Wine tours are quite a big deal the last couple of years. Maybe we all were influenced by the movies where the people take bikes and wonder through the countryside while making wine stops and tasting all those fantastic wines or maybe we just have a good sense of business, so we decided to just go for it and offer the tourists a bit different experience. Whatever the reason may be, the truth is that the world is in love with different varieties of wine. But who can blame the world? There is something so calming in watching the sunset with a glass of wine (wow, such a movie fanatic!) and due to that, let’s talk about all those wine roads and wineries which combine fancy feeling with a rustic touch.
The Beginnings of the Wine Tourism in Croatia
There is no better time to start experimenting with different areas of tourism than now. HAPIH or Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, in the cooperation with the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board, started a project called Wine tourism without borders – a unique wine-tourist destination. Their goal is to develop and enrich the tourist offer because wine is a really significant part of the culture.
Wine and tourism are quite intertwined – the experience of visiting and traveling is full once all the senses enjoy the moment. That means that the best way to meet someone’s culture is through tasting different flavors and aromas. Have you ever tried to eat delicious seafood without enjoying red wine or bevanda? Me neither!
Eno traveling (eno is short for enology or a science of cultivating vines, as well as producing and storing wine) or wine tourism contributes to the branding and the popularity of the wine regions. These regions are a true inspiration for traveling, learning, and tasting new flavors and aromas while meeting the local way of living. You know how they say – wine is the nectar of life. And who are we to fight it!
With that said, eno-gastro scene has a big part in the tourism, and it offers authenticity and unique experience. Due to that, it is important to work on the promotion of the specific wine varieties or to be more precise, on over 125 indigenous grape varieties which can be found in Croatia. Each of the variety is special and unique due to the conditions of the climate and soil which certainly affect the wine’s final flavors.
Croatian Wine Regions
Croatia has 3 main wine regions. Continental, which is divided on the east and west parts, includes Podunavlje and Slavonia (east), as well as Moslavina, Prigorje-Bilogora, Pokuplje, Plešivica, and Zagorje-Međimurje (west). Coastal region includes Istria, Croatian Primorje, Northern Dalmatia, Dalmatian Highlands, and Central and Southern Dalmatia. Some divide Istra and Kvarner from Dalmatia too.
Each region is known for its specific climate and soil which greatly affects the grape varieties and, of course, contribute to the final flavors. For example, the majority of vineyards in Slavonia are located on the tame and spacious slopes and there, white wines predominate. They have full flavor; they are medium to high-alcohol and they come with nice fruity aromas. In Istria, vineyards have excellent geographical position and there, you can find both continental and Mediterranean wines. Dalmatia is, without any doubt, one of the most important Croatian wine-growing areas. There is a large number of indigenous varieties and thanks to the wealth of natural conditions, Dalmatian wines have amazing flavors and numerous awards.
Country Road Take Me to the Winery
If you haven’t sung this little headline, can you even call yourself a wine lover?
Today, wine roads are a true tourist attraction. They are designed to guide walkers through beautiful vineyards while tasting delicious wines and enjoying the nature surrounding. Croatia has a couple of wine roads with numerous wineries where visitors can enjoy in white and red flavors of local wines and indigenous specialties. But where to find these delicious roads of true enjoyment?
Zelina wine road passes through small villages where visitors can peek into the wine cellars of a dozen famous winegrowers. There, you can enjoy in local specialties and many international wine varieties, especially the indigenous variety called kraljevina.
Plešivica wine road passes through 40 vineyards where you can try rajnski rizling, traminac, chardonnay, and sauvingon, while Moslavina wine road goes from Popovača to Kutina and there, you can taste 3 indigenous varieties moslavac, dišeća ranina, and škrlet.
Istrian wine roads (yes, plural!) are called Bujština, Buzeština, Pazinština, Rovinjština, Vodnjanština, Labinština, and Poreština. Whichever you choose, you won’t choose wrong – you can taste muškat momjanski, malzavija istarska, merlot, and more.
Pelješac wine road is also called a wine kingdom so bow to the king! This peninsula is the place where are grown some of the best domestic wines. Its wine road is made in order to promote wine tourism and it leads the tourists through the vineyards Dingač and Postup, while it connects different wineries, wine tasting places, agritourism, taverns, and restaurants.
Ilok wine road has wineries on every step of it. There, you can taste graševina, rizling, pinot, silvanac, and frankovka.
So many to choose, so little time! But whichever country road life takes you on, make sure you taste new flavors, different aromas, and tasty nuances! So go and indulge in a true eno experience!
Sources: cimerfraj.hr, agrobiz.hr, vinacroatia.hr, vinarija.com, croatia.hr
