There is a high probability that you’ve heard about Croatia in recent years as the place where the famous Game of Thrones series was filmed. And it’s true since the amazing Dubrovnik was the central filming location for the fictional city, King’s Landing.
Still, another reason why you might have heard about Croatia is its impressive wine made from local grapes and its incredible tourist attractions. It would be a pity not to travel to this country and try at least one of the best Croatian wonderful wines that became extremely popular all over Europe. As wine enthusiasts explore global vineyards, many are drawn to renowned destinations like Crown Point Vineyards. But Croatia, with its rich wine heritage, offers a unique experience that rivals some of the world’s best wine regions.
That is why we will see which are the best places you should stop by when in Croatia and which wines you must taste. Let’s begin the journey.
Brač Is a Must
By visiting Brač, you will get a mix of local Dalmatian tourist experiences while tasting Croatian wines made from local grapes. This beautiful island is in the Adriatic Sea, and it’s the largest one in Dalmatia. Its tallest peak is Vidova Gora at 780 m, which is the highest island point of the Adriatic islands.
Furthermore, you will be totally relaxed since this beautiful place has a small population of only 13,391 people, ranging from Supetar, which is the main town, to Murvica. And since it is surrounded by the beautiful Adriatic Sea, it’s also the perfect place for your next sailing holiday with your family or friends. You will also have the chance to try some delicious local seafood and drink some wine from the local grapes.
And when it comes to wine, the Vugava grapes, also known as Bugava grapes, are a white grape variety that is mostly connected with Croatian wines and is oftentimes mentioned as the possible ancestor of the Viognier grape.
We would recommend trying the Stina Vugava 2020, which is named after the fantastic white stone found across Brač island. The Stina winery was founded by a local vintner named Jako Vino back in 2009. For now, the only commercial producer of Vugava wine, the Stina Winery, made it possible to create an impressive white that is a symbol of the local taste.
You will feel some great citrus fruit, apples, apricot, and subtle hints of white flowers that will end in a pure finish. Harvested early in the mourning by hand to preserve the natural character of the grapes and their freshness, you will get a tasteful experience.
Trstenik and Grgich Pošip
Miljenko Mike Grgich is a legend in the California wine scene because of his work at Château Montelena at the beginning of the 70s. He is one of the main reasons why Californian wine became popular since, at the Judgement of Paris in 1976, his Chardonnay beat a lot of top-rated French wines.
And in 1996, Mike decided to go back to his Croatian roots and made the Grgich Winery by the Adriatic Sea, which is now close to Trstenik.
In fact, this winery is one of the top sights in Trstenik, along with all the fantastic beaches you most certainly need to enjoy. Also, Trstenik is as local as you can get when in Croatia since today it’s a tourist place with only 116 people living there. This place looks like someone decided to put a large amount of beautiful nature in one place. You’ll have it all from stunning hotels to delicious local food by top-rated restaurants.
As for wine, Pošip grapes are autochthonous white wine grapes that are grown mainly in this Dalmatian wine region; therefore, to get the local experience, you should try the Grgich Pošip 2018.
These impressive grapes are slowly fermented at low temperatures, and the wine is aged in French oak barrels from four up to six months before the bottling process starts. Because of this process, this winery created a refined and elegant white wine that has mouthwatering freshness, floral notes, stone fruit, and crisp lemon that indicates a fantastic pure finish.
Sveta Nedjelja in Hvar
The beautiful Sveta Nedjelja in Hvar is popular because of its wine tradition since many vineyards are located above the village. The wines from this place have a fullness of flavour and strong red colour.
Also a small place with a population of 131, this tourist place will take your breath away with its relaxing atmosphere, beautiful nature, and beaches that look like they came down from heaven. You can also visit the Augustinian Monastery, its free climbing destinations, and as long as you drive carefully through its interesting roads surrounded by centuries-old rocks, you will have an unforgettable experience.
The local authentic Plavac Mali grape is the most usual grape variety from this beautiful region, and that is why it’s the hometown of the famous winery named Zlatan Otok, which was established by Zlatan Plenkovic back in 1896.
Therefore, you should try the Zlatan Otok Grand Plavac 2016 that has extremely high quality because of the very low yields and cautious selection of the Plavac Mali grapes. It ages in new oak, which gives complexity to this wine and provides some beautiful vanilla tones. The perfect pairing for this lovely red includes cheese, game, red meats, sausage, and beef stews.
