Where to begin? Perhaps on the islands, for there is much wine heritage to explore and a wealth of indigenous grape varieties to try. When the Ancient Greeks sailed into modern-day Stari Grad on Hvar exactly 2400 years ago, they brought with them olive trees and grape vines from their native island of Paros.  Those grapes continue to grow today, and Hvar has seen grape cultivation through Greek, Roman, Venetian, Communist and democratic times. There is a fascinating wine story where that rich heritage is reflected through the modern-day growers.

The steep southern slopes of Hvar’s south side produce some of the finest Plavac Mali in the world, including one of Croatia’s most famous bottles, the Zlatan Otok Grand Cru. Zlatan is just one of a number of Hvar winemakers who have unified under the umbrella of the Hvar Wine Association, and other key players include Andro Tomic, Ivo Dubokovic, PZ Svirce and Ivo Caric. Tasting facilities are increasingly available, and the Hvar wine tour scene is very developed – Tomic, Zlatan, Caric and Dubokovic are the key players. Don’t miss some of the grape varieties only grown on Hvar – bogdanusa, mekuja, kuc and prc (white), darnekusa (red), the variety chosen by Jo Ahearne Master of Wine as she produced her first island rose in 2016.

Brac is another important wine destination as well, and although there are only three official winemakers, two of them are not to be missed. The Dalmatian wine revolution is perhaps best exemplified by the Stina winery in Bol, housed in the waterfront’s most impressive building, the 1903 first wine cooperative in Dalmatia. Don’t let the age deceive you – inside is the most modern equipment and outstanding tasting room, where one can try internationally award-winning wines, including my favourite, the white Posip. Further inland is Senjkovic, a lovely couple who are stamping their mark on the Croatian wine scene. From professional footballer to the first island sparkling wine, the Senjkovic experience is all about island tradition and youthful enthusiasm and innovation. Not to be missed. Solta and Vis also have their wine stories, but perhaps not so much in the spotlight as their more fashionable island neighbours, but both have their indigenous varieties – the white vugava on Vis, and Dobricic on Solta, a parent of Plavac Mali and Zinfandel.

Zinfandel? Yes, you heard it right, for here is Central Dalmatia’s greatest wine asset, something which was proved by researchers at the University of Davis in 2001, when it was proved that an indigenous Dalmatian variety called Crljenak Kastelanski, from the Kastela region between Split and its airport, had 100% matching DNA with the powerful American red. And so the world came to know that the Original Zinfandel comes from Central Dalmatia. Serious planting of Crljenak has ensued, and Kastela’s winemakers are getting organised with a nascent wine tourism offer, one which will only improve.

Spare a thought too for the Imotski region, which is slowly coming in from the cold, both due to improved infrastructure (the motorway and tunnel to the coast at Makarska) and the innovative winemaking efforts of winemakers such as Grabovac. The tongue-twisting white kujundzuja is king here, and indeed the Imota winery used to be the second biggest in former Yugoslavia with 20 million litres a year, but the planting of other native and international varieties has yielded excellent results.

As the winemakers of the region make progress, so too does the general wine scene. The first wine bar opened a decade ago in Hvar Town (3Prsuta), but the real revolution has been happening in Split after the opening of the excellent Paradox Wine and Cheese Bar. Others followed, and now Split has a very vibrant wine bar scene, an excellent opportunity to get to know Croatian wine better. And so too with wine tourism, and now a growing number of agencies are offering wine tours of varying quality – two of the best are www.secretdalmatia.com and www.hvarwinetours.com

Central Dalmatia is an outstanding region to visit – don’t forget to sample a glass or two along the way.

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Putting food and wine to one side for a moment, Istria is a fantastic holiday destination where you’ll find charming seaside cities like Rovinj and Pula which are steeped in history, idyllic medieval hilltop towns like Groznjan and Motovun that will capture your imagination, vivid green forests, rolling hills, and ancient sites which dot the entire peninsula. Whether it be a vacation by the sea, active holiday or a weekend away, Istria has something for everyone.

