Wine mosaic - Croatia

THE CROATIAN WINE MOSAIC As grapevine breeding has been nurtured in this area since the ancient times, Croatia is rightly proud of its wide palette of wines. More than a thousand different wine labels are on offer, from which 900 are with the protection and control of geographic origin.

There are five viticulture zones in the world determined by the number of hours of sunshine and temperature. Croatia has each of them while the world`s first wine and vine growing nation France, has four. The result of this variety is a rich mosaic of wine, from fresh, breezy and aromatic in the north to strong, sweet and full bodied in the south.

The most wide spread white sort of continental Croatia is Graševina, while other widely bread indigenous sorts are Skrlet and Kraljevina, as well as fine wines produced from world sorts such as Pinot, Rhein Riesling, Traminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. The red continental sorts are Pinot Noir, Portugieser and Frankovka as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot which are also widely planted. The last two sorts are more common in the coastal wine growing area where the most famous indigenous sort is the Dalmatian Plavac Mali.

The most famous Croatian grape sort is indeed Plavac and the wines are named by the areas they are grown in, such as Dingač, Ivan Dolac etc. Interestingly, recent research has shown that the Californian Zinfandel has originated from Dalmatian Plavac. Dingač is the first Croatian wine which received the protection of geographic origin and at the same time a label recognized in Europe and wider. The distinguished white coastal sorts are Istrian Malvazija, Žlahtina, Pošip, Rukatac and Vugava from Vis. Every Croatian tourist region has its great wines, offered through the “Wine Roads” project.This is a special form of selling agricultural products of different wine growing areas where agricultural estates and other participants offer their products and other original specialities, especially wine. Apart from the tourist and hospitality offer, a major part of the wine roads tour are the beautiful natural surroundings through which the roads pass, as well as the historical and cultural sites.

A Thousand Year Old Tradition Although it is not exactly known which nation first tasted wine and when, it is believed that vine is older than man himself. Ancient nations attributed mythological qualities to it and celebrated it as a direct gift from the gods. It is believed that after the Argonauts first brought vines from the foot of Kavkaz Mountain, the ancient Greeks planted vineyards on the Croatian coast. Locations of the first plantations are still recognizable today on Starigradsko Polje which is included on the UNESCO list of world heritage.

As many as two thousand years ago in his work `Scolars at Dinner’ the Greek writer Athenaios wrote about Dalmatian wines: `The wine produced on the island of Vis, is by far the best in comparison to all the others’.

After the Greeks and Romans, the breeding and processing of vine was carried on and improved by the Croats, especially in the coastal areas, where the whole economic, literal, artistic and political history became closely connected to the production of wine.

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In time, wine growing became one of the main production branches in Dalmatia, so it is not surprising that one of the biggest migration waves to the New World, was prompted by a disease that attacked grapevines – phylloxera.

The warmth of the sun and the karst ground, on which those vineyards are still cultivated today, are a guarantee of the quality and the fullness of the wine.

The Romans also brought vine to continental Croatia more than two thousand years ago, and the first wine cellars of this area date from that time. The tradition was carried on through the Middle Ages and a hard blow to wine growing in Slavonia was brought on by the coming of the Turks. More serious and organised wine growing returned to this area after the Turkish wars when estates in Slavonia were given to gentlemen farmers and church orders. Even today their cellars are the centre of vinery in Slavonija and Podunavlje, like the ones in Kutjevo, Baranja, Ilok and Erdut.

In the 19th century Slavonian wines were drank at European courts, especially at the Habsburg Court. In recent times, more accurately at the end of the 20th century, this region became the birth place of Croatian private wine making. Ivo Enjingi is the first wine maker who in 1988 won the right to put the ‘fine wine’ sign on his Graševina label. Enjingi`s skill for making high quality wines was awarded on 15 September 2004 in London where he was given a gold medal for being the absolute world champion in his category, for the wine Venje from 1998.

Great improvements in wine production over the past thirty years, and the starting of ‘Wine Roads project, can be attributed to Istria. Today in Istria, on a relatively small space, where the population is less than two hundred thousand, there are more than eighty private wineries with new ones founded frequently.

WINE REGIONS AND SUBREGIONS www.hrvatska-vina.com; www.vinum-croatica.hr; www.naturacroatica.com; www.made-incroatia.com.hr; http://winesofcroatia.wordpress.com; http://blog.vino.hr/; http://nepce.com/; http://vinarija.com/; Croatia can be divided into the continental and coastal wine growing regions, which are then again separated into 12 sub-regions. Each one is distinguished by its geographic, orographic, geological, agro-ecological, ampelographic, economic and other particularities.

The Continental Region There are a number of sub-regions in continental Croatia: in the northwest there is ZagorjeMeđimurje, Prigorje – Bilogora, Plešivica, Pokuplje and Moslavina, and in the northeast Slavonija and Podunavlje. Graševina is the most wide spread sort in the continental region and because it is suitable for different types of wine it gives best results in central Slavonija, where it gives crops for production of a wide span of wines, from simple, light and refreshing to predicate and ice wines.

In Central Croatia, the hilly and wavy relief provides natural protection for the vines from the cold north currents. The vineyards are usually at 150 to 450 meters above the sea level and mostly grown are Graševina, Moslavac, Skrlet and Kraljevina. From famous world sorts there are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Rhein Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Traminer, Mucsat Ottonel and Yellow Muscat. Kraljevina, from which a light, fresh white wine is produced, is

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closely connected to the foothills of Zagreb and Sveti Ivan Zelina, while Moslavina is the home of Moslavac (also known as Sipon or Frumint).

