Croatian Zinfandel Wine Case

Many like to use the phrase “the wine is made in the vineyard” but in Bedalov wines, that can be truly felt. On the highest slopes overseeing Kaštela bay, the diligent hands of Jakša Bedalov inherits the family passion of winemaking. This means nurturing of indigenous varieties and hard work enabling the natural eco-system to thrive, for the most gorgeous of Dalmatian fruit – Crljenak (Zinfandel), Dobričić, Plavac, Maraština. Determined by the terroir, vintage and variety, it is perhaps the highest achievement not to perceive the winemaker who made it happen.

Robert Benmosche, was the CEO of MetLife when he retired in 2006 to become a winemaker in Croatia. The Empire State native had built a wine collection of a few thousand bottles when a trip to Dubrovnik sparked an interest in making Zinfandel. Robert bought land on Pelješac peninsula, and planted Plavac mali grapes in protected region where Plavac mali gives the best results. And in Viganj he planted Zinfandel. At the time he was investing in vineyards, they found out that Zinfandel is genetically the same as Crljenak Kaštelanski. Both Dingac and Zinfandel are coming from young vineyards planted in 2006. Wines are made with traditional techniques and kept in barrique barrels for 12 months and in bottle another 18 months.

The Korta Katarina (KK) Southern Croatian winery and its villa “Rivijera Orebić” (or-ub-itch) are a wine lovers dream. The first venue of its kind in Southern Croatia, the winery, villa, and vineyards are perched on the edge of the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea and provide breathtaking views of Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. The estate is located in the small coastal town of Orebić (or-ub-itch), a region renowned for its culture, seaports and winemaking traditions that date back to the Roman Empire. For centuries, ‘kortas’ were the center of family gatherings for sea captains and sailors embarking on worldly adventures. The KORTA KATARINA winery name represents the kortas/gardens of Croatia and the family name Katarina/Katharine of KK founders and owners Lee and Penny Anderson.

The family Matela has a long tradition of viticulture and wine-making. Kaštela area (Near Split) is traditionally wine-growing region where dozens of old native varieties are recorded. The most notable is Kaštelanski Crljenak aka Zinfandel. Winery “Matela” strives to produce wines in the traditional manner, with respect to new findings in wine making. Red wines are produced exclusively on their natural yeasts which makes it possible for the wine to preserve its individuality and uniqueness.

Pribidrag is the local name for Zinfandel in the area around Omiš, from where this wine is coming. The story of the House Of A Happy Man winery started in 2003 when three grape vines of Crljenak were found in the owner’s village Vrisovci on the southern slopes of Omiška Dinara, which would later become the winery’s main vineyard. After the discovery, Mr. Mimica decided he should start the vineyard on that location and was the only one along with Mr. Plenković committed to the revitalization of the old grape variety known as Crljenak, Tribidrag or Pribidrag. The discovery of Crljenak was significant because it solved the mystery of Californian Zinfandel and Italian Primitivo. DNA tests in December 2001 confirmed that Crljenak, Primitivo, and Zinfandel were the same variety.

A dry red wine, the Crljenak or Tribidrag variety is known and widespread in the world as Zinfandel, and it has only recently been proven that Zinfandel originates from the Croatia, where it is almost completely extinct. The wine is produced from grapes from a single vineyard. It is located on the north side of the island of Brač, in a position suitable for the growth and development of this variety. Harvest is, like all other interventions in the vineyard, done by hand. Brač stone has always been a source of inspiration due to its beauty, but it is also a symbol of hardship when it comes to viticulture and viniculture. And that is where the inspiration for the name STINA comes from. In the Dalmatian dialect, this word means stone, the strongest symbol of the island of Brač.