All wine regions in Croatia have their own characteristics in terms of climate, terroir, grape varieties and styles. The South is characterised by its many hours of sunshine per year which produces big Mediterranean-style reds.  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. 

As I mentioned in the post Croatia “the new old world” of winemaking, Croatia, as we know it today, has 2500 years of wine production history and 130 indigenous grape varieties. While all wine regions in Croatia have their own charm and specialties, Dalmatia, and specifically the island of Hvar, with its extreme variety of wines, large number of indigenous grape varieties and highly passionate winemakers, is an exceptional region. Hvar is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast between the islands of Brač, Vis and Korčula. The island is approximately 68 km long with a high east-west ridge of Mesozoic limestone and dolomite. Hvar's climate is archetypal Mediterranean with hot summers and mild winters. The island has around 11 000 residents, making it the 4th most populated of the Croatian islands. In 2019, the island of Hvar was awarded the best island in Europe by the readers of Conde Nast Traveller, the world’s leading travel magazine.

As early as the 4th century BC, the Ancient Greeks brought the grapevine to the sunny island of Hvar and planted it on the fertile fields of the UNESCO protected Stari Grad Plain. The fields are located next to the ancient town of Pharos, known today as Stari Grad, which means “old town”. Throughout the centuries of rich and turbulent history, the people of Hvar cultivated their vineyards with great skill and care, blessed with the lushness of the Mediterranean.

Dalmatia in general and the island of Hvar, in particular, has a rocky landscape and hillsides with an infinite variety of microclimates which results in a wine-growing area where terroir is a crucially important factor. Most famous are the vineyards on the steep southern slopes of the island where the grapes are exposed to double or even triple insulation, directly from the sun as well as from the reflection of the sea and the surrounding stones and cliffs. The location of the vineyard results in grapes that are high in sugar which produces rich wine high in alcohol, tannins and flavour. A wide range of indigenous grape varieties are grown here, the best known being Plavac Mali, a cross of Zinfandel and Dobričić.

Winemaking on the island of Hvar, Croatia is unique in the sense that it offers everything from fruity whites and bold reds to complex orange wines. The steep slopes on the South side of the island is perfect for the most widely planted red grape variety in Dalmatia, Plavac Mali. The grape has a rustic flavour, with hints of dark berries, cherry, pepper and spice. This indigenous (native) grape variety has excellent ageing capabilities. On hvarwine.com/shop we offer a wide range of Plavac Mali from all the winemakers. However, some of these winemakers have set out to make elegant blends of Plavac Mali to make slightly lighter, yet structured and aromatic wines. Two of these sophisticated blends are Terrence Patrick from Jo Ahearne and Illyricum from Andro Tomić. The first is a blend of Plavac Mali, Darnekuša and Pošip while the latter is a blend of Plavac Mali and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In addition to its big, full-bodied red wines made from Plavac Mali, the island is also known for its fresh and fruity white wines, typically from the native grape varieties Prč, Maraština, Bogdanuša, and Pošip. The latter is originally from the neighbouring island of Korćula although it’s widely used on the island of Hvar as well. The winemakers Marijan, Tomić, Ahearne and Vujnović all have a label solely made from the grape variety Pošip. These wines are typically dry and medium bodied, characterised by a pleasant interplay of medium acidity, fruit and mouthfeel, as well as a pronounced nose of ripe tree fruit. However, the labels from Ahearne and Marijan are more Burgundian in style and resonate with wine lovers who like their whites slightly less fruity, more minerally and complex.

Finally, the island of Hvar features a range of long macerated white, also known as orange, wines that will appeal to any natural wine lover. The orange wine is typically made from the native grape varieties Maraština, Bogdanuša, Pošip, Prč and Kuč that have been fermented on their own skins. This is done in order to bring more flavour and structure to the wine than would be possible without maceration. All of the orange wines in our shop have been made with natural yeast and organic grapes. To explore the selection of orange wines from Jo Ahearne and Ivo Duboković go to hvarwine.com/shop/orange.

If you want to know more about orange wines, stay tuned as the next blog post will be all about this trendy yet ancient type of wine. 

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