From the red sorts there is Frankovka, Portugieser and Pinot Noir. In northeast Croatia the terrain changes from hilly to wavy and in places creates wide terraced plateaus. The vineyards are gently inclined, located at 90 to 300 meters above sea level, but a lot of them are also planted on the plains. Because of the warmth and the small amounts of precipitations during the summer and early autumn, the conditions for the ripening of high quality grapes are very good (especially in Kutjevo). Next to the classic Graševina, there is the green Silvanac, Rhein Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Frankovka, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Portugieser as well as the widely planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The Sub-region of Slavonija Slavonian vineyards are located in the middle and western part of this region on the slopes of the mountains Papuk, Krndija, Dilj, Psunj and Požeška gora. On the inside part of this ring are the wine growing hills of Kutjevo and on the outside parts are the wine growing hills of Đakovo, Slavinski Brod, Nova Gradiška, Požega-Pleternica, Daruvar, Pakrac, Feričanci, Orahovica-Slatina and Virovitica.

The Daruvar and Kutjevo wine growing hills are colder in relation to other wine growing Slavonian areas, which are best seen by harvesting deadlines.

Although Graševina prevails in all Slavonian wine growing areas, the town of Orahovica is recognized by the green Silvanac and Feričanci by the Black Frankovka. The trend of growing black sorts has increased in the past few decades and has, for example, reached twenty percent of the planted surface in Kutjevo.

The Kutjevo wine growing area is the centre of Slavonian wine making and stretches 55 km in length with around 800 acres covered by vineyards, half of which are owned by the company PPK Kutjevo, while the rest is held by smaller wine producers, among which the most important are Enjingi and Krauthaker.

From the indigenous sorts one should mention Zelenac, as it has been revitalized in the Kutjevo winery Krauthaker. Experimenting with new and old or forgotten sorts definitely distinguishes modern Slavonija from the image of mono-cultural Graševina, with which it was branded not so long ago.

The family Zdjelarević has become a leader in connecting tourism with wine making among private wine producers, because they gradually built a hotel along with their winery in Brodski Stupnik.

In the area of Brodski Stupnik there are the famous “Wine Roads of the Stupnik Hills”, where along with Zdjelarević winery, high quality wines are made by the wineries Kurković, Vinković and Čaldarević. The oldest preserved cellar in this area and one of the oldest in Croatia, in the ownership of the Kutjevo winery, was built in 1232 by Cistercit monks. Today they keep archive, mostly predicate wines and old oak barrels.

The superb Ðakovo Riesling comes from the best, sunny, and carefully selected vineyards from the area of Mandićevac. As it matures, its greenish yellow colour turns bright yellow

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with a golden hue. As such, the Ðakovo Riesling, along with numerous other varieties of Ðakovo wines, won awards from Vienna, via Paris to Ljubljana and Zagreb. Đakovo region has been offering wine for two thousand years. Up to two and a half million gallons are annually produced in Djakovo.

Some of the better known wine makers of Slavonija include the Đakovo Parish, Đakovo Wines, Feravino, PP Orahovica and private wine makers such as Adžić, Bartolović, Jakobović, Lukačević and Mihalj. www.krauthaker.hr; www.enjingi.hr; www.zdjelarevic.hr; www.kutjevo.com; www.misnavina.hr; www.feravino.hr; www.pporahovica.hr; www.kutjevacki-vinari.hr; www.mali-podrum.com; www.slavonski-puti.hr; www.vinarija-bartolovic.com; www.jakobovic-vina.hr; www.tzzps.hr; www.bonavita.com.hr; www.vino-mihalj.hr; www.brodski-stupnik.hr; http://caldarevic-vino.com;

The Sub-region of Podunavlje The most eastern Croatian wine area is located on the gently inclined plateaus along the banks of the River Danube. Each of the three wine growing areas – Srijem, Erdut and Baranja – has a large wine producer. These are Iločki Podrumi (Ilok Cellars), Erdutski Vinogradi (Erdut Vineyards) and Belje, who have in their possession from 400 to as many as 700 acres of their own vineyards. Although the circumstances of war time resulted in the decline of private wine growing and production, experts expect that producers from this area will soon find themselves at the top of the Croatian wine scale. The wine growing hills of Baranja and Erdut are the first two areas in Croatia that have become a part of Vintour - the wine roads of the European Union.

As in the neighbouring Slavonija, the dominant sort here is Graševina, while in Ilok the best known is Traminer. In the past few years a lot of white and black sorts have been planted such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Rhein Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

It is indeed the 2008 Merlot from the cellars of Belje that has triumphed in London at the Decanter World Wine Awards, first winning a gold medal and then a trophy for being chosen among the gold awarded wines.

This vinery, with its headquarters in Kneževi Vinogradi, is proud of its old cellar, whose oldest part was built during the Roman times and the oldest wine in its rich archive is Cabarnet Franc from 1949.

Iločki Podrumi also attract the attention of wine experts and tourists form Croatia and the world, and are visited by over 20 000 visitors each year. For the coronation of the British Queen, Elizabeth II, 11 000 bottles of wine were ordered from this cellar. Along with the amazing Iločki Podrumi, in whose ownership are the attractive old cellars underneath the Odescalchi Castle, there are more and more smaller but also high quality wineries included in the “Wine Roads of Ilok”.

