Believe or not in Dalmatia we produce wines since ancient times! In other words, or numbers – grapes and wine were produced in this area as early as 3800 years ago by our ‘wine ancestors” – Illyrians. Later, we have the most to be grateful to the Greeks and Romans for developing viniculture.
Wine had a special status in the Croatian Court, in the late Middle age. The main economic activity of the cities in Dalmatia back then was wine growing and production of wine. Let’s check the most popular wines (black and white) of Dalmatia! And prepare your palates for some new wines experiences once you arrive.
Glass of wine – more than just a drink
There are almost a hundred indigenous types of grapes in this region. Croatia is the 8th country in the world with the most indigenous grape sorts. There are around 130 grape sorts that originate from Croatia, but only around 30 indigenous sorts are cultivated today and most of them are from the region of Dalmatia. Due to the soil quality and abundance of sun, Dalmatian wines are among the best. We are taking you on a journey through Dalmatian “divine” grape sorts.
In this beautiful Croatian region, people drink wine all day, every day. Not only on holidays, not only for special occasions. In Dalmatia, people often drink wine with a little water, so don’t find it awkward if you see that atypical non-European mixture. We call it ‘bevanda’ and some elders say, we mix it with water so we can drink it from the morning to the night.
On some islands, kids will drink it as well. But of course, less wine and more water! Wine is not only a drink – a local remedy of boiled wine with lots of sugar can cure a cold. The most popular wines of Dalmatia are those from islands of Korčula (white Pošip and Grk), Hvar ( red Plavac and white Bogdanuša) and peninsula of Pelješac ( red Little Blue). On the mainland, good idea is to go visit Primošten or Drniš and try a glass of Debit (white whine) or Babić (red wine). Dalmatia is home to a number of fantastic wineries that have much to offer. It’s up to you whether they will stay unknown or not.
The best-rated wineries are producing less than 50,000 bottles per year, and Dingač from peninsula Pelješac or Babić from Šibenik and Primošten are exquisite red wines. We can give them without a thought a tag of the most popular wines in Dalmatia. Numerous awards are a measure of the value of these wines, including not only the silver and gold medals but also the champion trophies won at the vocational assessments at international wine fairs in Croatia and abroad.