No one is sure what to call it, but everyone’s favourite grape in Central Europe can be appetisingly fresh and fruity, or richer, layered and complex – either way, the best wines are utterly delicious.

Today, producers across several countries are showing that it’s both incredibly versatile and well worth another taste – even if it does hide its light under a bewildering array of names.

It grows as Graševina in Croatia; Grašac or Rizling Italijanski in Serbia; Olaszrizling in Hungary; Riesling Italian (often just Riesling) in Romania; Riesling Italico in Italy (mainly in Oltrepò Pavese, Lombardy); Welschriesling in Austria; Laški Rizling or Grašica in Slovenia; Rizling Vlašský in Slovakia and Ryzlink Vlašský in Czechia.

It takes number one spot for vineyard area in Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia, but perhaps most surprisingly, it covers 3,000ha to 4,000ha in China, where it first arrived when an Austro-Hungarian consul was invited to be a winemaker in 1892 (its Chinese name 贵人香 means ‘noble fragrance’); there’s even some in Brazil.

No one is even sure where the grape originally comes from. One parent is a rare Italian grape called Coccalona Nera – the other remains unknown.

And some names either explicitly reference or imply an Italian connection – Olasz, Laski, Vlašský and Welsch all mean ‘Italian’ in their respective languages.*

So Italy may be the origin, although it wasn’t recorded there until the mid-1800s.

*Editor's note – Welsch/Welsh/Walloon/Vlach/Vlašský etc. are also cognate with the proto-Germanic 'Walhaz' meaning Roman/Romance-language speaker, later 'foreigner' or simply 'Italian'. Welschriesling's presence in the Illyrian border areas of the Roman Empire in contact with Germanic tribes may hint at a possible etymological origin.

A possible homeland

One twist in the unravelling of its origins comes from Serbia, where the grape (under the name Graschaz) appeared in an 1816 book called Soveršen Vinodelac (‘The Perfect Winemaker’) by Prokopije Bolić, the archimandrite, or head monk, of the Rakovac monastery on Fruška Gora mountain.

Even more important was the discovery of the world’s second-oldest grapevine herbarium in Sremski Karlovci grammar school in northern Serbia, and the only one with actual pressed grapes.

In 2017, researcher Dr Milica Rat uncovered some dusty, forgotten boxes with 75 samples of grapevine material, collected in around 1812-1824 on Fruška Gora – including a sample of Graschaz.

This gives Serbia current bragging rights as its most historic origin.

In many guises

The precise origin of the grape variety matters less than the fact that it has been widely adopted around the Danube basin.

It’s easy to grow and can be a generous yielder, which suited the previous, quantity-not-quality era, when it was often consumed daily from litre bottles and in spritzers (Hungarians in particular take spritzers seriously – always Olaszrizling).

But it’s now proving that it has much more to offer, culminating in a DWWA 2023 Best in Show award for Vinarija Vinčić’s Grašac 2020 from Serbia, an unoaked version from 50-year-old vines.

The names that mention ‘Riesling’ or ‘Rizling’ are confusing because the variety is unrelated to Rhine Riesling and doesn’t taste similar to it – typically with a softer, rounder texture, but also appetising freshness.

Young versions can be light and fruity, with bright acidity and notes of lemon, green apple, white flowers, sometimes green herbs, and a mineral, grapefruit pith finish.

Or, it can be profound and complex, with ripe apple, poached pear, lemon zest, pineapple, quince and sometimes honey and marzipan, especially from old vines and low yields.

At the same time, it can also suit sparkling wines (a handful in Central Europe and even in Brazil), as well as some stunning skin-contact wines and the occasional, delicious, botrytis sweet wine.

Like many great grapes, it’s also capable of reflecting terroir; a fact supported by a recent study that found different levels of certain aromatic compounds in grapes from different regions.

Sadly, it’s only slowly regaining consumer recognition, though a competition called GROW du Monde ('GR' from Graševina/Grašac, 'O' from Olaszrizling and 'W' from Welschriesling), founded by three friends from Croatia, Serbia and Hungary, aims to unify its identity and rebuild awareness.