The winery in the neighbouring Erdut is famous for the biggest wooden barrel in the world (75 thousand litres). The company Erdutski Vinogradi has 420 acres covered by the vineyards. www.ilocki-podrumi.hr; www.belje.hr; www.erdutski-vinogradi.hr; www.tzvsz.hr; www.tzosbarzup.hr; www.vinailok.hr; http://klaster-srijem.com; www.tzbaranje.hr; www.knezevi-vinogradi.hr/vinskeceste-podrumi; www.josic.hr

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The Sub- region of Plešivica The Plešivica wine growing area is located on the western wing of the Croatian capital Zagreb, in which the wines from the Pleševica slopes are always reputed as the highlight of the local ‘drop’. Even though white sorts prevail, Pleševica specialty is the black Portugieser, from which a young wine, also known as the Croatian Beaujolais, is made. There is an old saying that Zagreb smells of chestnuts and Portugieser in the autumn, but days dedicated to this young wine are also held in other surrounding cities and in the homes of Pleševica local wine makers.

Taking into account that this is a wine that can be placed on the market in the first part of the season and can show the results of the finished season, Portugieser traditionally takes up around a fifth of the Pleševica vineyards.

The majority are, however, white sorts, similar to the ones in the rest of continental Croatia.

Graševina, Chardonnay, Rhein Reisling, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Traminer, Sauvignon, green Silvanac etc. can all be found in Pleševica. The indigenous sorts Šipelj and Plavec Žuti have also survived.

The most significant wine producers have vineyards on the southern slopes where a large number of winemakers are included in the ‘Plešivica Wine Road’.

The winery Mladina is one of the largest producers of central Croatia but the biggest reputation was earned by the wines of private wine makers who, by carrying on the family traditions of wine making, improved the production with new sorts and technologies. The estates of Velimir Korak and Krešimir Režek stand out from the better known private cellars, who have built upon their families’ tradition by gaining an education at the University of Agronomy. At the foot of Plešivica there is the winery of the Tomac family.

In the area of Samobor, along with the production of wine according to traditional recipes, the production of aromatic, sweet wine – ‘Bermet’ has also been preserved. This region also produces some of the more famous sparkling wines.

The vineyard of Ozalj - Vivodina, which also belongs to the subregion of Plešivica, is much better known in Slovenia than in Croatia, because since the breakup of former Yugoslavia and the creation of the border between Slovenia and Croatian, the biggest part of the wine from this vineyard was sold in Slovenia. Vivodinian wines are today best known around Karlovac County, and one part is sold in Zagreb and Dalmatia. The assortment is as in other wine-producing regions of the continental Croatian. There are 12 wineries on Ozalj-Vivodina wine road, some of which are well known, like Šoštar, Žabčić, wine cellar Vrbanek (old cooperative wine cellar by River Kupa), Darko Vrbanek, Zdenko Vrbanek, Frlan and Mirko Vrbanek. www.vino-korak.hr; www.rezek.hr; www.tomac.hr; www.tzzz.hr; www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr;

The Sub-region of Zagorje-Međimurje The Zagorje sub-region in the north part of Croatia keeps its vinery traditions in its winedresser`s huts as they like to say in the local slang. Although wine makers who process

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grapes in the old fashioned way can still be found here, this sub-region is suitable for the production of high quality wines.

The plots are usually small, on hilly grounds and slopes that stretch from Zagreb to the north all the way to the Slovenian border. These hills cannot be imagined without vineyards and the traditions connected to wine making are deeply rooted in the traditions of this area.

The wine makers of Zagorje have joined the Wine Roads which perfectly intertwine with a large number of castles by which this area is one of the first in Europe. Investment into production has lead to a large number of quality sorts as opposed to wines from previous times which were drank exclusively with added sparkling mineral water. White sorts such as Graševina, Rhein Riesling and Chardonnay are dominant here as well as green Silvanac and different types of Pinot.

The neighbouring Međimurje wine growing hills, which are located in the northwest between Mura and Drava rivers are extremely suitable for grapevine growing. The exception is lower Međimurje where results are not as good because of the flat terrain. The best vineyards are located in Međimurske Gorice and the centre of Međimurje wine making is Šrigova. The vineyards cover around 300 acres and their main sorts are Moslavac, Graševina, Sauvignon, Rhein Riesling and Yellow Muscat. Moslavac has become known here as the most recognized sort and has become a brand under the name Pušipel.

The largest producer in the Međimurje wine capital Štrigova is Agromeđimurje with 140 acres of vineyards. Private wine makers that stand out in this area are the families Bobnjar, Jakopić and Lovrec, while from the Zagorje side, the family Petrovečki from Sv. Križ Začrtje, stands out with quality, as does the winery Vinski Vrh in the Zlatar wine making hills.

Wine maker Boris Drenški from Rusnica has also impressed at foreign competitions although his wine production is small. www.agromedjimurje.hr; www.medimurje.info/bobnjar/; www.vina-jakopic.hr; www.tzm.hr; www.tzzagorje.hr; www.vino-lovrec.hr; www.tourism-club.com; www.sveti-kriz-zacretje.hr; www.libertin.hr;

The Sub-region of Prigorje-Bilogora Vineyards in this area are located on the slopes of the mountains in the northwest of Croatia – Medvednica, Kalnik, Bilogora, and Prigorje - which stretch all the way to the banks of River Sava. The development of private wineries in this area started around thirty years ago, especially in the area of Zelina, which is the most significant wine growing area of this subregion. Located there is the famous wine road which includes a large number of family cellars.

The most important wine exhibition of continental Croatia has been Held in Zelina at the end of every June since 1968, at the time of the celebrations of Sv. Ivan (St. John), who is the patron saint of this area.

