Croatian Wines

Croatia has a long history of winemaking, some of the best wine family’s in the world originated from Croatia. There are some fantastic Croatian wines to try.

Among the top quality red wines to be found are Postup, Faros, Babic, the Dingac red from the Peljesac peninsula, and the Teran wine of Istria. Among the first class, whites are Pošip, Grk, Bogdanusa, and the well known sweet dessert wine, Prošek.

Pošip

A white wine grape that is grown on the Island of Korčula.

Its growing region is Smokvisko-Carsko field near villages of Čara and Smokvica (map and list of wineries). The main focus of the entire island is on this grape as well as on Grk and some of Plavac mali.

Pošip is light wine, ideal for summers. It has about 12-13% in alcohol and is usually drunk at 9C. The wine goes well with fish soups, grilled fish of all sorts as well as with smoked ham and homemade cheese. See more info about dishes to serve with Pošip.

Prošek

A sweet, usually dessert wine, traditionally widely made in Croatia. It is made by dried wine grapes of white sorts including Posip and Rukatac too.

Good quality Prošek is much more expensive by volume than other wines due to an average of six to seven times more grapes needed to make the same amount of wine. That is why local winemakers usually make just a few hundred litres of Prosek per year.

It is used for celebrations and special occasions such as weddings, christenings and Christmas.

Often confused with Italian Prosecco, a popular sparkling wine, that has nothing to do with it. The name of the wine, though probably comes from the times of Venetian Republic.

Plavac Mali

Plavac Mali, another popular wine in Croatia. It is a variation of Zinfandel and Dobričić red wine grapes, grown in numerous places along the coast of Croatia, especially in Dalmatia. The name of the wine comes from the colour of the grape which is dark blue, hence the name (‘plavo‘ means blue in Croatian). Mali refers to small, meaning the grapes of this sort are smaller than usual. The wines of Plavac Mali sort have a strong, fruity flavour with the aromatic influence of pepper, spices and blackberries.

Croatian wines from this grape include the reds Dingač and Postup (both localities on Pelješac peninsula), Ivan Dolac and Sveta Nedilja (Hvar Island), Bolski Plavac (Brač island) and the rosé Opolo (Opol), also made with the same grape.

Terrano

Terrano is made from the grapes of the refošk, also called refosco vine. It is a rich, slightly sour, full-bodied red wine with high lactic acid content. The wine is considered to be one of the finest in Croatia. wines. It has a rich flavour due to it is also rich in iron.

The wine acquires its distinctive flavour and bouquet of Terrano only when it is grown in the specific Terra Rossa soil of Istria. Distribution of iron and manganese minerals in Terra Rossa from Istria is known to be very high.

Babić

Babic is one of the best-known grape varieties in Croatia. It is mainly grown in Northern Dalmatia in Primošten, Šibenik area. Babic wine is known for its full body. Man’s ability to create beauty with only limited resources and an abundance of perseverance is represented in a picture of the vineyards of Primošten where Babic is produced hangs in the foyer of the United Nations in New York City. Each vine sits in its own patch of fertile earth within a framework of stone walls covering the surrounding hills. Hundreds of years of effort by the local women of this seaside town produced this inspiring quilt. Enjoy Babić, the wine which is the result of their toil.

Grk

Grk, the white grape type and wine are originally from Lumbarda, the village on the island of Korčula.

Although on most of the websites you will find that its name originates from “grk” which in the Croatian language means ‘bitter’, it is actually not exactly true. The name of this wine originates from Old Greeks who brought the vine plant on the island in the 3rd century of the last millennium.

Grk wine is dry and aromatic, with some aroma of pine trees. The vine plant has female flowers only so to ensure pollination it is planted together with another grape variety, mostly Plavac Mali.

Bogdanusa

Bogdanusa is high quality dry white wine from the wine-growing hills of the island of Hvar. It is produced from the grape variety bearing the same name, growing in the ecologically clean regions called Blato, Krusevje and Polonda. It is yellow-greenish in colour with a distinctive bouquet and a well balanced and surprisingly fresh flavour.

Prior to being bottled, it has to age for at least a year. It contains about 13.5 vol of alcohol. It is recommended that this wine should be served at temperatures of about 6 to 9°C accompanied by meat or fish meals with plenty of vegetables and olive oil. 

Important:

The Croatian drinking water, which flows from the rivers Jardo, Cetina and Neretva, is a speciality too. Thanks to its purity and pleasant taste it is considered not only to be healthy but is also mixed with wine to create Bevenda, a popular local wine-drink.