Indigenous Croatian White 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. The Debit variety that was once a currency for payment. It has a fabulous history where it won many awards, was exported to France and Italy, and even Marshal Marmont was drinking it.

Family Josić from Osijek in 1999 bought an old wine cellar from 1935. They have restored it, equip it with modern technology while preserving the traditional look of the wine cellar. At the same time, they bought around 1.6 hectares of old vineyards. Josić Wines are made from authentic Baranja varieties that ripen in ancient vineyards on Banova kosa. The restaurant and winery are located in the ambiance of the so-called Sarduk, in the idyllic Baranja village Zmajevac. Sarduk is a Turkish name for the characteristic opening in the hill with wine cellars buried in the ground, so-called gators. Characteristic for Sarduk is that the temperature is consistent at any time of the year,  between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius. Ideal for wine.

Young and talented natural winemaker, Ivan Kosovec is working on a revival of Škrlet, an indigenous varietal from the region of Moslavina. It was a vine that only grows in this hilly area and nowhere else in the world, the grape is an unknown varietal outside of this region. The grape has tiny red “freckles” so Škrlet is derived from the German word “scharlach”, meaning a speckled or dotted surface that are reminiscent those of a Scarlet fever rash. Driven by his passion on hands off winemaking Kosovec made this ordinary, almost forgotten, table grape into something extraordinary not only reviving the planting of more vines but also the elevation of taste and structure of days past.

Carefully selected grape vines of Pošip have arrived from Korcula to Kaštela in a bundle carried by hand by Mr. Ivica Milan. He breathed them a new life under the slopes of mountain Kozjak. Ivica Milan applied special “pergola cultivation”, raised the vines high, allowing each cluster of grapes excellent balance of shade and sun. He achieved ideal insolation with controlled ripening, sugar and alcohol. The result is superb Posip Milan from Kaštela in limited production of 3.000 bottles.

Family winery Sladić has a long tradition of winemaking thanks to ideal natural conditions and position of Plastovo, a small town near Skradin and national park Krka. In 2000. family Sladić starts a commercial production. However, they only focus on indigenous varieties that perfectly reflect Skradin terroir. Thanks to limestone soil, the altitude of 270 m, around 2000 hours of sunshine and cold nights, Sladić white wines are creamy and mineral, fresh, with aromas of Dalmatian wild herbs and citrus. Red wines are not typical Dalmatian wines, they are soft, smooth, with lively acids and flavors of the green peppers and Cherries. Sladić wines are perfectly balanced and polished by the aging in wood. Sladić family has a mission and a goal to revitalize indigenous varieties of Skradin region and present their full potential by using sustainable viticulture.

Dry white wine, 100% Malvasia. Love, energy and courage are the main drivers of the Trapan winery. Bruno Trapan is a young Istrian winemaker whose wines are having a strong impact on the Croatian wine scene. For the last ten years, with hard work and persistence, Bruno created 12 hectares of ecologically clean vineyards. In a short time he intrigued a great amount of interest among young people.