Just how deep-rooted wine making is in the tradition of Zelina is best proven by the rules written for the marking of the ritual of St. Martin, in which the “pagan” mošt (must) is turned into young wine. This is how the “Križevački štatuti” (Križevac regulations) - the oldest and the most precise rules and regulations manual - were created in the area of Križevac Prigorje, and the “Koprivničke regule” (Koprivnica regulations) were created in Podravina.

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The most famous sort of this sub-region is the indigenous Kraljevina, which has been unfairly marginalized in the past decades. To stop the repression of this sort, from which a drinkable and refreshing wine is made, the Zagreb county protected Kraljevina as the county`s brand vine sort. Along with Kraljevina, Graševina is also well represented and so are other white sorts such as Traminer, Rhein Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot, etc.

The Zagreb University of Agronomy is also one of the quality producers of wine in this area, with vineyards located on the south slopes of Medvednica. Known under the name Jazbina, the vineyards take up around ten acres and are intended for educational and scientific work.

A cellar with the same purpose has also been built and has, as opposed to the other wineries of Prigorje-Bilogora sub-region, produced some noticed red wine mixtures.

One should also mention wine maker Željko Kos and the winery Jarec-Kure from Zelina, while in Križevci, there is a famous company Križevački Vinogradi as part of the Badel concern. www.agromedjimurje.hr; www.medimurje.info/bobnjar/; www.vina-jakopic.hr; www.tzm.hr; www.tz-zagorje.hr; www.vino-lovrec.hr; www.tourismclub.com; www.sveti-kriz-zacretje.hr; www.libertin.hr;

The Sub-region of Moslavina Moslavina, in which the tradition of grapevine growing has been nurtured since the Roman times, is famous above all for its Škrlet, an indigenous white sort. Škrlet is more popular than Graševina here, while Moslavac, the sort named after this sub-region, is not as represented as it is in Međimurje, where it is known under the name of Pušipel. Along with Graševina and Pinot Blanc, Frankovka is another sort also planted here, and is the only black sort in this area.

The vineyards of Moslavac are located on mountain slopes, not in the inner part of the area, which is mostly flat. Most of the vineyards are located on the wine growing hills Voloder – Ivanić Grad, which includes the south slopes of the Moslavina mountain area, while the wine growing area of Čazma includes the inner part of the mountains which are located around this town.

The climate conditions in Moslavina, as far as the number of hours of sunshine, are much more favourable than in Zagorje and Međimurje, but there is more rain than, for instance, in Podunavlje.

The Moslavina wine roads offer wines for sale in bottles or straight from the barrel, together with domestic specialities.

The winery Mikša, in Repušnica near Kutina, stands out from the local producers by its tradition of producing Škrlet. The vinery Miklaužić, located on the Voloder-Ivanić Grad wine growing hills, is the biggest private winery in Moslavina, with its 25 acres of vineyards.

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www.turizam-moslavina.com; www.vinarija-miksa.hr; www.vinarija-miklauzic.hr; www.kezele-vino.hr; www.turizam-smz.hr; www.mosla-vina.hr

The Sub-region of Pokuplje Pokuplje is the name of the lowland area along the river Kupa - from Ozalj to the confluence of Sava - after which it has been named and which is by its surface of vineyards and grape and wine production, the smallest wine growing sub-region of continental Croatia. Located here is the smallest number of cellars that place produce on the market, so it is not surprising that Pokuplje received the smallest number of prizes for its wines.

This sub-region includes a large area which stretches from the slopes of Šamarica, Petrova and Zrinjska Mountains on one side and the Klek, Rog and Žumberak Mountains on the other aswell as all the way east to Sisak and the state border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, the only significant wine growing areas here are Karlovac, Petrinja and Vukomeričke Gorice.

Most vineyards are located on Vukomeričke Gorice, south of Velika Gorica. Because there was not even one winery owned by the state in this area during old Yugoslavia, private wine growing has not developed. However, new producers are emerging so it is expected that there will be enough of them to form a new wine road.

Among the more significant producers in the wine growing hills of Vukomeričke Gorice are Hrvatske Šume and Jurica Pavelić and in the Petrinja area, Ante Marinčić.

Sorts grown in this area are the ones also common in other continental sub-regions such as Graševina, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Green Silvanac, Sauvignon, Rhein Riesling. An indigenous sort of this area is Ranina Bijela (dišeća ranina bijela) from Petrinja and Ovnek Žuti, which is a different name for Škrlet Bijeli. www.dos.uhrvatskoj.com/vinarija-marincic, www.grozd-vg.hr

The Coastal Region The area of the coastal wine growing region stretches across Istria along the Adriatic coast and the Dalmatian hinterland. The whole area is divided into four wine growing sub-regions: Istria, Hrvatsko Primorje, North, Central and South Dalmatia and Dalmatinska Zagora.

The vineyards are protected from cold influences by mountains which stretch along the coast. Because of the sun, fertile soil and much needed warmth, the whole coastal area is ideal for the production of high quality wines, especially red ones.

Istrian people are especially proud of the quality of Istarska Malvazija, Teran and Momjan Muscat (Momjanski Muškat). Apart from these sorts, great results are achieved by Pinots Noir, Blanc and Grigio, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Great commercial success on the Croatian market was achieved by the wine from domestic Bijela Žlahtina from the fields near Vrbnik on the island of Krk. This wine is light yellow to hay yellow in colour with a subtle aroma and a fine characteristic taste. The freshness, which can only be acquired by a somewhat sharper and colder climate, is characteristic of the

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northern parts of the Adriatic, which this vine has adjusted to, but also of the vineyards found on the southern locations of the island of Krk itself.