When it comes to wine, Istria has some cracking wines and producers across the entire region. Istrian Malvasia is the star of the show when it comes to wine in this neck of the woods. This white grape variety is typically produced with an 11.5-13.5% alcohol content and is a superb all round wine grown in many of the Mediterranean countries.

Malvasia is described as full, well rounded with fruity and floral aromas with most of the Malvasia wines you’ll find to be light, crisp, and refreshing, which goes perfectly with the Istrian climate. One of the best locations where Malvasia is produced is Brtonigla, where you can visit Cattunar, Capo, Ravalico, Veralso and Vinerino wineries and sample their best Malvasia and maybe even take a few bottles home with you.

Istria’s indigenous grape variety is Teran, a red grape variety which up until 100 years ago, was the most prolific grape variety being produced in Istria. Teran is a wine with character and is bold and robust and a favourite table wine amongst the locals of Istria.

Traditionally, the wine drunk by farm workers, and households but these days the with modern wine making techniques, the winemakers of Istria have polished the diamond in the rough to become something spectacular. The wine pairs well with red meat, game and Istrian prosciutto, however, there are a couple of winemakers like Coronica, producing light quaffable versions of Teran adding a new dimension to the old world wine.

Istria has 8 wine regions with numerous subregions offering a wide range of wines being produced using some interesting winemaking techniques e.g. the use of buried amphoras. One of the best regions is Umag-Novigrad where you’ll find a cluster of brilliant wine producers, with some of the biggest names in the business, including Kozlović, Coronica, Degrassi, Kabola, Cattunar, Capo, and Clai to name just a few. As well as great wines touring through this region you’ll take in some wonderful countryside, and have the chance to eat at one of the many taverns and restaurants.  Some of the other popular wineries to visit around Istria include Trapan Wine Station, Roxanich, Damjanić, and Matošević.

For those of you that like to sit back and relax, take an organised wine tour, there are countless operators who can take you to all of the wine regions of Istria. Let’s face it, sometimes it’s nice to just sit bac and let someone else take care of all the details.

As far as wine events go Istria has many, one of the best is the Open Wine Cellars Day, where on world wine day in May, around 70 Istrian wineries open their cellars for the day to visitors and wine lovers to explore, taste and learn about wine. The day is an excellent opportunity for anyone to take part in a global wine event and visit as many or as few wineries in a day.

Istrian’s are extremely passionate about their holy trinity, food, oil and wine and are eager to be the best in the world. If you love wine, book your next trip to Istria. For more information on Istria visit the Istrian tourist board site.

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Varaždin County is one of the northernmost Croatian counties, neighbouring Međimurje (that one is even more to the north), Krapina Zagorje, Koprivnica-Križevci county and a very small “border” to Zagreb county. Named after the wonderful county seat, town of Varaždin, it spans mostly the region around the river Bednja, and is part of Hrvatsko Zagorje region and is home to some of the nicest castles in Croatia, Trakošćan castle.

The region is quite hilly, and has been a winemaking country for ages. Traditionally, the wines from the region were not held to a high regard, as they were considered too acidy with not enough sugar to balance the acids out, but that has dramatically changed in the last 20 or so years. That’s when some of the producers started changing their varieties, modifying the methods used in the vineyards and in the cellar and many high quality wines can be found in Varaždinska County nowadays.

There are around 20 registered winemakers in the County (notably less than in some of the neighbouring counties), and they are organized in associations and the county is working hard on making wine one of their brands. Most wine production in the County are white wines, but recently reds have started gaining prominence in the region, as a careful selection of the variety and hard work from the winemaker can result in great red wines from this region.

The varieties that have been dominant here, similarly to the rest of the northern Croatia are graševina, rhein reisling, pinot blanc and gris, chardonnay, sauvignon, traminer and yellow muscat. The reds, still grown less in this region are: pinot noir, frankovka and portugieser. A lot of winemakers in this region will leave some of their grapes for the so-called ice harvest, as it is a region where it gets quite cold rather fast in the autumn, so it makes sense to wait for the frost and make the sweet dessert predicate wine from the over-ripened berries.

