I was first introduced to Croatian Wines in 1996 when I was the Portfolio Manager for a company who was the sole importer and distributor of Croatian Wines into Australia. I was super impressed and surprised at just how good these wines were, and still are today.
Like many other European countries, wine has always played an important role in its culture. Wine history dates back to 2200 BC but the Greeks colonized the entire region including Croatia around 5,000 BC and introduced wine making then. Croatia is divided into 4 main wine regions with 16 sub-regions and 66 appellations and nearly 1,000 wineries with white wine representing approx. 60 percent of plantings and production. The fact that most, and arguable the best wines come from the coastal regions where seafood dominates the dinner table seems to support the old adage of eat local and drink local.
The four main wine regions in Croatia are Dalmatia (southern coastal), Istria and Kvarner (northern coastal), The Uplands (northeast- inland) and Slavonië northeast- further inland). All of these regions have very different terroir’s producing very different wines. Despite being excellent wines they suffer from a lack of recognition and commercial success. I thing this is because people are wary of the unknown and second, some are down-right difficult, if not impossible to pronounce.
All these wines are from the Istria region, which is considered by many to be the best wines growing region in Croatia from the Vina Laguna Winery (Wine of the Lake).
Chardonnay 2020
Loads of green apples, white stone fruits, pears with a hint of tropical fruits and spices on a long finish. More French in style than American, this is a delight to drink and would pair well with pasta, seafood, risotto and chicken dishes.
Pinot Sivi 2020
This is Pinot Gris grown in North Eastern Croatia, across the boarder from Italy and the region that is know for growing the best Pinot Grigio’s (same grape varietal). Similar flavor profile to the chardonnay in that crisp apples and pear feature but it’s the crisp balanced acidity that reminds you it is a Pinot Gris and a nice alternative to the Italian counterpart.
There is some discussion about the origins of this varietal- some say Greece and others believe Spain. I’m incline to go with Greece because of their presence and influence in the region over the last 3 – 5,000 years. Displays a nice balance between ripe fruits- citrus and tropical fruits and acidity and sweetness. Don’t get me wrong, this is a dry wine but with just a hint of fruit sweetness. Would pair well with pasta, seafood, risotto and chicken dishes.
Malvazija Istarska Festigia 2020 (Reserve)
This is like a single vineyard reserve version of the last wine, just more depth, complexity and more appealing to the palate with notes of tropical fruits, white peach and citrus, as one would expect. It displays more purity and focus and is an absolute pleasure to drink. Would pair well with pasta, seafood, risotto and chicken dishes.
Vine to Table 