From the quality white sorts grown in central Dalmatia we have home-grown Maraština, Debit and Kujundžuša. In the area of Primošten, south of Šibenik, on the rocky and mountainous surroundings, Babić and Plavina are the rulers. The islands also have their wine aces: Brač is known for its Plavac (Murvica); Korčula has gained its reputation primarily because of Bijeli Pošip, then Maraština or Rukatac in Smokvica and Čara, as with Grk on the sandy soil of Lumbarda. In Vis, where the wine was greatly respected by the ancient Greeks and Romans, the queen is the amazing Bijela Vugava. Also exquisite is the Vis red made from Plavac Mali. Hvar – where Opolo, a pink wine from Plavac originates from, also has the white sorts Bogdanuša, Prč, Mekuja, and the red Plavac Mali and Drnekuša. Its crown is Plavac Mali, although it is the Pelješac Peninsula that is most famous for this sort.

Plavac Mali is the descendant of Hrvatski Crljenak, which is believed to have originated from the surroundings of Split, and it is worth mentioning that DNA testing has shown that this is a sort identical to the Californian Zinfandel and the Italian Primitivo. The best vineyards of Hvar are found in Ivan Dolac and Sveta Nedjelja. Dingač and Postup are grown on the south side of Pelješac Peninsula with the growing grounds located 300 or more meters above sea level and inclined towards the sea, which enables the grapevine to get light and warmth straight from the sun, followed by a reflection of sun beams from the sea and soil.

So it is not surprising that the best red wines were named after these locations – Dingač, Postup, Ivan Dolac, while the wine from the area of Sveta Nedjelja is called Zlatan Plavac.

Dingač is the first Croatian wine that had its geographical origin protected by the Geneva Convention in 1961. Dingač is a wine of deep ruby red colour, with an exceptional and rich bouquet, a finely accented aroma and harmonious fullness of taste.

The Sub-region of Istria The largest Croatian peninsula is also one of the best wine growing areas in Central Europe due to the suitable agronomic conditions. The most significant boom in Istrian wine making happened in the past twenty years when many wine makers decided to invest into education and production and set high standards which have to be gained for acquiring the IQ grade (Istrian Quality). The association Vinistra has played an important role in this and along with education takes care of marketing and the holding of traditional customs connected to wine making.

Most Istrian vineyards and wine cellars are located on the hills of the northwest part of the peninsula. The centre of wine making in this part are the towns Brtonigla, Momjan, Buje, Buzet, while in the southern part the most cellars are located in Kaštelir, Vižinad, Višnjan and Motovun. Currently, Istria has seven wine roads (Buje/Brtonigla/Umag/Novigrad, Poreč, Vrsar/Funtana, Rovinj, Vodnja/Pula, Labin/Rabac and Central Istria) with 110 wine itineraries.

The two most important indigenous sorts are white Istrian Malvasia and Black Teran, while many world sorts such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernat Sauvignon and White Muscat are also represented. Muscat from Momjan has been preserved as an indigenous sort. Istrian wine makers have given the most attention to the growing of Malvasia which succeeds best on the white northern terrain. But the efforts of wine makers have shown that high quality Malvasia can also be cultivated on the famous Istrian red soil. The possibility of wine making development in Istria is best described by the fact that in the 19th century, 50 thousand

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acres were covered by grapevines, while today – at the time of the Istrian wine Renaissance – this number is up to ten times smaller.

The largest Istrian wine company Agrolaguna cultivates around three hundred acres in the surroundings of the tourist centre Poreč and has become famous on the market with wines from the Festigia series (Malvasia, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) named after a part of the Euphrasius Basilica in Poreč. These wines got the highest marks at competitions in Italy, Spain and Great Britain.

Istravino is one of the larger companies. It was founded in 1947 in Pazin, but its headquarters were later moved to Rijeka. The best wines from this company carry the name of the place Dajla, where vineyards take up 110 acres, mostly at the location of Vela Brajda.

Private wineries Kozlović, Coronica, Zigante, Degrassi, Vivoda, Matošević, Cattunar, Kabola, Pilato, Benvenuti, Trapan, Roxanich, Meneghetti, Marijan Arman and Franc Arman should be mentioned.

Private Istrian wine makers have been awarded on many prestigious world competitions and their quality was recognized by the world`s leading wine magazine Decanter, which awarded six Istrian wines at the last London Wine Festival in 2010. Istrian wines have also won over the pallets of a number of distinguished international sommeliers, journalists and distributers.

Malvasia and Teran especially cause excitement. For example, an influential wine journalist and editor Amy Wislocki pointed out the following at the London wine fair in May of 2010, at an event under the name Fine Wine from Croatia: “The reason I would buy Croatian wine is because it gives me the feeling and taste of Croatia. I really liked the Malvasias today because they are very characteristic, with lovely freshness, floral and citrus notes and an expressed minerality”.

