The Plavac Mali Wines of Hvar

Miquel Hudin is an author at Vinologue, a wine travel publishing company.  They publish several compact guides to small wine regions around the world.  Their Dalmatia guide focuses on the wines and gastronomy of this southern-most point in Croatia.

Croatia produces a great deal of wine of which, the majority is from the interior, Continental region.  The lesser amount that is produced in the Coastal region is what most tourists will have come in contact with though.  These bold, sun-infused reds and whites have gotten quite popular lately, especially those wines from Dalmatia.

Dalmatia is home to the “original Zin”, a grape called Crljenak which was transported to both Italy where it became known as Primitivo and California where it became known as Zinfandel.  You’ll have a hard time finding it in Croatia though.  There have been efforts to revive it both on the mainland more extensively on Hvar, but the red you’ll encounter much more often is Plavac Mali—a cross between Crljenak and Dobričić—that has proven to greatly enjoy the hot, sunny weather that Dalmatia gives it in plentiful amounts.

As discussed at length in the guide, besides the high-end wines produced in the mainland region of Dingač, some of the best Plavac Mali wines are coming out of Hvar.  The grapes love it for the same reason the tourists in that the south-facing exposure of the island lends itself to great wine growing.  Pretty much any bottle you’ll pick up on Hvar is going to be at least good if not excellent.  In that “excellent” range, the wines of Zlatan Plenković, Ivo Carić, and Plančić have been consistently splendid for years now.  For those looking to try a bit of different style, take a look at Tomić whose years spent working in France produce a Plavac Mali that is atypical of Hvar.

Those who travel to Dalmatia will find themselves spoiled though as walking in to any supermarket will offer up a wonderful offer of wines that to a large degree aren't available outside the country.  So, while there, make sure to drink up!