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Welcome to, in many ways, the largest of the four Croatian wine regions with three subregions, one in which two millennia of the tradition of wine growing and wine production are just one of the impressive numbers.
In our opinion, there are at least 100 wineries in Dalmatia that should be visited because of the special people who run them, vineyards that should be natural monuments, and wines that do not exist elsewhere, only in Dalmatia. And you have chosen the top five ones.
Visiting these top wineries in Dalmatia will is your opportunity to taste the best wines of Dalmatia directly in wine cellars and to try the local Dalmatian food at the wineries while enjoying the spectacular view of the Dalmatian coast.
Tempted?
Starting from the peninsula region of Pelješac, Korta Katarina Winery is a Dalmatian winery with a very different story than most wineries in Croatia. Usually, wineries in Croatia are continuing the family traditions but Korta Katarina is the first wine cellar in Croatia that is owned and run by two Americans - Lee and Penny Anderson of Minnesota.
Their love and passion for Croatia brought them to Pelješac, in the town of Orebić. Their winery is part of the luxury seaside villa which is a Relais & Châteaux member. The name of Korta Katarina comes from korta (gardens in Croatian dialect) and the name of the founder's daughter.
What about the wines that are produced? The winery makes 60,000 bottles a year made strictly from local native sorts – Plavac mali (red wine), Pošip (white wine), and Rukatac (white wine).
Website: www.kortakatarinawinery.com
Email: info@kortakatarina.com
Telephone: +385 99 492 5830
Continuing with the unusual wineries of Dalmatia – Saint Hills in the one with beautiful scenery of Pelješac peninsula. The family-owned winery Saints Hills reflects the love and passion for wine, nature, and life of Ivana and Ernest Tolj, a young married couple who relatively recently appeared on the Croatian wine scene.
The winery is located in the remains of an old stone house, abandoned nearly a century ago before being renovated into the modern winery and restaurant which stands today.
Why the unusual foreign name? Each of their three vineyards and their olive orchard has been named after a saint and that is the meaning behind the name Saint Hills winery.
In Istria - in the village of Radovani, in the vineyard of St. Ante, Istrian malvasia is planted, which is blended with a little Chardonnay. In Komarna - in the vineyard of Sv. Roka, Plavac mali is planted, from which the fresh, fruity Plavac Sv. Rocco. Plavac is also planted on the Dingač site in Pelješac, from which the complex Dingač is formed. Plavac from these positions was transformed into drinking rose that is known for its unique label and the name St. Heels.
The location of the winery is stunning, and it explains the way is the landscape shapes the winemaker's process and it will make you appreciate their work even more.
The combination of tradition and knowledge of Saints Hills is the leitmotif. They successfully represent Dalmatian wines and native sorts with modern production and respect for nature.
Website: www.saintshills.com
Email: host@saintshills.com
Telephone: +385 (20) 742 113
Wine lovers should definitely plan a trip to the Stina winery in Bol, Brač. It is admired as the most modern, most organized, and most serious Dalmatian winery.
The beginning of the winery dates back to 2009 and takes its inspiration from the island Brač’s unique white stone (Stina). It is a symbol of hard work, strength but also beauty – that is how the vineyards of Stina wines could be described. The traditional method of cultivation the vineyards means that all agricultural techniques are done exclusively by hand.
The peculiarity of the location, apart from the rockiness, is reflected in the altitude of the vineyards. After all, the vineyards are planted from 420 to 550 meters above sea level, which slopes slightly towards the sea. The grape picking is not easy, and the wines produced are of the highest quality serving as an inspiration to anyone who visits Stina winery.
The wine produced are clean & exclusively monosort – Pošip, Vugava, Plavac mali and Opol - that combined with the wine bottle design, the scenery, and production process leaves no one indifferent.
Website: www.stina-vino.hr
Email: info@stina-vino.hr
Telephone: +385 21 306 220
If you are looking for a unique wine experience and want to taste the sort that does not exist elsewhere – Korčula is the island for you. Indigenous Grk sort is the characteristic of the island wine culture and the Bire winery is one of the best known for producing it.
The winery, named after the family's local name - Bire, is owned by Fran Milina. This is a family-run winery with small production and rustic charm – ideal for an authentic wine experience and a taste of traditional Korčula.
It is characterized by the cultivation of indigenous varieties such as Grk that some assume was brought to Korčula by the Greeks as early as 500 BC, and some suggest that it was named after the bitter taste of the wine.
Today, the Bire winery also owns the first ecological vineyard on Korčula and is continuously working on the promotion of this autochthonous island variety.
Most of the wine production is based on Grk variety but their Plavac mali and Rose should not be neglected!
Website: www.bire.hr
Email: info@bire.hr
Telephone: +385 98 344 712
When in Dalmatinska Zagora you should visit the Grabovac winery! The distance from Split is about 80 kilometers and from Makarska 60 kilometers, which makes it an ideal opportunity for a day trip!
The family winery of the Grabovac family is located in the area of Imotski and this is the first private winery in the Imotski vineyards, which inherits a 200-year family tradition of grape and wine production.
This winery stands out with the quality of the wine and care for traditional varieties of this region, sometimes combining it with world-famous sorts.
What made Grabovac Winery deserve cult status in the Imotski region is certainly the pioneering role they took on in the fight to revitalize kujundžuša, a local variety that was almost lost in the great frost in the mid-1980s.
Website: www.vinarijagrabovac.hr
Email: vinarijagrabovac@vinarijagrabovac.hr
Telephone: +385 (0)98 945 2021
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