It is worth mentioning that more than half of the wines produced by Istrian private wine makers are aimed directly at tourists through restaurants, bars, hotels and local wine shops, but also through sales in their cellars. http://vinistra.com/; www.vina-cattunar.hr; www.kozlovic.hr; www.vina-zigante.hr; http://trapan.hr; www.benvenutivina.com; www.istria-gourmet.com; www.agrolaguna.hr; www.francarman.hr; www.arman.hr; www.damjanic-vina.hr; www.degrassi.hr; www.istravino-rijeka.hr; www.konobamarino-kremenje.hr; www.matosevic.com; www.vina-poletti.com; www.capo.com.hr; www.meneghetti.info; www.roxanich.com; www.teraboto.com; www.veralda.hr; www.tzkastelirlabinci.hr; www.vina-terre.hr; www.istra.hr;

The Sub-region of Hrvatsko Primorje (coastal area) Hrvatsko Primorje is the name of the wine growing sub-region that stretches from the Liburnia part of Istria, across Opatija and Rijeka to Vinodol. Also forming a part of it are the wine growing hills of the island of Krk, Rab, Cres, Lošinj and Pag. Similar to Istria and Dalmatia the culture of grapevine cultivation had been nurtured here from times immemorial and witness to this are the many underwater archaeological remains of antic amphorae. But in this whole area today the only place developed enough to form a wine road is the town Vrbnik on the eastern coast of the island of Krk. On its fields, and recently on other fields of Krk, grows a hundred acres of Žlahtina, an indigenous white sort, which is often called Zlatna (golden) Žlahtina or Vrbnička (Vrbnik) Žlahtina.

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On Kvarner, apart from Žlahtina, we can also find Istrian Malvasia, Sauvignon, Pinots Blanc and Grigio, Muscat and the indigenous white sort Gegić. Maraština is grown on the island of Cres, and is called Krezol by the islanders, while Merlot, Plavina, Sušić, Syrah and Plavac are the represented black sorts.

There were once many more vineyards stretching along the whole coastal area of this subregion which have unfortunately not been preserved. Only the Bakarska Terraces were partly revived, where grapes for the famous sparkling wine Bakarska Vodica used to be grown and the terrain in the vicinity of Novi Vinodolski where refugees from Vukovar were greatly responsible for the revitalization of wine growing. They revitalized the vineyards in the area of Pavlomir.

Recently, wine growing has been awoken on the island of Pag, where special attention is given to the white sort Gegić, while the indigenous black sort Trojščina is being reborn on the sandy island of Susak.

Among the more famous wine makers of this area, Poljoprivredna Zadruga Vrbnik must be mentioned. Up to the 1990s it was the only producer of Žlahtina and has, to this day, kept more than half of the surface. An interesting sparkling wine Valomet, made from Žlahtina, came from their cellar and this is the only Croatian sparkling wine that ripened 30 meters under the sea.

Antun Katunar is the first wine maker that planted Žlahtina outside of the Vrbnik field, cultivating 30 acres of new vineyards in the vicinity of Baška. Around 30 percent of all Žlahtina is cultivated at the Gospoja association in Toljanić. Outside of Krk the wineries Pavlomir near Novi Vinodolski and Boškinac on the island of Pag are worth mentioning. www.kvarner.hr; www.pz-vrbnik.hr; www.krk.hr; www.gospoja.hr; www.tz-vinodol.hr; www.boskinac.com

The Sub-region of North Dalmatia The first of the three Dalmatian sub-regions stretches from Benkovac and across Zadar towards Šibenik, Knin and Drniš in the deep hinterland. The vineyards are mostly planted in the fields that are not close to the sea but at the same time are not separated from the influences of the sea air.

In the most southern part of this sub-region there is an oasis of the indigenous sort Babić, which shows its best qualities in the wine growing area of Primošten and Šibenik. Other wine growing parts of this area are Promina, Drniš, Pirovac-Skradin, Benkovac-Stankovici, ZadarBiograd and Knin.

The white sort Debit, which has been nurtured here for a long time, prevails in the hinterland of Šibenik, as well as Maraština (Rukatac), which has been revived after years of being forgotten. In the area of Promina the indigenous black sort Plavina is wide spread, while the Drniš field has shown to be very suitable for sorts such as Merlot, which has been grown here for the past thirty years.

The French sorts are well accepted in the Zadar area as well as, for example, on the plantation in Nadin where the evermore popular Syrah is achieving great results. The famous Benkovac rose is made from the black Grenache which is planted in Pristeg, whilst Merlot,

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Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon were planted in Korlat situated in the same area, after the cultivation of a hundred acres of stony grounds.

The development of private wine making in Benkovac, Drniš and Zadar hinterland was stopped during the occupation at the time of the Homeland War. However, more and more young vineyards which have been planted in this area are a cause for optimism. Along with the mentioned winery in Benkovac, which is a part of the Badel 1862 corporation, the more significant producer in this area is Dalmacijavino, which has a plantation on over 250 acres in the vicinity of Drniš.

In the southern part of this sub-region the most important winery is Vinoplod Šibenik, which is especially significant not only as the most prominent producer of Babić, Maraština, Debit and Plavina but because it brings together a large number of private co-operants. The Šibenik winery Vinoplod makes its wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes from the plantation in Vrgorac. Private producers that stand out are the Primošten wine maker Leo Gracin, whose winery Suha Punta is famous for its exquisite Babić. In the area of Skradin there is the famous Bibich winery, while in the village Razvođe on the south side of Promine, there is the Duvančić winery. www.dalmacijavino.hr; www.vinoplod-vinarija.hr; www.vinolab.hr; www.vina-duvancic.hr; http://dalmatinsko.com;

The Sub-region of Dalmatinska Zagora The sub-region of Dalmatinska Zagora has three wine growing areas: Sinj-Vrlika, Imotski and Vrgorac. Because of the difference in climate conditions Dalmatinska Zagora does not fall into the same sub-region as the coastal area. High mountains stop the constant influence of the Mediterranean climate, which mixes with the continental climate and makes the grapes ripen in a different way. Colder nights also have an effect on the acidity of grapes.

