Croatia

Kroatien
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Along the Dalmatian Adriatic coast has been operated by the Illyrians as 1000 BC wine. The Greeks founded several colonies from 600 BC. From this period dates the publication "The Feast of the scholars," is in the reports of the wine in the colony Issa (today Vis). A wine of this was even considered the best at that Ancient wines considered. The Roman Emperor Probus (Variety) (232-282) promoted the wine in the third century AD and in the seventh century the Slavs ends here colonizing it wont continue. The Croats developed after their settlement in Dalmatia next to the vineyards and olive trees as an important fishing industry. By 1000 conquered the Republic Venice the regions of Istria and Dalmatia, and parts of the retained sovereignty over 300 years. From the beginning of the 12th Century was a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1232 was of the Cistercian Kutjevo founded a wine cellar, which still exists today. Mid-15th Century Hungary and Croatia suffered by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, heavy losses of territory. Came after numerous battles against the Ottomans in the 18th Century a large part of Croatia under the administration of the Habsburgs. Thus there was a mutual influence of wine. The privilege of importing Italian wines end of the 19th Century was difficult for the wine. But with some 200,000 vines at the time of greatest volume was reached. After the Second World War, Croatia became a republic Yugoslavia and 1991 as "Republika Hrvatska" independently.

In 2007 the vineyards covered 34 900 hectares, of which 1.365 million hectoliters of wine were produced. Well-known producers are Enjini Ivan Katunar, Frano Milos, Miljenko Grgich (winemaker of Grgich Hills in Napa Valley), Frano Milos, Krauthaker Vlado, Skaramuca, Zdjelarevic, Zlatan Otok (Zlatan Plenkovic). There are two distinctly separate wine regions. These are in turn divided into sub-regions and these regions. The northern continental Croatia (Hrvatska Kontinentalna) extends from Slovenia in the east to the border Serbia in the West. Here the prevailing continental climate. The region consists of seven sub-regions Moslavina, Plesivica, Podunavlje ( Danube ), Pokuplje (Kupa area), Prigorje-Bilogora, Slavonija (Slavonia)-and Zagorje Medjimurje. Here two-thirds of white wines from the varieties Beli Burgundac (Pinot Blanc) are Grasevina (Riesling), Semijon (Sémillon), Sovinjon (Sauvignon Blanc), Chardonnay, Riesling, Moslavac (Furmint) Rizvanac (Muller-Thurgau) and Traminac (Traminer ) produced. Major grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Frankovka (Lemberger), Portugizac (Portuguese).

The Croatian coastal region located in the south country (Primorska Hrvatska) is known mainly through Dalmatia, where the vineyards extend from Rijeka to Dubrovnik. Here there is a Mediterranean climate. The region is divided into subregions Dalmatian Zagora (Dalmatian hinterland), Hrvatsko Primorye (coastal area with many islands such as Hvar, Korcula, Lastovo and Vis), Istra (Istria), of Split Dalmacija (North Dalmatia) and Srednja / Juzna Dalmacija (Central and South Dalmatia. grow here, especially excellent and powerful red wines. There are hundreds of indigenous grape variety, which are usually the wines named. This will include Babic (Red), (White), Crljenac Kastelanski (red, same as Zinfandel), Dingac (red), Grk Bijeli (white), Faro (red), Malvasija Dubrovacka (white), (White), Peljesac (red), Plavac Mali (red), Posip (white), Postup (red), Prosek (red and white), Refosco (red), Teran (Red) and Vugava (white). A semi-dry sparkling wine with a very old tradition of Bakarska Vodica . International varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamay (Borgonja), Merlot, Muscat Blanc (Momjanski nutmeg), Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.