Time for some GROW in your glass?

Gilby’s pick: Six white Welschriesling from across Europe

Related articles

The glistening waters of Dalmatia’s Adriatic coast attract millions of tourists every year.

Some come for the sea air, others to experience the region’s ancient history and, of course, some are drawn by the spectacular backdrop to Game of Thrones.

But perhaps the most enjoyable and relaxed way to explore Dalmatia is through its high-quality wines and unique grape varieties.

With over 5,500 hectares of vineyards, there is plenty to explore. The grape names may not be household names (yet) but varieties like Plavac Mali, Tribidag, Pošip, Maraština and Debit will take you on a journey from north to south – and even island hopping – across this wonderful region.

Carved from Stone

Just a few kilometres from the town of Primošten, around an hour’s drive west of Split along the coast, Bukovac is an extraordinary vineyard area covering just 18.4 hectares.

Vines are carved into the rocky terrain, painstakingly excavated and transformed entirely by hand.

The grape grown here is Babić, a red variety planted in a mosaic-like pattern across tiny square plots bordered by low stone walls.

This honeycomb or lace-like pattern creates a striking impression: a moon-like landscape criss-crossing a small slope that cascades towards the Adriatic Sea.

And the wines are well worth the visit. Red cherry fruits and Mediterranean herbs combine to produce structured and mineral reds.

Go fishing

Have you ever thought about fishing in a vineyard?

Away from the coast in the area around Vrgorac, the Gašpar wines are grown in a valley close to one of Dalmatia’s largest mountains, Biokovo.

The soils are very white, a result of the lake that used to be here until it was drained to allow for the construction of a tunnel in 1938.

Now planted with vines, the valley is flooded for more than three months a year, sometimes more.

The waters recede each year in time for the growing season, leaving behind reserves of wines that help the Plavka (Plavina) vines.

In the meantime, producers like Gašpar, whose vineyards are planted in this very unusual site, profit from the temporary lake by setting up nets and catching catfish!

Island hopping

No trip to Dalmatia is complete without some island hopping in the sun. But why not explore the vineyards of islands such as Brač, Hvar and Korčula?

While the islands share the salty influence of the sea and limestone soils, each has its own character defined by distinctive landscapes.

If you like hiking, you could climb the higher-altitude vineyards of Brač, grown on dramatic white karst and rock.

But if you’re looking for richer, bolder wine styles, perhaps Hvar is more your pace with its sunshine, heat and red terra rossa soils.

Korčula, meanwhile, will appeal to those looking for a greener escape, thanks to its cooler, sheltered coastal vineyards and the hilly terrain of its interior.

Why not make your next journey to Croatia a vinous escape?

Pack your walking shoes – perhaps even some wellies – and venture off the beaten track in Dalmatia.

The Dalmatia grape expedition – 10 wines to try

Related articles

For any wine region to be great, it needs a simple name. Just look at Bordeaux. Given its 65 appellations, having this one name is quite convenient as trying to remember all of them, save for a few of the most famous, is a tedious proposition.

The same can be said for Burgundy, the Rhône, Napa or a multitude of famous regions the world over. This is what makes the proposition of the ‘North Adriatic’ so appealing.

It’s a convenient shorthand for not just a very wide group of appellations, but also parts of three different countries, including northeast Italy and the western parts of Slovenia and Croatia.

When Paul Balke, author of the book North Adriatic, contacted me about a trip he was planning that grouped all of these regions into one much more digestible whole, I thought it a splendid idea.

I’ve been tasting them individually for nearly two decades and hadn’t really considered the fact that they are, to any wine drinker, far more comprehensible via this collective nomenclature.

While at first glance it may appear that this spaghetti of borders, rivers and small mountains has no cohesion, there are several aspects that bind it all together.

And, given that Croatia entered into the Schengen and Eurozone at the start of 2023, imagining that there is any kind of separation at all seems more artificial than the separation that was.