Many indigenous sorts are grown here, form the white ones the most famous are Kujundžuša in the area of Imotski and Zlatarica and Medna in the vicinity of Vrgorac. Black indigenous sorts are represented by Trnjak and Okatac, but prevailing are the new sorts such as Vranac, which has been present for decades, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot which have been planted in more recent times.

These two sorts are mostly present in the Vrgorac wine growing area, especially since the local vinery has been taken over by Vinoplod from Šibenik. The grapes are grown in Vrgorac and processed in Šibenik. A mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot has been placed on the market under the name Carlot.

In the area of Imotski, the indigenous Kujundžuša is grown by the company Imota, but also by the private producers Grabovac, Jerković and Imočanka. The Grabović family from Prološac has produced the first Dalmatian sparking wine “Grabovac”, and they are also famous for their black Barriqueu Modro Jezero (Blue Lake). The wine maker and caterer from Makarska, Vjekoslav Opačak, is well known in the area of Gornji Tučepi for his wines made from indigenous sorts Zlatarica, Medna, Trnjak, Blatina and Plavina. www.vinarijagrabovac.hr;

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The Sub-region of Central and South Dalmatia The coastal and island part of central and southern Dalmatia, on which the largest number of indigenous and imported sorts are grown and the largest number of producers of wines with protected geographical origin is indeed registered, is the most important wine and grapevine growing area in Croatia. The wine growing areas are diverse and divided into 11 sections: Kaštela – Trogir - Split – Omiš – Makarska, the islands Šolta, Brač, Vis, Hvar, Korčula, Lastovo and Mljet, the valley of Neretve and the peninsula Pelješac and Konavle.

In the sub-region of Central and Southern Dalmatia, next to the most famous Plavac Mali, we can also find the indigenous Crljenak, also known as Kaštelanac or Starinski Plavac. This was an almost forgotten sort in Croatia but was recently found to be wide spread in the world under the names Zinfandel and Primitivo, after the DNA analyses. Up until recently it was presumed that Plavac Mali was of the same sort but it has now been determined that Crljenjak is its direct predecessor. After the revelation about Crljenak`s great history, Dalmatian winemakers began its revitalization as well as the revitalization of other indigenous sorts, which resulted in around six acres of new vineyards being cultivated on the lower slopes of Kozjak in 2010 alone.

Even though Dalmatia is perceived as the homeland of red wines, more white indigenous sorts are actually produced here. On the island of Korčula in the areas of Čara and Smokvica there are Pošip and Rukatac (also known as Maraština), the wine sort Grk is cultivated in Lumbarda and Zlatica and the sort Bratkovina, in Blato. Hvar is famous for its old sorts such as Bogdanuša and Prča, Vis for Vugava or Bugava. The sort which was prevailing on these islands in the past is Kuć, also known as Trbljan Bijeli.

The indigenous sort of the deepest south is Malvasia Dubrovačka (Dubrovnik Malvasia) with vineyards scattered in Konavle. One of the most represented white sorts, although not indigenous, is certainly Debit. It has grown in this area for hundreds of years and it is presumed that it was brought from Italy. From foreign black sorts in Dalmatia, the most successful are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dalmatian vineyards are specifically steep and located on smaller south-facing slopes which make them unsuitable for cheep production. It is these locations that are the most famous breeding areas of Plavac Mali, giving their names to the most successful wine labels such as Dingač, Postup and Ivan Dolac.

With the development of tourism and abandonment of traditional agricultural production, coastal vineyards had almost disappeared. New life was given to them by projects that turn karst into a fertile soil by grinding stone. One of the biggest such projects was completed in the vicinity of Makarska by the wine maker Zlatan Plenković from Hvar. Moreover, the Grabovac winery from Imotski built a plantation not far from Trogir.

Next to the already mentioned Planković, the families Plančić, Duboković, Tomić, Vujnović and Carić are also prominent wine makers from Hvar, whose oldest terraced vineyards can only be reached by boat from the sea facing side. There are also wineries that are part of Dalmacijavino and PZ Svirče, whose most famous Plavac from the location Ivan Dolac, is processed and filled in the cellars of Badel. Wines from Vis, especially Vugava and Plavac are produced by wine making families Sviličić and Lipanović, who use former military tunnels as cellars. The first private winery on Vis is Roki`s, named after the owner who carried on the production upon his return from Australia.

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The most important wine makers from Korčula are the agricultural corporations Pošip from Čara and Jedinstvo from Smokvica which are mostly geared towards the production of Pošip and Rukatac. The former association and today a large corporation also works successfully in Blato. Private wine makers who stand out are Branimir Cebalo from Lumbarda and Luka Krajančić from Čara.

Agricultural cooperative Dingač contributed to the fame of wines from Pelješac, when the wine with the same name became the first internationally protected wine in the area of former Yugoslavia, in 1961. Also proving Pelješac to be an excellent wine location was Pošip, which got the international protection of geographic origin, six years later.

