Indigenous Croatian Red Wine Case

Sladić Ante Winery is a family winery in Plastovo, on a hill above Skradin, near the Krka National Park. They uncompromisingly believe in indigenous varieties and invest enormous effort in vineyard and wine cellar while respecting tradition and nature. It is a winery with a long tradition and great passion for winemaking. The microclimate at an altitude of 250 m created by a unique combination of River Krka and the Adriatic Sea. Enriched with the soil formed under the influence of the sea and a river that once ran in that area has produced a lot of limestones and a mixture of different soil that gives minerality and allows creating wines of various styles and qualities. Plavina is from the Dalmatian family, Babic, Plavac mali, Tribidrag and other famous varieties.

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.

The story of the Benvenuti winery is a story of family, tradition and terroir. Situated in the quiet Istrian village of Kaldir, overlooking Motovun, where three grape varieties grow – Malvasia Istriana, Teran and Muscat. This wine comprised of the most significant Istrian red varieties comes from the vineyards of Španjola, located 300 meters above sea level.

In the area of the Imotski vineyards, where the grapevine has been harvested since the ancient times, the Grabovac family has been passing down grape and winemaking skills for more than 200 years.  Now, the Grabovac winery is one of the leading wine producers in Dalmatia. Grabovac family owns 25 hectares of vineyards in the best vineyard positions of Imotski wine growing area where many indigenous grape varieties are grown. Winery and tasting room are located in Proložac, in north-western part of Imotski wine growing area, set in stunning and peaceful ambience of Imotski valley surrounded with vineyards.

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.

Testament vineyards are in the wine-growing region of Northern Dalmatia, in the immediate vicinity of the medieval town, Šibenik. With the unique climate and the specificity of the soil. In Šibenik area grapes have constantly struggled to grow and thrive. This centuries-old ritual of survival is felt and seen in Testament wines’ intense and deep colors, and in their intense flavors and aromas. Testament unique wines come from the Pošip and Babić grape. Both varieties are indigenous, and Babić grapes only grow on this part of the Dalmatian coast, where Testament vineyards are located. Testament wines are created in an organic production process with the benefits of the region’s special microclimate and soil, giving them a particularly rich and complex taste.