition, and the good knowledge of Croatian winemakers. Unfortunately these wines are still not very well known to foreign markets. The aim of FW (Forward) Croatia project is to introduce Croatia as a great wine producing country and to familiarize the rest of the world with the highly diversified selection of Croatian wine, but also help local wine makers to get ready for the international markets.
Besides bringing important media and opinion makers to Croatia, FW Croatia will organise events for promotion of Croatian wine abroad, on strategically important markets, as well as promotion in the foreign media.
FW Croatia was founded in the beginning of 2009 by:
Sasa Špiranec – professional wine taster and consultant
There is something exploratory in painting. It is a seeking that endures and an enduring quest. In fact, it is a process, a ritual, a rite, magic. From the very beginnings of civilization mankind has defended itself from the unknown by performing rituals, magic, and by “casting spells”, and in the process what emerged and remained are traces or “scrawls”, “drawings”, “pictures”, and for the art historian a “visual expression”. They were created in a trance, accompanied by music. It is no wonder that to this day the vocabulary of music and painting has remained universal and identical: rhythm, tone, scale, color, composition…
The cave paintings in Altamira or Lascaux are not just a mere “proto-human interior decoration.” They are, in fact, the traces of the survival of the rituals of a human proto-community. In the traces of these rituals of their ancestors early man preserved his own identity, and that is most likely how what later generations called “art” came to be.
Whether or not we want to admit it, painting to this day, with all of its sophisticated technological progress, still draws its energy from those same deep roots. Graffiti artists are perhaps the closest to that source. In a trance, their heads “adorned” by earphones from a booming walkman, their hands filled with spray cans, they perform their “ritual” by leaving traces on the rocks of the “caves” of modern times – every large city in the world.
Natural substances that leave a clear mark on the surface to which they are applied have always been used in painting. Mud, minerals, blood, the black ink of cuttlefish, charcoal, lime, the juices of many plants; various natural pigments that painters mixed with a natural binder to make their mark permanent. Resistant to the wear of time and the effects of the weather. This lasted right up to the emergence of the modern chemical industry, which almost completely pushed the ancient skills and inventiveness of creating paints into oblivion. Pastels, tempera, oil paints, aquarelles, acrylic paints, today are all purchased as the finished products of the chemical industry, which also produces the most wondrous chemical preparations to remove unwanted stains.
Have you ever tried using only clean water to remove an old red wine stain from a linen shirt? Perhaps you have, but you could hardly have succeeded. Wine is not only an ancient beverage; it also has a very lasting color, so why not paint with it? It is likely that ancient painters knew this, but they lacked the appropriate medium on which to apply it (paper), and if they did, in fact, paint with wine, they left no written trace to this effect. Literate persons were a rarity just a few centuries ago, and painters, too, were only common tradesmen, like butchers, bakers, smiths, shoemakers and others who passed on their skills orally to their apprentices. Today, when we flaunt the most diverse kinds of paper, which people could not have imagined just a hundred years ago, we have an abundance of excellent mediums on which permanent paintings can be made with wine.
If paintings using water colors (colors that are soluble in water) are referred to as aquarelles, then we can rightfully call paintings made with wine “vinorel”. This is an entirely unexplored region that with the new technologies available today, opens the doors wide for painters.
The VINOREL technique of painting emerged in the Mediterranean region. the cradle of wine making. The name of the painting technique itself is probably of Italian origin.
Called ”VINORELLI o5” the first Vinrel exhibiton was opened on 11th of November 2004 in Zagreb. There were 32 artworks on display, two of them painted in 1974 and the other 30 during the 2004. This exhibition was a ‘rebirth’ of the acient technique in Croatia. Some painters are stilll trying to preserve the technique.
Croatia is a country with a strong wine culture and people that have always appreciated its true quality. Throughout the generations wine has always represented much more than the necessity, a mere beverage or a nutriment.
The families were rarely selling their wines, most of it was kept for their own consumption, for friends and celebrations, which is best shown in the verse from the old song of Northern Croatia « Not a single Zagorec (person from the region) has sold his wine, as all was drunk by his friends». Statistical information are maybe not as interesting as the aforementioned verse but prove the belief. Almost half of the wineyards in Croatia are not registered for business and trade but can only keep wine for personal consumption.
The other half, destined for the market is rather uknown outside Croatia. The main reason being that Croatia last several decades didnt have a significant export. After the fall of Jugoslavia the new countries were created. What was once Jugoslavian wine ceised to exist and the wines from other countries became an imported product. The trade with wine among the newly founded countries decreased and each country has focused on its own wine production and consumption. In Croatia, furthermore the local consumption was increasing and the production, which has been badly hurt during the war in the 90-ties, has decreased, so there was only just enough wine for the local market. Only in the last decade, after most wineyards have been revived, Croatia started producing enough wine for exports.
Like the rest of Central Europe, grape cultivation in Croatia pre-dated the Romans by several hundred years, and is at least 2500 years old. The oldest traces of the vine planting and wine production come from Vis, the island on the south of Croatia. It is a small coin dated 5th century BC. One side featured a grape and the other an amphora for keeping wine. Similar archeological and written documentation can be found in many places on the coast, from Istria to Dalmatia.
In the continental part of Croatia winemaking came several centuries later and was spread by Illyrians and Thracians, as well as Romans. One of the most famous promoter of the wine culture was Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus, who has planted huge vineyard areas from the Rhine valley in Germany to the Danube area in Croatia. Forcing his army to plant and maintain these large territories, when not fighting against rebels, turned his army against him. After all, legionaries understood themselves being there to fight, not to plant vines. He paid for his passion with his head.