Although the association still produces large amounts of Dingač, there are more and more excellent private wine makers such as Skaramuča, Miloš, Matuško, Grgić, Bura, Mrgudić and Miličić. The wine making possibilities of Pelješac have also attracted foreign investors such as Robert Benmosche - the number one man of American International Group, Ernest Tolj - a successful entrepreneur and founder of `Eurokabel` and the wine house `Saint Hills` in Pelješac as well as an American investor Lee Anderson - represented by Jeff Reed in their winery `Rivijera Orebić` or `Korta Katarina.` The most noticed results on the Island of Brač are accomplished by the vinery Jako Vino, owned by Jaka Andabak, while further south in Konavle the most important company is Dubrovački Podrumi. The Crvik winery stands out among private producers. www.vinski-klub.hr; http://dalmacijawineexpo.com; www.zlatanotok.hr; http://tzjelsa.hr; http://www.dalmatia.hr/30191/vinski-puti/; www.posip.hr; www.bastijana.hr; www.vinohvar.hr; www.pz-svirce.hr; http://vina-lipanovic.bloger.hr; www.rokis.hr; www.lumbarda.hr; www.vinskiputidnz.com; http://udruga-dingac.hr; www.mokalo.hr; www.kortakatarinawinery.com; www.dubrovacki-podrumi.hr; www.crvik.com

Awarded Wines www.decanter.com

Taking into account the many medals won at world manifestations, the Croatian wine industry can be placed among the top wine production industries in the world. As well as the many international praises and awards, Croatia received 52 prestige medals from the prominent British wine magazine Decanter, which were awarded to its wines in 2010, proving that wine production has never been at such a high level.

According to this award we can conclude that the “hall of fame” of the Croatian wine scene is made up from Istrian wine makers Ivica Matošević, Gianfranco Kozlović and Moreno Coronica, Boris Drenški from Zagorje, the Slavonian wine maker Vlado Krauthaker and Ivan Enjingi – the first Croatian champion of Decanter. Representing Dalmatian wine makers are Andro Tomić, Frano Miloš and Zlatan Plenković.

These wine makers are most deserving for the development of private wine making and their wines always guarantee the highest quality.

From larger producers of wine, a large number of medals were won by Belje, Kutjevo, Badel, Ilok and Agrolaguna from Poreč. Previous Decanter medals were won by Croatian wine makers Dubrovački Podrumi, Vina Bibich, PZ Dingač and Korta Katarina.

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In the last few years, an interesting category of wine makers appeared on the Croatian wine scene. They produce exceptionally high quality, fine and expensive wines in very small amounts.

Their wines cannot be found in ordinary shops but in rare wine shops and exclusive restaurants in Croatia. They can only be bought from the wine makers themselves.

Among the makers of high quality wines the ones that stand out are: Ivo Duboković, who has won over wine lovers with his Plavac Mali from the location of Medvid Bod on Hvar, the enologist Leo Gracin from Primošten with his Babić grown in small vineyards that are divided by dry walls, now world-famous as their photograph was on a poster released by UNESCO. There is also Boris Drenški from Rusnica in Hrvatsko Zagorje. Drenški is also an employee of the Croatian health insurance association, and first impressed the world`s enological elite in 2008 with his wine label Bodren, at one of the most important competitions, the Decanter World Wine Awards in London. There, competing with 10 000 samples of sweet, predicate wines from all over the world, he was awarded two gold medals for his Ice Chardonnay from 2005 and Rheine Riesling – from the harvest of dried grapes, from 2006.

The passionate wine maker Giorgio Clai introduced “kupažiranje” in Istria. This is the mixing of different sorts for the production of high quality wines. Clai`s White Ottocento is a mixture of Malvasia, Sauvignon and Pinot Blanc and Grigio, while the Red Ottocento is a mixture of Refošk, Istrian Teran with a red stem, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Among exclusive wine makers is Mihalj Gerštmajer, from the village Zmajevac in Baranja, whose Graševina, Rhien Riesling, Traminac and Chardonnay are from a late harvest.

Wine Celebrations Vineyards and wine cellars have been a place for celebration of a successful harvest and a good drop of wine since ancient times. The most dynamic time of the year by far is the autumn, the time of harvest, but also 11 November – St. Martin`s day, which is the last and most important holiday of the year for wine makers, when the Christening of young must is preformed celebrating its turning into wine. Many local traditions are connected to St. Martin`s day, making these merry celebrations a motive for tourists to visit the wine roads, where they will be welcomed to a pleasant and indeed a tasty gathering.

This holiday is deeply rooted into the tradition of north western Croatia and also well accepted in Slavonija. In the past years it has stretched onto Istria and even some Dalmatian vine growing areas.

However, the central celebration of Dalmatian wine makers has been held at the same time as Martinje (St. Martin`s day), under the name Sabatina for the past twenty years, each time in a different Dalmatian town. Today, it has the character of a fair with educational, competitive, tourist and cultural program.

From the many celebrations connected to grape picking the ‘Ilok Grape Picking’ has the longest tradition and has been held since 1962. This entertaining cultural, economic and tourist manifestation is older than Vinkovačke Jeseni (Vinkovac Autumns) and Đakovački Vezovi (Đakovo Embroideries), which are some of the oldest and most important manifestations in the area of Slavonia.

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Jaskanske Vinske sveÄ?anosti (Wine celebrations of Jaska) held in the middle of September which mark the beginning of grape picking in the wine growing areas of PleĹĄivica, are also well attended. Their goal is to promote wine making in Jaska and to position Jastrebarsko on the map of wine destinations.

The day of St. Vinko or Vincekovo as it is also known, is celebrated as the first holiday of the year in continental Croatia and marks the beginning of wine making. This folk custom is celebrated on 22 January with a traditional ceremony that marks the opening of the vineyard cultivation season. During Vincekovo, vines are decorated with smoked sausages, bacon and dry meat. The decorated vine is then pruned for the first time that year and splashed with old wine.

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