Top 100 wines of Croatia - Page 5
Discover the top 100 best wines of Croatia as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Croatia and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Croatia
Croatia is an important wine-producing country on the Adriatic Sea, at the western end of Europe's Balkan Peninsula. Formerly Part of Yugoslavia, it borders Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.
Export trade, although modest, has grown over the past two decades. The main Croatian styles are Dry white wines of Grasevina (WelschRiesling) and Malvasia, and rustic, Full-bodied red wines.
These wines are usually made from the Plavac Mali Grape.
White wine accounts for about two out of every three bottles produced in the country. In the interior regions, only 10% of the total annual production is red wine. The multitude of indigenous varieties that were once common here has declined alarmingly in recent decades.
Grasevina (Welschriesling) has Long been the preferred white variety in Croatian vineyards. It is supported by the regional specialties Bogdanusa, Grk, Posip and Vugava. The first is so reliable and prolific that it is called a "godsend". The second, Powerful and aromatic, was once considered the Viognier of the Rhone Valley.
Discover the grape variety: Pinot gris
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
Food and wine pairing with a wine of Croatia
wines from the region of Croatia go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of authentic bolognese sauce (ragù di carne), lamb garam massala or duck breast in foil (barbecue).
Organoleptic analysis of wine of Croatia
On the nose in the region of Croatia often reveals types of flavors of minerality, stone fruit or tropical and sometimes also flavors of peach, butter or apricot.
News from the vineyard of Croatia
Couple arrested in Croatia over €1.6m wine heist
A man and woman carried out the ‘meticulously planned’ theft at the Atrio hotel and restaurant in western Spain back in October. They made off with a bottle of 1806 Château D’Yquem and a large haul of Domaine de la Romanée Conti after breaking into Atrio’s famous cellar. That sparked a nine-month international manhunt. Police in Spain teamed up with Interpol and Europol, plus authorities in Romania and the Netherlands, to track a pair of suspects down. They eventually swooped on a 29-year-old Me ...
Andrew Jefford: ‘I urge every reader to enjoy wine thoughtfully’
I first contributed to Decanter back in November 1988; the hundreds of columns and articles I’ve written since constitute a journey of discovery. I squirm, though, if I’m described as a ‘wine expert’. Whatever wine knowledge we acquire quickly cools, congeals and crusts over, like custard or gravy, as the years pass. The wine world expands at a clip. Every vintage rewrites history. It’s the chance to share discoveries – not just about wines, but about people, places and the act of drinking itsel ...
Prosecco secures trademark protection in New Zealand
The agreement formed part of a bilateral trade agreement between the European Union and the Kiwi government. It affords sparkling winemakers in Veneto trademark protection, ensuring that fizz produced in other countries cannot be labelled ‘Prosecco’ in New Zealand. This represents another symbolic victory for Prosecco producers in Italy. In December 2021, the Consorzio di Tutela Prosecco DOC celebrated a similar agreement in China. The Consorzio launched the application for GI protection in Chin ...