croatianwinetrails

This arrowhead-shaped peninsula at the top of the Adriatic Sea is sometimes referred to as “the New Tuscany.”

West of Zagreb, north of Zadar, this body of land is as much Italian as it is Croatian. Both Hrvatski (Croatian) and Italian are official languages, and you will see road signs and menus printed in both.

Cooled by the Italian Alps and warmed by the Mediterranean Sea, this corner of Croatia produces not only amazing wines planted in the red-brick earth, but some of the best olive oils in the world. Like the renowned Piedmont area in Italy, the Istrian Peninsula is home to both black and white truffles. This combination of wine and food makes travel through Istria a culinary and cultural delight.

South of Split and north of Dubrovnik, this incredible region is home to some of the most unique indigenous wine grapes in Croatia – as well as some of the most majestic and beautiful islands in the world.

Numerous microclimates with vineyards grown on impossible hillsides along stunning seaside venues makes travel to this wine region a must. By car and ferry, exploration from the Pelješac Peninsula through the Dalmatian islands of Korčula, Hvar and Brač on to north of Split to the birthplace of the Zinfandel grape is a treat for the eyes, palate and soul.

Many of Croatia’s 40 native grape varieties are grown here, and have been for centuries. On the island of Hvar is the Stari Grad Plain, UNESCO World Heritage Site, the home of an agricultural landscape set up by ancient Greek colonists in the 4^th century BC. It remains cultivated today in vineyards and olive groves. The fresh and bright tasting white wine variety Bogdanuša is indigenous to the island of Hvar and is thought to have originated in the Stari Grad Plain.