First and most important is the Italianate nature to everything. In ancient history this was all Roman, and in later history it was all Venetian.

It’s only during the last century that things have become a great deal more complicated, especially after World War II.

Despite this, almost everyone who isn’t Italian (namely Slovenes and Croats) does also speak Italian.

While this shared language and history is what we see on the surface, below there’s a vast stretch of flysch (charmingly known locally as ponca/opoka in Italian/Slovenian), a sedimentary mix of sandstone and marl that links the geology of the region.

Linked by separation

This novel new way to look at the region essentially has Trieste in Italy’s far northeast as its focus point and city, with Venice serving as the western flank and Rijeka, Croatia, as the eastern.

It would be easy to get bogged down in finite details across these various lands, of which there are 15 zones.

However, there are two core regions to the north and south that are the most important, as they both produce some of the most exciting wines: Colli Orientali/Collio/Goriška Brda straddling Italy and Slovenia; and Istria, which is mostly in Croatia, with a smaller northern segment in Slovenia and the smallest scrap just to the south of Trieste.

These two North Adriatic sub-regions perfectly embody a spirit of being ‘apart yet together’.

Prior to the imposition of the new border in 1947, Collio and Brda formed a single, coherent wine region, with the same flysch soils extending west into Colli Orientali.

Anyone wandering through these hills today could potentially cross the remnants of old, now-obsolete borders several times in a single day without noticing any real difference – aside from the reversed order of the bilingual village signs and the shared tourism branding of Collio Brda, marked by small shelters dotted across the region, ready for a selfie.

Split identities

Along these hills, one will find undulating waves of vines and, while both red and white varieties are planted, what’s most notable are the vines of Ribolla Gialla/Rebula.

While not planted as much as in the past, there has been a renewal in the last 20 years, with the wines ranging from a fresher style to full-on skin-contact orange, to sparkling wines that are really pleasing these days, such as the Kristalvin, Rebula Extra Brut.

The still wine producers – such as Movia or newcomers such as Ferdinand, both in Brda – are also excellent locales to visit.

Movia especially seems to have a steady stream of visitors, which should come as no surprise given the view from the terrace of the cellar.

While there is plenty of Ribolla Gialla in Collio, the Italian part of this common area, it’s with Friulano where producers seem to be excelling, especially from the likes of Renato Keber or Castello di Spessa.

There’s something of a branding issue with this white grape, however, given that it can be found labelled as Tocai (a name that had to be changed under EU regulations, due to its confusion with Hungary’s Tokaji – the luxurious sweet wine made mostly from the Furmint grape), as well as Friulano, Sauvignonasse and the particularly confusing Zeleni Sauvignon.

To the point of Istria

It’s difficult to leave the hills of Collio/Goriška Brda (a feeling I know well from many trips), but there’s much more to see in the North Adriatic region.

One can go west to regions that are much more plaindriven, especially in Friuli – the zones of Grave, Isonzo or Colli Orientali. In Friuli Grave, Udine is a lovely Italian city to visit, too; and, 10km to its east, the very historic town of Cividale del Friuli is a necessary stop.

Or you can head east, deep into Slovenia, winding along the 70km of the Vipava valley, with grapevines on the valley floor, castles high above on the hills and, higher still, the rocky Karst plateau, which is shared by Italy and Slovenia.

But once you pass through Vipava and follow the rear side of Trieste – a wooded world away from the busy Italian city and port – you arrive at the Istrian peninsula, which, like Collio and Brda, was a single contiguous region prior to World War II.

Wherever you are in Istria – from its Italian sliver at the northern end to Slovenia’s 43km of coastline and the vast bulk of land in modern Croatia – you’re far better off pulling back from the coast by some 10km or so.

The historic presence of Venice is clear in the lovely towns of Piran in Slovenia and Rovinj in Croatia, while the unmistakable imprint of the Romans is apparent in Pula at the tip of the peninsula.

