Press release: wine now delivered from the sunniest island in the Adriatic
Hvarwine.com has launched to deliver premium wines from the Island of Hvar to EU countries
It is difficult to get to some of our favourite holiday destinations right now. This service allows people to experience a taste of the Dalmatian coast from their homes
Celebrated winemakers including Jo Ahearne, MW, Andro Tomić and Tonči Marijan behind many of the award-winning wines for sale
Hvarwine.com has launched today, serving up more than 30 different wines to 25 countries across Europe. Despite thousands of years worth of wine production history and 130 indigenous grape varieties, Croatian wine is rarely spoken of as a famous old-world wine region. The founders of Hvarwine.com hope to change this by putting Croatian wine firmly on the minds (and the palates) of high-quality wine lovers across Europe, starting with wine from the sunny island of Hvar, in the Adriatic Sea.
Primarily relying on the summer holiday season for the majority of their sales, winemakers in Hvar have been badly affected by the travel restrictions in 2020. In the past, tourists to the island made up the bulk of the visitors to the island’s many wineries and vineyards. Tomić is one of the largest winemakers on the island of Hvar and one of the most famous in Croatia. Along with the other winemakers on the island they’ve seen tourism drop significantly this year.
Hvar clocks an average of 2843 hours of sunlight a year, which produces big Mediterranean-style reds typically from the indigenious (native) grape variety Plavac Mali. On the islands and the Dalmatian coast, local grape varieties, microclimates and the rather harsh nature of the vineyards leads to some highly individual wines, and some of Croatia's best known. Only recently was it also discovered that the much loved Zinfandel grape variety also originates from the region.
A relative newcomer to the area, with a background in sales and business development, Swedish native Sara Rasmussen was blown away by the excellence of Croatian wine, introduced to her by partner Zoran Pejović. Pejović is a hotelier and wine expert with more than 20 years in the industry and has resided in the area for almost a decade.
Rasmussen identified a gap in the market, with no current way for would-be tourists to purchase wine from the holiday-isle apart from visiting in person. With a vacation to Hvar currently off limits for most people right now, Rasmussen set about collating the best wine the island has to offer in one handy online portal.
“When I spoke with passion about Croatian wine to friends, family, colleagues and strangers, it became clear that most had yet to discover the wonderful wine the region as a whole, let alone the Island of Hvar, offers. I truly believe that we’re at the beginning of a global boom for Croatian wine demand. The region is rich, fertile and boasts the type of weather that many winemakers could only dream of.”
In fact, it was primarily these very reasons that attracted celebrated winemaker, Jo Ahearne, to open her own vineyard on the island. She was amazed that one small island could produce wines akin to both Amarone and Barolo and became transfixed with the region.
“There are over 100 indigenous grape varieties in Croatia. Some of which are truly amazing, with individuality and a sense of place. Ten years ago people would say, ‘Plavac Mali? I’ve never heard of that. I’ll have some Cabernet.’ Now more will say, ‘Oooh I’ve never heard of that, I want to try it’. I also thought, ‘Does the world need another Chardonnay, made by Jo Ahearne? No, not really.’”
Bottles from winemakers such as Jo Ahearne, MW and Tonči Marijan, amongst others, come with detailed tasting notes to help customers select according to their preferences. With prices ranging from 9.6 to 80.7 Euro, there are options for budget to luxury travellers to enjoy a mini-vacation with a taste of the sunshine island at home. See a full list of winemakers here and a full list of bottles to purchase, here.
Jo Ahearne is the only person present in Croatia and one of only around 400 globally to hold a notoriously difficult to obtain Master of Wine (MW) qualification. Tonči Marijan was awarded a prestigious gold medal from Decanter magazine in 2019 for his Plavac Mali Vron Bod 2012.
To try anything from an on-trend orange wine such as Wild Skins from Jo Ahearne or a Medvid from Ivo Duboković that rivals the finest of Amarones, head to Hvarwine.com, make an order and enjoy your purchase with your eyes closed, dreaming of an Adriatic summer.
ENDS -
To find out more or for press enquiries, please contact: info@hvarwine.com