You can taste all of those wines if you decide to take a trip down one (or all) of the wine roads in the County – there are 4: Jalžabet, Toplička vinska cesta (wonderfully hilly, with almost dreamy views of the surroundings), Klampotić (in Cestica, on the north and near the Slovenian border) and Ludbreg. The most renowned winemakers in the County are Najman, Mežnarić, Pungračić, Kotolenko and Šafran.

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This region has very little wine production when compared to Istria, Dubrovnik-Neretva and Central Dalmatia but the little wine they do produce is excellent. There are two small pockets of wine production in the region, the first on the island of Krk, the second in Novi Vinodolski and both produce Žlahtina, an indigenous white grape variety.

Starting with the island of Krk, Žlahtina is primarily cultivated in Vrbnik on the island and all wine produced from here carries the name Vrbnički Žlahtina to differentiate it from other žlahtina being produced.

Vrbnička Žlahtina is known as being the best quality žlahtina being produced due the grape flourishing in the Vrbnik micro climate. The grape derives its name from the Slavic word žlahten which means noble, and noble it is. The wine is a pale yellow to straw colour with a mild bouquet and freshness and perfect for eating those delicious Kvarner scampi.

If you’d like to taste some Žlahtina on Krk some of the best winemakers are Vrbnik Agricultural Cooperative, Frajona, Gospoja Agricultural Cooperative, Toljanić, Antun Katunar, Ivan Katunar, Dobrinčić family’s Šipun Winery, Juranić family’s Nada Winery, and Petar Čubranić.

One of the leaders in winemaking on Krk is the Vrbnik Agricultural Cooperative and back in 2006 they conducted an experiment by placing sparkling wine made from Žlahtina at a depth of 30m into the sea. Here the sea temperature is a constant 12 degrees Celsius, ideal for the fermentation of sparkling wine. The results of this experiment surprised the winemaker as the quality of the sparkling wine was much better than they could produce in their cellar, and so was born Valomet, sparkling wine from the sea. When on Krk, do not miss your chance at sipping on this outstanding sparkling wine.

Leaving the island if Krk head for Novi Vinodolski where you’ll find Pavlomir Winery. Located just outside town, Pavlomir produce Žlahtina, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Frankovka, and Pinot blanc. Of particular note is their Cabernet Sauvignon, which is delightful and won a number of awards. A visit to this winery is a must where you can enjoy a guided wine, local ham and cheese tasting as well as a walk around the vineyards.

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The wines of Šibenik’s aren’t as well known and are overshadowed by those of central and southern Dalmatia, however, you’ll find the wines from Šibenik-Knin just as good with some interesting varieties unique to the area, and some of Croatia’s best wine producers.

The most famous grape variety from Sibenik-Knin County is Babić, an indigenous red grape variety that loves growing in the barren rocky soils of Northern Dalmatia. This variety comes from the vineyards of Primošten but is also grown in vineyards north, back towards Šibenik.

Interestingly, the vineyards of Bucavec Veliki, a few kilometers from the town of Primošten are on the UNESCO tentative list for its unique form of cultivation. In Bucavec Veliki the locals, over many generations, have transformed this rocky, inaccessible terrain into agricultural land through extreme human effort without the use of machines. Your average person cannot understand the painstaking effort required to build these vineyards. It’s a site to behold and well worth visiting.

Also, the Bucavec Veliki vineyards have become somewhat of a monument to hardworking peasants and a picture of the vineyards adorns the lobby of the United Nations building in New York.

You cannot talk about the Šibenik-Knin wine region without talking about the Bibich Winery located in Plastovo near Skradin. This winery has led the way for many in the region, taking indigenous grape varieties considered to be of low quality, such as Debit, Lasina and Plavina and creating outstanding wines as well as being one of the first Croatian wineries to export to the US.