Continuous wine tradition was interuppted only during the time of the Ottoman empire in the 16th century. Phylloxera, the disease, which destroyed most of the vineyards in the late 19th century in Europe also had a strong influence on the final selection of grape varietals in Croatia, especially its continetal part. Lots of indogenous varietals became extinct and were replaced mainly by german and austrian grapes, brought by the new rulers, the Habsburgs.
French varietals came only later, in the 20th century. Istria and Dalmatia were also hit by phylloxera, but because of their distinctive climate and soil, indogenous varietals managed to persist and are still dominating.
Coastal Croatia is divided into following wine areas (from south-east to north-west, or right to left):
- Srednja i južna Dalmacija (Middle and south Dalmatia)
- Dalmatinska Zagora (Dalmatian Zagora)
- Sjeverna Dalmacija (North Dalmatia)
- Hrvatsko primorje (Croatian Coastal)
- Istra (Istria)
South and Mid Dalmatia are significantly warmer than Istria and Primorje, therefore there is a big difference in grape varietals grown in those two areas. In the coastal Croatia, indigenous varietals are predominant. International grapes have been increasing their popularity only in the past 10 years.
On the furthest south its complete predominance has Plavac Mail, red grape varietal, which has shown as the most appropriate for the extreme conditions of hard rocks and poor soil, common summer droughts and high temperatures of the South. White varietals are a few, but Posip shows the best results. This varietal can retain the aroma and acids even with the heat, so when produced as a fresh wine it can get aromatic as Sauvignon Blanc.
On the north of Dalmatia, there is another indigenous red varietal, Babic, which again can adapt to the heat and rocky barren hills, but retains acids better than Plavac Mali (on average one gram more).
Primorje is the region of white wines. Žlahtina is the main varietal. It is mellow, soft and light, with floral and fruit aromas. Lately they started planting international grapes in the area, mainly Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Istria is producing equally both white and red wines. The main grape varietal is Malvazija Istarska, which has nothing in common with the Mediterranean Malvasia, but the name. Whilst most other Malvasia produce sweet wine, Istrian one is always dry. Besides it has ampelographic differences. Teran is the other important red grape varietal similar to Italian Refosco. It produces vivid, succulent and fruity wines. After Teran, other important red varietals are the ‘Bordeaux’ ones, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franck, and Merlot.
(Welschriesling, Laški Rizling, Olasz Rizling, Vlašsky ryzlink, Riesling Italico)
Graševina is the grape variety from central Europe, whose exact origin is still not known. Some sources are claiming that it is of a French origin, some say Romanian and there is also a theory that it might be Italian or Austrian. Prefixes welsch, laški, olasz and vlašsky on different languages mean „from Wallachia“, which is indicating its south Romanian provenance. (Wallachia is a region in Romania).
The theory, however logical, has been challenged by the Romanians, who call the variety Riesling Italico.
No matter the exact origin of the variety, it is a given fact that it is mainly grown in Danube countries – Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary – and two other nearby countries –Italy and Slovenia. Its popularity has been built upon its relatively high yields and adaptability to different soils and continental climate conditions.
Perception of Grasevina on the international markets was undermined because of two reasons, first the socialist economy that was complacent with the average quality of the wine and second, badly chosen name which refers most consumers to Riesling, with whom Grasevina does not share anything in common.
Plavac Mali is an indigenous variety from mid and south Dalmatia. A few years ago Californian ampelograph Carole Meredith from Davis University, together with our experts, professor Maletić and professor Pejić, have found out that Plavac Mali is a cross between two other indigenous Croatian varieties: Crljenak (Zinfandel) and Dobričić. Plavac can adapt well to hot Mediterranean climate and poor soil with rocks. Furthermore Plavac from the southern Karst slopes, exposed to the strong sun, give full bodied, strong and healthy wines of great quality and aging potential, while grapes from the more fertile grounds produce a wine with a bit diluted flavour. That is because the variety in extreme conditions can concentrate in a natural way and gives lower yields (up to 1kg per vine), and if grown in the rich soil has yields of 2.5 kilo per vine. The grape is mainly grown as a bush that during the hot summer months serves as a protection from the sun and heat for the grape. It is common to put the pole next to the bush for the first three years, in order to insure that the plant grows strong enough to resist the strong winter winds.
Graševina is the grape variety from central Europe, whose exact origin is still not known. Some sources are claiming that it is of a French origin, some say Romanian and there is also a theory that it might be Italian or Austrian. Prefixes welsch, laški, olasz and vlašsky on different languages mean „from Wallachia“, which is indicating its south Romanian provenance. (Wallachia is a region in Romania).
Plavac Mali is an indigenous variety from mid and south Dalmatia. A few years ago Californian ampelograph Carole Meredith from Davis University, together with our experts, professor Maletić and professor Pejić, have found out that Plavac Mali is a cross between two other indigenous Croatian varieties: Crljenak (Zinfandel) and Dobričić. Plavac can adapt well to hot Mediterranean climate and poor soil with rocks. Furthermore Plavac from the southern Karst slopes, exposed to the strong sun, give full bodied, strong and healthy wines of great quality and aging potential, while grapes from the more fertile grounds produce a wine with a bit diluted flavour. That is because the variety in extreme conditions can concentrate in a natural way and gives lower yields (up to 1kg per vine), and if grown in the rich soil has yields of 2.5 kilo per vine. The grape is mainly grown as a bush that during the hot summer months serves as a protection from the sun and heat for the grape. It is common to put the pole next to the bush for the first three years, in order to insure that the plant grows strong enough to resist the strong winter winds.