Large-scale tourism, too, has left its mark along the entire coastline. This, however, is nothing new and, as such, the interior was long developed as a destination for boutique hotels, fine food and, of course, very, very good wines.

Both the flysch soils from the north and the Italian language continue into Istria.

In fact, schools in Croatia are bilingual, as are the street signs, and the local Croatian language is markedly different – more sing-song and melodic when compared with that spoken in the country’s capital Zagreb.

Heart of the peninsula

While roughly half of Istria is planted with vines, the most serious production and winery focus lies in the northwestern areas of Croatian Istria and, at slightly lower altitudes, in neighbouring parts of Slovenia.

Conveniently, this overlaps perfectly with the most scenic, postcard-ready parts of Istria, including the villages of Brtonigla, Buje, Grožnjan, Oprtalj and, perhaps most famously of all, Motovun.

Running around the bases of the hilltops these villages call home is an endless parade of vines. Istria is also refreshingly easy to understand from a grape variety point of view.

There are, broadly speaking, two principal grapes: the white Malvazija Istarska, and the red Teran (Terrano in Italy, Refošk in Slovenia – though the latter may be a close relative, rather than exactly the same variety).

Despite this shared varietal base, the resulting wines can show significant stylistic differences. This is worth noting, as in recent years, producers in Slovenian Istria have leaned more towards natural and low-intervention approaches, as seen at Korenika & Moškon.

This isn’t to say such practices don’t exist further south, but Croatian Istria retains a strong, studied Italian core of winemaking that has a tendency to keep things more tightly controlled.

Teran-based wines from producers such as Coronica and Cattunar rank among the stars of the region’s reds. On the white side, Coronica’s Gran Malvazija, Kozlović’s Santa Lucia and Clai’s Baracija Malvazija are all genuinely world class.

Of course, it would be remiss to focus solely on the wines. Truffles should also be high on the agenda – ideally grated generously over a steak at a fine konoba (a traditional tavern or small restaurant serving regional cuisine) enjoyed with an unparalleled view from the top of Motovun village.

A delicious slice of the Adriatic

Paul Balke proposes that the North Adriatic concept stretches as far as Rijeka and the nearby island of Krk.

There is indeed a shared history across these areas, but they lack the rolling, vineyard-covered hills that seem to define much of the rest of the region.

That said, it remains a sound concept. The core elements of wine, history and, for lack of a better word, an ‘Italian’ style feel broadly contiguous throughout.

Given how difficult it can be for neighbouring wine regions – let alone different countries – to work together in pursuit of a common goal, it may be some time before there’s greater alignment.

Still, for wine lovers who enjoy one part of this region, there is a great deal more to explore and enjoy across the North Adriatic as a whole.

Related articles

Santiago Deicas

Bodega Familia Deicas, Uruguay

By Ines Salpico

Santiago Deicas had his first paid gig – in wine and in life – at 12 years old, as a lab assistant at his family’s winery. This planted the seed of systematic curiosity that shapes his work at the helm of Bodega Familia Deicas today.

Twenty-five years on, he’s the third generation of the Deicas family leading the eponymous Uruguayan winery, overseeing production from at least 300ha of vineyards in all across a dozen regions of the country.

Santiago has the humble confidence of someone who was born into a lineage of assertive entrepreneurship and daring firsts. Bodega Familia Deicas was founded in 2000 as an offshoot of the family’s larger-scale, export-focused business Establicimiento Juanicó – known for its Don Pascual range.

The objective was to focus resources on the fine wines that Santiago’s father, Fernando Deicas, had started developing with the creation of Preludio, a Bordeaux-inspired blend that pioneered fine wine production in Uruguay.

The winery has since had a key role in placing – and to an extent defining – the identity of Uruguayan wine as a whole. The evolution of Familia Deicas from Bordeaux derivative to champion of ‘Western Atlanticism’ mirrors the country’s increasing understanding of its viticultural identity – and Santiago Deicas’ coming of age and emergence as one of South America’s most exciting young winemakers.