In recent times the winery was made famous when it appeared on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, but they have been paving the way, producing top quality wines and one of Croatia’s best food and wine experienced for a long time. The Bibich winery has become a tourist destination in itself where people flock throughout the season to have a superb food and wine experience, where the Bibich wines are expertly paired with sophisticated cuisine from their restaurant. If you’re in this region and want a food and wine experience of a lifetime, head to Bibich winery and make sure you try the Skradinski Risotto, which takes up to 12 hours to prepare.

The success of Bibich has inspired many other winemakers to forge ahead and re-invent themselves in Plastovo.  Here you’ll also find Sladić Wines, a little family run winery producing excellent wines with the indigenous Northern Dalmatian varieties Debit, Lasina, Maraština, and Plavina. Be sure to try them all including their Rose and Cuvee, you won’t be disappointed.

Another great winery worth visiting is Rak, in Dubrava near Šibenik. This winery is the very essence of producing quality over quantity. Thier wine is so good that you’ll find it in many of the top restaurants in Dalmatia. They only grow two indigenous varieties, Babić and Maraština and produce three wines, the two previously mentioned and an Opolo (Rose), which is outstanding. They have a great little winery and offer onsite tastings as well as offer your typical Dalmatian meals.

If visiting wineries is not your thing, but you’d still like to sample some local wines in the comfort of the city, head for Vino & Ino wine bar in the city of Šibenik. This place has a strong focus on local Šibenik-Knin County wines with over 70% of their stock coming from the region. Here you can have their staff walk you through the county wines and provide you everything you need to know about the wines.

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Located in central Croatia and only an hours drive from Zagreb is Bjelovar-Bilogora County. This county is full of natural beauty and encompasses the Papuk Mountain Nature Park, hot springs which have been in use for thousands of years, charming towns, and a rich cultural heritage.

In addition, the region is dotted with quite a few family run wineries across its 6 major settlements, however, the biggest area of wine production in Bjelovar-Bilogora County is in Daruvar.

Daruvar has been producing exceptional wines for centuries but really flourished upon the arrival of the Janković family in the early 18th century. Most vineyards are concentrated on the gentle slopes of Papuk Mountain, which is ideal wine country. 

If you’d like to explore the Daruvar wineries, base yourself in the town of Daruvar and from there it’s easy to visit any of the local wineries. Pay a visit to Daruvar Winery, which is owned by the wine and spirit company Badel 1862, and is where you” find the golden cellar” of Janković castle built in 1771 by the Earl Janković.

This cellar is still in use and for the maturation of the Daruvar Winery wines which include Graševina, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Over the years Daruvar winery has won many international awards for its Graševina and Sauvignon for which it is so famous. The cellar itself is quite interesting as the walls are 2 metres thick and several metres below ground level which allows the cellar to maintain a constant temperature all year long. Daruvar Winery is open for wine tasting.

Another great winery well worth a visit is the Kovačević winery, who have been producing wine for 5 generations. This winery produces Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon and even offers accommodation and tours of the vineyard by wagon.

Heading back to Bjelovar, it is the start of the Bilogora Wine Road, and along the road you’ll find smaller wine producers like Čačija, Vnouček, Šapić/Vinia and Coner. The wines of the region are mostly white: Chardonnay, Riesling, Graševina, Traminac, but Pinot Noir is becoming polular, plus some Cabernet Sauvignon and even Syrah. In addition to the wineries, Bilogora wine road also has some cultural and historical locations, plus food producers and restaurants. Some of the better places to visit include the Šapić/Vinia winery and restaurant, the Coner Winery restaurant, or the Dude hunting lodge for something a little different. Restaurants are open during usual hours,  but for winery visits and guided wine tastings you need to make an appointment.

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If you are a foodie and love home-grown produce, and especially if you adore wine, then Dubrovnik – Neretva county is the perfect destination to tantalize your tastebuds.

