The Rich Wine Culture on Hvar
The island of Hvar is the fourth largest Croatian island with an area of almost 300 square kilometres and boasts the longest coastline among them, measuring 254 kilometres. About 11000 Croatians live on the island and in the last ten years a total of more than 2.6 million tourists have come to Hvar to enjoy its beautiful bays, local cuisine, and last but not least, sampled its fine indigenous wines. In the Mediterranean throughout history, the vines, one of the oldest fruit trees together with fig, olive, and date trees, held a special place in everyday life. Similar to the lavender business, tradition constitutes an important part of wine production. The locals place great value on their family legacy; taking over the business from their ancestors is expected and deemed an honour. Each generation regards the continuation of their legacy an indelible part of their calling.
The wine growing area on this sunny island is divided into two parts, the northern and the southern one. The southern part, due to its location, sunshine, soil, and steep slopes, has perfect conditions for growing different varieties of grapes, resulting in high quality, world famous wines. The variety of wines produced on Hvar island is quite impressive given its relatively small area. Even though the area cultivated by vine has decreased significantly, from 5700 hectares in the 19th century to 300 hectares cultivated today, the wine production on Hvar is still going strong. The most renowned grape varieties are Plavac mali among the red and Bogdanuša and Pošip among the white. However, it is common for winemakers to also grow other varieties on Hvar, such as Yellow Muscat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, to name but a few.
Plavac Mali (pronounced [plǎːʋat͡s mǎli]) is a red grape variety most commonly found in the southern vineyards above the villages of Zavala, Sveta Nedjelja, Ivan Dolac, and Gromin Dolac, where the growing conditions are best suited to this variety. Plavac Mali is a cross between Crljenak Kaštelanski (an ancestral of Zinfandel) and Dobričić grapes. The name refers to small blue grapes, plavac standing for blue in Croatian and mali meaning small. The wine produced from Plavac Mali has a strong and rich flavour, containing a high percentage of alcohol, usually between 12 and 17 percent. The presence of tannins gives this variety a very distinct and memorable taste. Undoubtedly, Plavac Mali is a trademark wine of the island.
Bogdanuša (pronounced [bɒgdǎnu:sha]) is another renowned autochthonous grape variety, originating from vines brought over by the Greeks in the 4th century BC. This light but delicate grape gives the wine freshness and a flowery aroma. The wine has a golden yellow colour and is low in acidity. These grapes grow in red soil and are most commonly found between Stari Grad and Jelsa. The name bogdanuša or bogdanjuša means given by God, as due to the prestigious nature of this wine people drank it for celebrating religious holidays. Bogdanuša is best served chilled between 10 and 12 degrees and goes well with fish and other seafood, as well as cooked beef and lamb.
Pošip (pronounced [poship]) is another native Dalmatian variety, a very rich and full-bodied wine, originally from the neighbouring island Korčula. The aroma of this white wine is reminiscent of citrus and stone fruits, as well as Mediterranean herbs.
We feel that exploring the different tastes of the island during your stay is an absolute must. You can pamper your taste buds by visiting one of the local winegrowers and sampling their wines. One of our first choices would be Duboković winery in Jelsa, where the very friendly owner and winemaker Ivo will guide you through the family legacy that he has upgraded upon while you can taste a selection of his wines in a cosy and traditional wine cellar dating back to 1939. Ivo gives his wines very interesting names that tell a story, such as for instance 2718 Sati Sunca (2718 hours of sunshine) or Prije 6009 Godina (6009 years ago). Medvid, named after the male seal that supposedly lived in the cave below the vineyard, is their top line red wine.
The winery Tomić also offers a unique experience in its recently renovated wine tasting venue, inspired by ancient Roman formal dining rooms (the so-called triclinium). Winemaker Andro Tomić took over the family business in the 1990s and continues the 150 years old legacy of wine making. He and his team cultivate varieties of red, white and rosé wines, constantly striving to improve their quality. In recent years, their focus has been on Prošek (pronounced [proshehk]), an original Dalmatian dessert wine. It is important to note that their approach to cultivation and wine production is predominantly organic.
Since 2014, Hvar is also home to Jo Ahearne, holder of the prestigious Master of Wine title (there are currently only 409 Masters of Wine, based in 30 different countries, Jo being the only one stationed in Croatia). She brought her expertise to the region to make her own wine under the brand Ahearne Vino. Her wines are a fresh take on the Hvar classics, from the red Plavac Mali to roseé Rosina, named after her mother. We have loved her private villa tastings where she adapts effortlessly to her audience.
There are a number of other interesting wineries that are also worth mentioning (many cultivate their vineyards organically), especially the Zlatan Otok winery from Sveta Nedjelja, the legacy of the late Zlatan Plenković, holder of multiple awards, as well as Carić winery from Vrboska, the Huljić winery in Jelsa, and last but not least a small winery Marijan, our neighbours in Pitve, as well as many more. In addition, the winemaking museum in Pitve is set to reopen next year. The museum showcases the heritage and tradition of wine making in a collection representing the work involved in wine making, from the annual agricultural cycle of planting and growing vines to the process of preparing, processing, and storing wine. This might prove to be just the perfect hiding place in the unlikely event of bad weather or when you wish to take a short break from the sun.