Croatia’s wine roots run deep

This month, we’re taking this show on the road, and Jim Sperk of the Northern Ohio Wine Guild will be our guide as begin our adventure by exploring the wines of Croatia. 

“I had often heard about the beauty of this country, but found that to be an understatement,” Jim says. “Croatia has become quite a vacation destination but my interest, of course, was its wine and with more than 2,500 years of winemaking history, it did not disappoint.”

Jim says there are four distinct regions of winemaking, ranging from the Adriatic Sea to the Alps. The Dalmatia region along the Adriatic coastline reaches from Zadar in the north to the walled city of Dubrovnik in the south. 

“In this Mediterranean climate, red wines are the most prevalent,” Jim says. “There are many vineyards located on small islands along the coast. Further north along the coast, including the Istrian Peninsula, is the Istria and Kvarner wine region where the climate is cooler than the Dalmatia region and both red and white grapes are grown.”

Jim describes the soil in Croatia as varying from iron-rich, which benefits red grapes, to rocky terrain, better suited to white varieties.

The Uplands region of Croatia, located in the western part of the country, is more mountainous and experiences colder weather. There are a few red grapes grown here, but primarily whites are grown on these hills and are often used to produce sparkling wines. 

“The largest grape-growing region in Croatia is the Slavonia and Danube region,” Jim says. “There are several microclimates present in the area due to the hills and the rivers that run through it. More white grapes than red are planted here, with a variety of whites noted for their quality and the red grapes also producing some excellent wines.”

Jim says that many of the 800 wineries in Croatia are small, family-owned operations that only sell their products at their farms or local stores. 

“That’s why you may have hard time finding more than a few samples locally,” Jim says. “In future articles we’ll break down specific Croatian wines.”

For information about the Northern Ohio Wine Guild, contact Jim Sperk at tinymoonwines@usa.net.