Set between the towering Mount Srd and the glittering Adriatic, Dubrovnik’s Old Town serves as the perfect spot for an afternoon vino in the sun, however the medieval walls of this fairytale city aren’t all the region is about; if you travel outside of the city you’ll find that the Dubrovnik-Neretva county has a number of wine regions including, Pelješac, Konavle, Korčula and Croatia’s newest wine region, Komarna. 

The Peljesac Peninsula has long been a wine-lover’s hotspot and for good reason, because it’s here where you’ll find Croatia’s best Plavac Mali being produced in two micro-regions. The most famous location for Plavac Mali is Dingač closely followed by Postup and they both produce exceptionally good wines. So much so that they were the first two protected wine regions in Croatia in the 1960’s. To produce such high-quality grapes there is a price to pay, and that is the vines are planted on steep south facing slopes of Pelješac and working these vineyards is tough. The other star grape variety worth a mention is Pošip, an indigenous white grape variety that is delightful.

To produce such high-quality grapes there is a price to pay, and that is the vines are planted on steep south facing slopes of Pelješac and working these vineyards is tough. The other star grape variety worth a mention is Pošip, an indigenous white grape variety that is delightful.

There are quite a few wineries across Pelješac with some of the best cellars to visit being Korta Katarina who have a great Pošip, Matuško, and Saints Hill Winery. There are countless tours which leave Dubrovnik regularly and will take you on day trips to these wineries, with food tasting and exploring the peninsula thrown into the itinerary. This way you can drink wine to your heart content and not worry about driving.

The wine region of Komarna is relatively new and has only 7 wine producers in the area who are producing some top quality vino. Located around 70km from Dubrovnik, the Komarna vineyards are planted on the southern slopes, like in Pelješac, to take full advantage of the sun and they have some spectacular views out to sea and the neighbouring islands. The vast majority of grapes being produced here are Croatian indigenous varieties such as Plavac Mali, Pošip, Malvasi Dubrovačka, Tribidrag (Zinfandel), and Marastina. Here you’ll find Saints Hill Winery, Rizman, Volarevic, Terra Madre along with a few others. This little wine region is quite impressive and well worth a visit.

Whilst red wines dominate the mainland of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and Dalmatia in general, it’s white wines which Korčula is renowned for. By far the dominant variety is Pošip, an indigenous grape to Korčula and is typically grown in the centre of the island in Smokovica and Čara. This wine is a golden, full bodied harmonious wine and is the essence of the Adriatic. In addition to Pošip, you’ll find Rakatac (Marastina), and Grk wines which are grown in Lumbarda. Interestingly, it is not known whether Grk got its name from the Greeks who inhabited the island in the 3rd century BC or whether it was given that name locally because of it’s bitter / tart taste.  If you’d like to try some of the wines first-hand head for Čara, Krajančić and Šain Marelić.

With all of these top quality wine regions, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County can add another attraction to its already long list of reasons to visit.

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In general, this county is not a wine producing region, however, there are a few small producers located on the island of Pag with one in particular who produces tremendous wines.

Boškinac winery is located on a hill overlooking their vineyards in Novalja. The location is quite beautiful as they amidst pine forests and just a stones throw from the sea.

The production of wine in this family has been a family tradition for 4 generations with the current Boškinac vineyard being planted in 2000. Boškinac produce seven wines, the most interesting being gegić, a white grape variety native to Pag and the spectacular Boškinac Cuvee, a cabernet sauvignon and merlot blend, which is an absolute must try wine when in Croatia.

They have an impressive tasting room and both konoba and restaurant where you can try their interesting and innovative food like Anthony Bourdain did.

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Sisak-Moslavina County is located in the Southwest of Slavonia in continental Croatia. Sisak was once a grand Roman city and was also a key stronghold during the Ottoman invasion.

The county reaches as far as the Bosnia and Herzegovina border and sits along the Kupa, Sava, and Odra Rivers.

When it comes to wine, Moslavina is the centre of activity within the County, where vineyards were planted by the Thracians, Illyrians, Celts and Romans. That long lasting tradition of wine making in Moslavina has continued and now the area is primarily dominated by small winemakers producing wine from Škrlet, Frankovka, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Moslavac, and Pinto Noir.

