Wine or vino in Croatian, like Italian, is some of the best in Europe partly due to the country's Mediterranean climate and beautiful blend of mountains and sea that flavors the soil. Most Americans have no idea that Croatia has such fine wine. This is because it is very hard to find Croatian wine in the U.S. since most Croatian wine does not contain preservatives, or as Igor's father liked to say, "chemicals," because they believe it ruins the wine.
Wine is a large part of Croatian culture. When they are not drinking coffee, most likely they are drinking wine. Many Croatians make their own wine at home, like Igor's father, Emilio, did. He had grapes growing on his pergola outside their house. Like all wine, no two batches are exactly the same. Sometimes Emilio had a really good year and sometimes it's better if Igor's mother, Ela, just made it into red or white wine vinegar for salads. That's as organic and homemade as it gets folks!
On a hot summer day or sometimes just as a morning drink, it is not uncommon to see someone order a gemišt (which is actually a German word), a mix of white wine and sparkling water. Adding Coke to red wine is called bambus and is popular with the younger party crowd. Most cafes and bars in Croatia are actually "cafe bars" meaning they sell a combination of drinks including coffee and alcohol, so you could have a coffee in the morning, a glass of wine in the afternoon and a cocktail in the evening all in the same place. You may see some locals actually do this and if you're on vacation, why not join the easy going Croatian routine?
Vacationing along the Kvarner Bay?
Croatia even has a holiday dedicated entirely to wine. Saint Martin’s Day takes place in November. This is when grapes go from what Croatians call mošt to officially becoming wine. St. Martin's feast is a ritual of new wine baptism that has been celebrated since the 17th century. Wine lovers gather in vineyards of their hosts in the middle of November. European traditions consider this Catholic saint to be the patron saint of vintners and wine growers. In the ritual of baptizing, actors dress up and take roles of judge, bishop, godmother and godfather of the wine. These celebrations mark the period when work outside of the home, in the fields, would come to an end and preparations for the winter would begin.
When Croatians are not drinking wine, most likely they are drinking coffee.
READ: Coffee in Croatia
Croatia has a wide variety of vino. Grapes grown along the Adriatic coast and islands have a very different taste than grapes grown in the mountains and valleys inland. Some winemakers only make mlado vino which translates to young wine, meaning they do not age the wine because they do not want to add any preservatives to it. Some of the most famous and award winning brands of wine are Malvazija and Teran from Istria, Žlahtina from the island of Krk, Plavac, Babić and Dingač from Dalmatia and Graševina from the Slavonia region. Some other unique wines made in Croatia include, an undersea cellar that maintains the perfect storage temperature in Dalmatia, and frozen wine, where the grapes are harvested when frozen in Slavonia. Igor's parents live in Vinodol which literally translates to Wine Valley. There are copious amounts of vineyards spread all over the countryside so it is trouble-free to find a wine tour wherever you choose to stay. Most wineries offer wine tastings and have a wine shop. Some also offer vineyard and cellar tours. Others even have restaurants and hotels on their property and can hold special events, such as weddings and parties.
Here are some of our favorite wineries you can visit
along the north coast of Croatia:
Winery Pavlomir - Novi Vinodolski, Kvarner
Katunar Estate Winery - Vrbnik, Island of Krk
Wine Station Trapan - Šišan, Istria
Gortan Winery - Pazin, Istria
Medea Winery - Vodnjan, Istria
Meneghetti Wine Hotel and Winery - Bale, Istria
Stancija Collis - Rovinj, Istria
Pervino Winery -Novigrad, Istria
Villa Dobravac Wine Estate - Rovinj, Istria
Relais and Wine San Tommaso - Golaš, Istria
Matošević Winery - Sveti Lovreč, Istria
Deklić Winery - Vižinada, Istria
Rossi Winery and Distillery - Vižinada, Istria
Saints Hills Winery - Radovani, Istria
Radovan Winery - Višnjan, Istria
San Canzian Hotel and Residences - Buje, Istria
Kabola Winery - Buje, Istria
Kozlović Winery - Buje, Istria
Prelac Winery and Konoba Rino - Momjan, Istria
Cattunar Estate Winery and Residence - Brtonigla, Istria
Pervino Winery - Novigrad, Istria
Cossetto Winery - Kaštelir, Istria
Clai Winery - Krasica, Istria
Fakin Winery - Motovun, Istria
Tomaz Winery - Motovun, Istria
Roxanich Winery and Design Hotel - Motovun, Istria
Benvenuti Winery - Motovun, Istria
Dvorac Belaj Winery - Cerovlje, Istria
For more about the wine region of Istria READ: Day Trip to Istria
Know before you go, that what Americans call red wine, Croatians actually call black wine, crno vino. White wine translates to the same, bijelo vino.
If you have already been to wine country in California or Tuscany and are looking for your next sip, I highly recommend you pop a cork and clink your glass for wine in Croatia.
Contact me today to book your wine tour in Croatia!
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Cheers! Živjeli!
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