The Best Croatian Red Wines Case

With a career in wine spanning over 25 years, Londoner, Jo Ahearne Master of Wine has worked with iconic wineries and retail environments around the globe. She entered the wine trade in the early 1990s with Oddbins in Central London. And after two years went to Australia to work a vintage for Charles Melton, with his iconic Nine Popes and Rose of Virginia wines in the Barossa Valley. She passed her Master of Wine qualification in 2008. The Master of Wine qualification is notoriously difficult – only 396 people have the right to use the lauded letters M and W after their name. Ahearne now makes her own wine, Ahearne Vino, in Hvar, Croatia. Jo produces four wines – a rosé, Rosina, two whites (Pošip and a maceration wine, Wild Skins) and a barrique-aged Plavac Mali, South Side. The grapes for Plavac Mali South Side are planted on predominantly white soil on the southern side of Hvar. The steep, rocky and truly vertiginous vineyard sites overlooking the sea near the village of Sveta Nedjelja combine with the pure southern aspect to allow the sunlight reflecting from the calm Adriatic Sea and the white rocks to fully ripen the fruit and the tannins. No mechanization is used in the vineyard

Gino and Jadranka fell in love with wine while they lived in France and that is where their unique idea of making their own wine by connecting French winemaking tradition and Croatian grapes was born. G&J wine Tvoja krv i moja (Your Blood and Mine) is a typical Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot .The wine is designed to reflect the harmony of two components: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The Korta Katarina (KK) Southern Croatian winery and its villa “Rivijera Orebić” (or-ub-itch) are a wine lovers dream. The first venue of its kind in Southern Croatia, the winery, villa, and vineyards are perched on the edge of the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea and provide breathtaking views of Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. The estate is located in the small coastal town of Orebić (or-ub-itch), a region renowned for its culture, seaports and winemaking traditions that date back to the Roman Empire. For centuries, ‘kortas’ were the center of family gatherings for sea captains and sailors embarking on worldly adventures. The KORTA KATARINA winery name represents the kortas/gardens of Croatia and the family name Katarina/Katharine of KK founders and owners Lee and Penny Anderson.

Mato Violić – Matuško is one of the pioneers of private Dingač wines. Being the avangarde biker from Potomje, he makes very special wines. Dingač is not an ordinary wine, it has become a status symbol based on the tradition of winemaking in Croatian areas. Climate and micro-location​ was critical to the creation of quality, and grape variety Plavac Mali, which is in Dalmatia called “the blood of the soil”, because of its resistance to drought and ruby red color, gave its best expression precisely in Dingač appellation.

Istria is the land of a great tradition. The foundation of Meneghetti philosophy is the quality of life in harmony with the nature that surrounds us and influences us. In Meneghetti winery they approach winemaking with love and knowledge – just like everything they do. Grapevine, with its fruits and their liquid core, is the symbol of the Istrian soil – the terroir of unique diversity. Along with the indigenous varieties, they are cultivating international varieties that get special characteristics, affected by the local terroir, the unique soil and the environment full of Mediterranean. vegetation. Their vineyards are processed in an environmentally sustainable way, with a deep respect for nature. We use Simonit & Sirch method. The resin is soft, always done by hand, to preserve the plant and increase its chances to reach a high age. Meneghetti Red is a dry red wine blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. One of the most valued Croatian red wines.

Brothers Plančić Winery is located on the sunniest island in Croatia, Island Hvar. The winery was established in 1919. And since then it is run by family Plančić. They are using indigenous cultivars characteristic for the island Hvar. White varieties: Bogdanuša and Parč. And red: Plavac Mali and Darnekuša. Typical for the Plančić winery is that they process every vineyard by hand and that every bottle has a unique number. You can find the information on how much of that vintage was produced, and which bottle do you own. Pharos Reserva is dry red wine from best locations on the Island Hvar. Hand selection of Plavac Mali with average yield from 0.5-0.8 per vine. Best south locality called Pharos; Plaža, Krušvica, and Poljica.