The grape variety Škrlet has an air of mystery around it. This little-known grape variety has an unknown origin, but many believe that because it has historically only known to be grown in the subregion of Moslavina, that it is indigenous to the area.

Interestingly, its name Škrlet means scarlet, and the variety was given that name due to speckles and dots it sometimes gets when ripe, like scarlet fever. Škrlet is a white grape variety that is a clear, light yellow-green colour that is normally characterised by a low alcohol content with a higher acidity, making for a refreshing harmonious wine. This wine is perfect to eat with that spicy curry, fish, white meat and various pasta dishes.

When in Moslavina be sure to try Škrlet because there is only a small production which you will not find anywhere else in the world. Some of the best producers are Miklaužić winery, Juren, Kezele, Košutić, Mikša and Trdenić in Pokupje.

If you’re looking to get out and try many of the local wines head for the Moslavina Wine Road, which will take you on a journey of excellent wines, unique local dishes, and hospitality where you’ll be treated like one of the family. The wine route will take you to 14 local producers across Pupovača, Voloder, Gračenica, Repušnica, and Kutina where you find numerous tasting rooms and huts where you can buy premium through to table wine direct from the winemakers.

Also, you’ll find many local delicacies being sold so you can couple wine tasting with some local cheese and charcuterie. This wine route will give you some great views of Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, the biggest wetland in the Danube basin and the Trsnog Mountains so don’t forget that camera to capture the moments.

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Zagorje is a home to the Neanderthals that lived near Krapina, ancient ruins, hot springs, endless forests, vast vineyards, and hilltop wineries. Zagorje has some beautiful wines and navigating the rolling hills visiting its wineries is a wonderful experience with many breathtaking views.

Zagorje has had a long relationship with wine and some would say that wine runs through the veins of the people of Zagorje. Roads wind through the hills covered in vineyards where you’ll notice the odd wooden cottage (kleti) selling wine. Don’t be afraid to pull over and say hello and try some wine.

There are some outstanding wines being produced in Zagorje with the predominant varieties being traminer, sauvignon, rhine riesling, pinot blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay, sylvaner green, yellow muscat, white muscat, graševina, furmint, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and frankovka. They are also producing some excellent predicate wines including ice wine.

When it comes to wine history in Zagorje some interesting discoveries have been made for example in Radoboj a vine leaf fossil, vitis teutonica, was found which is 12 million years old. In addition, the mother of many grape varieties, gouais blanc, which was grown in all wine regions of Europe in the middle ages had become somewhat of a forgotten variety was found in a vineyard near Krapina. It would have remained forgotten if scientists had not discovered that in fact, this grape variety was the mother of chardonnay, riesling, furmint and as many as 60 varieties of grape. It’s the Zinfandel story all over again!

If it’s wineries you’d like to visit the one of the best to visit for a tasting and some lunch is Bolfan Vinski Vrh. This winery is perched on top of a hill with panoramic views out over its vineyards, it’s supremely beautiful. Putting its beauty aside for a moment, they also produce some excellent wines which include riesling, pinot noir, pinot gris, sauvignon and yellow muscat. The added bonus with this winery is the excellent onsite restaurant which is housed in a log cottage. The restaurant serves traditional food cooked magnificently.

Another absolute must visit winery is Vuglec Breg who produce and exceptionally good sparkling wine. This is another winery where you’ll need to bring you camera along so you can capture the picturesque landscape. A tasting of their 5 sparkling wines is a must and you can also take a tour of their cellar to see how they produce the sparkling wine. They also have an onsite restaurant serving typical Zagorje cuisine – try the roasted goose or duck which is to die for.

Zagorje’s premium predicate wine producer is Bodren wines who has won numerous awards at the Decanter World Wine awards for his icewines in various grape varieties. The winemaker has really nailed his niche and leads the way in Croatia for predicate wines. The winery is open for tastings so you cane try them for yourself.

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