The best wines of Croatia

Discover the best wines of Croatia as well as the best winemakers of Croatia and estates of Croatia to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of Croatia and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Top wines by regions >Croatia

Top wines of Croatia by region

Looking for a good wine of Croatia among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Croatia. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Croatia with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of Croatia

See the top 100 best red wines of Croatia

Want to buy a red wine of Croatia cheap or sell a red wine of Croatia at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Croatia

Red 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 pork chops with potatoes, navarin of lamb or duck casserole with turnips.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Croatia

On the nose the red wine of the region of Croatia. often reveals types of flavors of cherry, microbio or prune and sometimes also flavors of cinnamon, dark fruit or cola.

The best vintages in red wine of Croatia

  • 2001With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2007With an average score of 4.48/5
  • 2008With an average score of 4.38/5
  • 2012With an average score of 4.38/5
  • 2011With an average score of 4.37/5
  • 2013With an average score of 4.36/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of Croatia

  • Plavac Mali
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Zinfandel

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of Croatia

A wine route planned in the region of Croatia? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Croatia.

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.

Great white wines of Croatia

See the top 100 best white wines of Croatia

Want to buy a white wine of Croatia cheap or sell a white wine of Croatia at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of Croatia

White wines from the region of Croatia go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or sweet desserts such as recipes of cod brandade without potatoes, carri of shrimps with chillies or chantilly cream.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of Croatia

On the nose the white wine of the region of Croatia. often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, dried apricot or spices and sometimes also flavors of citrus fruit, floral or tropical fruit.

The best vintages in white wine of Croatia

  • 2004With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2018With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2003With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.26/5
  • 2009With an average score of 4.24/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of Croatia

  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Chardonnay
  • Posip Bijeli
  • Malvasia
  • Grk
  • Pinot Gris

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of Croatia

A wine route planned in the region of Croatia? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Croatia.

Discover the grape variety: Riesling

White Riesling is a grape variety that originated in France (Alsace). It produces a variety of grape specially used for the elaboration of wine. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small bunches, and small grapes. White Riesling can be found in many vineyards: Alsace, Loire Valley, Languedoc & Roussillon, Lorraine, Provence & Corsica, Rhone Valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, South West.

Great sparkling wines of Croatia

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of Croatia

Want to buy a sparkling wine of Croatia cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Croatia at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Croatia

Sparkling wines from the region of Croatia go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of lentils and morteau sausages, papillotes of simple salmon steaks or magic cake cheese quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of Croatia

On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of Croatia. often reveals types of flavors of orange, citrus fruit or strawberries and sometimes also flavors of raspberry, yeast or earth.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of Croatia

  • 2010With an average score of 4.35/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.23/5
  • 2018With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.13/5
  • 2013With an average score of 4.11/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.09/5

The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of Croatia

  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Pinot Noir
  • Malvazija Istarska
  • Blauer Portugieser
  • Malvasia

The best wineries and winemakers for sparkling wine of Croatia

A wine route planned in the region of Croatia? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of Croatia.

The word of the wine: Cryo-extraction

This technique was very popular at the end of the 80's in Sauternes, a little less so now. The grapes are frozen before pressing, and the water transformed into ice remains in the marc, only the sugar flows out. As with the concentrators, the "cryo" can also increase bad taste and greenness.

Great pink wines of Croatia

See the top 100 best pink wines of Croatia

Want to buy a pink wine of Croatia cheap or sell a pink wine of Croatia at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of Croatia

Pink wines from the region of Croatia go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or veal such as recipes of venison stew with red wine, purple leg of lamb with red wine and cranberries or veal roast casserole with mushrooms.

Organoleptic analysis of pink wine of Croatia

On the nose the pink wine of the region of Croatia. often reveals types of flavors of minerality, strawberries or raspberry and sometimes also flavors of cranberry, earth or tree fruit.

The best vintages in pink wine of Croatia

  • 2010With an average score of 3.91/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.79/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.78/5
  • 2015With an average score of 3.77/5
  • 2019With an average score of 3.75/5
  • 2016With an average score of 3.74/5

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of Croatia

  • Plavac Mali
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Pinot Noir
  • Terrano
  • Zweigelt

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of Croatia

A wine route planned in the region of Croatia? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of Croatia.

Discover the grape variety: Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer rosé is a grape variety that originated in France. It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of vine is characterized by small bunches and small grapes. Gewurztraminer rosé can be found in many vineyards: Alsace, Loire Valley, Languedoc & Roussillon, Jura, Champagne, Lorraine, Provence & Corsica, Rhone Valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, South West.

Great sweet wines of Croatia

See the top 100 best sweet wines of Croatia

Want to buy a sweet wine of Croatia cheap or sell a sweet wine of Croatia at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of Croatia

Sweet wines from the region of Croatia go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), spicy food or sweet desserts such as recipes of spaghetti with tuna (real italian recipe), curried coral lentils or yoghurt cake.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of Croatia

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Croatia. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or vegetal and sometimes also flavors of oak, citrus fruit or dried fruit.

The best vintages in sweet wine of Croatia

  • 2011With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2010With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2013With an average score of 4.31/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2009With an average score of 4.28/5
  • 2018With an average score of 4.24/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of Croatia

  • Muscat Blanc
  • Gewürztraminer
  • Plavac Mali
  • Muscatel
  • Malvazija Istarska
  • Yellow Muscat

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of Croatia

A wine route planned in the region of Croatia? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of Croatia.

The word of the wine: Bright

Said of a wine whose acidity is the dominant characteristic, making it fresh and nervous.

Great unknow wines of Croatia

See the top 100 best unknow wines of Croatia

Want to buy a unknow wine of Croatia cheap or sell a unknow wine of Croatia at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a unknow wine of Croatia

Unknow wines from the region of Croatia go well with generally quite well with dishes such as recipes .

News from the vineyard of Croatia

Saving La Palma’s special vine heritage

On 19 September 2021, the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge in the island of La Palma, Spain began a massive, three-month long eruption, that was a catastrophic event for this westward island in the Canarias. The volcanic fumes caused breathing problems as well as the cancellation of flights and fruit harvests, including grapes. Despite 7,000 people needing evacuation from the flow of the lava, there was only one fatality during the entire eruption. As the lava flow eventually covered over 1,000ha, mo ...

Decanter World Wine Awards 2022: Results announced

The world’s largest and most influential wine competition, Decanter World Wine Awards results offer a definitive guide to the dynamic world of wine. Each year’s results offer surprises and revelations, highlighting growth in quality and consistency – or lack thereof. An all-time record for wines tasted, discover the results from the 19th edition of the competition. Quick links to DWWA 2022 results Search all Best in Show medals Search all Platinum medals Search all Gold medals Search ...

Platinum: The 97 point wines of DWWA 2022

The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...

Discover other regions and appellation of Croatia