August 2024
Croatia Ascendant: an ancient winemaking culture’s return to relevance
This month we visit one of the most popular European tourist destinations of the last decade or so: Croatia! Long an Eastern-European afterthought, this odd-shaped country has invested heavily in attracting tourists from all over the world. And what’s one surprising thing most people find upon arrival in Croatia? The wine is really damn good. And damn good wine doesn’t just happen overnight, so let’s hop back a bit and see how the Croatian wine industry got here and why people are just discovering it now.
Vineyards in Croatia can be traced back to at least 500 BC with the slow arrival of Greek settlers on the southern Dalmatian coast. More specifically, the islands of Vis, Korcula and, most notably, Hvar, which is home to the UNESCO site Stari Grad Plain, a viticultural site that has been continuously cultivated for 2,300 years when the Greeks arrived (possibly the oldest continually active vineyard land in the world!). Side note: while there’s no hard evidence of it, grape-growing probably goes even farther back to the Illyrians arrival some ~1,000 years earlier.
Moving quickly through the next couple of millenia: wine boomed under Roman rule before settling into a lower, but stable output under the Byzantines and through the middle ages of small kingdoms and comparatively little outside interaction. Smash-cut to 1463 and here come the Ottomans! No more wine-making for the general public under them. However, Catholic parishes were allowed to make sacramental wine, keeping Croat winemaking alive in much the same way sacramental wine kept wineries alive in Napa and Sonoma during prohibition. In the 18th century the Habsburgs pushed the Ottomans out and winemaking at scale returned - another boom period that lasted about 100 years until Phylloxera struck and killed off a large percentage of vines. This ruined whole economies in addition to killing off wine production. By the time the vineyards had recovered it was too late, as the Soviets had arrived and Yugoslavia was formed. Cheap, mass-produced coop wine only! Not the utopia Karl Marx, a noted wine-lover, probably envisioned.
Alas, wine persists. Small farmers managed to continue cultivating the local varietals and make their own wine for personal consumption. This preserved traditional methods and was thankfully not stomped out by Yugoslav leader Tito (safe to be he was a vodka guy, am I right?). As the Iron Curtain fractured and Croatia gained its independence after some brutal Balkan conflicts in the 1990’s, these small farmers who had nurtured local grapes for so long were finally able to put their wines out into the world. Varietals like Teran, Malvazija Istra, Plavac Mali, Posip, and (my favorite) Grk are making vibrant and beautiful wines alongside international varietals like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and the Cabernets.
Fun fact: there are still 17,000 uncleared landmines in Croatia from the Balkan Wars.
The four wines we’re highlighting this month cover a nice variety of what you can expect from Croatian wine: two from Istria, the heavily Mediterranean-influenced peninsula in the north; and two from the interior of the country, over the Dinaric Alps, in a much more continental climate. The grapes range from indigenous varietals (Teran, Malvazija) to Balkan/Central European standouts (Welschriesling) to international classics (Cab Franc, Sauv Blanc). If you enjoy these wines, we have many more like them in the shop to explore. The one main Croatian region unrepresented here is Dalmatia, because we already have a few wines from there in the shop, so if you’re interested in Dalmatian wine, we’ve still got you covered!
Bolfan ‘Zagorski Bregi’
Uplands, Croatia
The Grapes
Grasevina (Welschriesling), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris
Producer Profile
Working ancient vineyards in the Croatian Uplands outside the capital of Zagreb, Tomislav Bolfan is one of the most important winemakers in the country. He pioneered organic and biodynamic viticulture quickly after the wars of independence in the 90s and has continued pushing the boundaries of sustainable agriculture (and quality wine) ever since.
Tasting Notes
Vibrant, fresh peach and apple with a hint of herbaceous white pepper on the nose. Same stone fruit on the palate complimented by zesty notes of lime and ginger with buzzing acidity. Light, refreshing, perfect for summer.
Pairing Suggestions
Keep it simple with grilled salmon and a light pasta dish with pesto.
Kadum ‘Malvazija’
Istria, Croatia
The Grapes
100% Malvazija
Producer Profile
Kadum is a partnership between Ivan Kadum, a brilliant winemaker, and Milan Budinski, who spent years managing some of the best vineyards in Istria. Together they’ve been able to craft some of the most beautiful wines from the area and are quickly gaining international recognition. These two wines, their Malvazija and Teran, are perfect examples of what these local grapes are capable of.
Tasting Notes
Very pale in the glass. Peach, lemon, and guava with an undertone of slate on the nose. Guava, agave, green apple, and a little more lemon and salinity on the palate. Like standing on a tropical Caribbean beach.
Pairing Suggestions
Grilled veggies (asparagus, peppers) and a charcuterie spread. Or pair it with a hot summer day on the boat.
Kadum ‘Teran’
Istria, Croatia
The Grapes
100% Teran
Tasting Notes
Big aromas of ripe fruit (strawberry, blackberry) and black plums with secondary notes of violets and dried herbs. On first sip, the ripeness gives way to more straight-forward red fruit notes of strawberry and cherry with the dried herbs coming more forward. Lots of natural acidity makes this quite refreshing.
Pairing Suggestions
Kick it up a notch here with some spicy barbeque chicken.
Sontacchi ‘Cabernet Franc’
Kutjevo, Croatia
The Grapes
100% Cabernet Franc
Producer Profile
Located in Kutjevo, near the borders with Serbia and Hungary, Sontacchi is run by brothers Krunoslav and Antun. Kruno is the winemaker and does most of the vineyard maintenance while Antun runs the bistro and guesthouse in Kutjevo. The continental climate here brings forward brighter notes and a wealth of complexity, especially in the reds. All farming is organic.
Tasting Notes
Gently vegetal on the nose before opening up to brambly black cherry, rich fruit notes, and a subtle dash of mentholy eucalyptus. Fruit comes through a little darker on the palate, vegetal notes become cab franc’s more classic green bell pepper, and there’s a notable little chocolate kiss in the finish.
Pairing Suggestions
Go to the Spooner Farmer’s Market and get some Chickadee Hill’s pork chops and local veggies. Season the chop with pepper and rosemary and roast up the veggies.