Atlantic Soul

Santiago’s path was not forced upon him. However, as he recounts his trajectory – from those first days in the lab to being regarded as one of South America’s most talented winemakers – there’s a sense of inevitability, hemmed by studiousness and worldliness.

‘The event that made me sure I wanted to do this was a trip to Bordeaux with my father, when I was 14,’ he recalls. ‘We were exhibiting at the Vinexpo trade show and the whole experience marked me profoundly.

‘There was this amazing camaraderie among producers; not just those of us travelling together from Uruguay but all those we met [at the show]. Having a producer badge meant that we were part of this community. And there was this sense of responsibility, as ambassadors for our country and culture. It’s not just wine that we represent.’

With that certainty cemented, he started working in the cellar, gained harvest experience and eventually graduated in food technology with a specialism in oenology. He went on also to earn an MBA.

Further to his academic accomplishments, Santiago has had two great schools: travelling and tasting extensively; and a remarkable pool of star consultants engaged by Deicas over the decades (Californian legend Paul Hobbs has been their leading advisor since 2012).

Working alongside his father from 2011 and 2019 allowed for an organic, gradual transition that culminated in Santiago’s appointment as winemaking director in 2020. In the process, he had the time and space to consider the focus of his work.

‘I did worry, for a while, about Deicas’ identity [as a winery]. How did the more vanguard wines I’ve been developing (like the Extreme Vineyards limited release bottlings from individual terroirs) sit next to a wine like Preludio? Eventually I realised that the common thread is that Atlantic identity. It defines our wines and our winemaking decisions.’

Rather than a point of arrival, this realisation has provided a confident launchpad for the restless curiosity, framed by technical pragmatism, that will surely make Santiago Deicas one of South America’s most prominent wine names in decades to come.

Gianna Kozlović

Vinarija Kozlović, Croatia

By Sylvia Wu

‘I was never forced to be interested in winemaking, which, maybe, was my parents’ clever strategy to see if I would be,’ says Gianna Kozlović, fifth generation of the famed family winery in the north of the picturesque Istrian peninsula, in Croatia.

The Kozlović family first put down its roots in wine in 1904 in the Vale valley near Momjan village, just 1km from the border with Slovenia. Over nearly a century of cautious expansion, the fourth generation – Gianfranco and Antonella (Gianna’s parents) – took over in 1998 and soon became leading figures in the modern renaissance of Istrian wine, particularly for their interpretation of the indigenous white grape Malvazija Istriana.

The estate’s three-storey contemporary winery and its panoramic tasting terrace, completed in 2012 near the family’s original home, also make it a must-visit for wine lovers.

Gianna had been helping her parents around the winery since she was old enough to walk, but, as she puts it, her real interest in wine ‘didn’t really start’ until early adulthood.

She has certainly witnessed Kozlović’s rise to international prominence throughout her life, though. In 2001, the Kozlović family started working on Santa Lucia (eventually acquiring it in 2008) – a southwest-facing 20ha vineyard near Buje, where the oldest Malvazija plantings date back to 1961.

The site – rich in flysch, limestone and clay – was later hailed as one of Croatia’s prime terroirs for wine-growing.

The winery’s 2017 Santa Lucia Malvazija won Platinum at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022, and the 2018 vintage took Gold at DWWA 2025 – and this year, it was Gianna who went on stage to receive the award at the annual Decanter Winners’ Showcase held in Istria.

Honest appraisal

Gianna studied winemaking at the University of Udine in Italy, and was fascinated by the chemistry behind wine. Having officially been ‘bitten by the wine bug’, she went on to complete her master’s degree at Hochschule Geisenheim University in Germany, and now works full-time alongside her parents and her younger sister Lara.

‘My family members will have no hesitation in telling me what I did wrong, nor do they withhold criticism, which can spark a lot of arguments,’ says the 26-year-old oenologist, her fluent English carrying an easy confidence and warmth.

‘However, it also means that we can be really honest in a way you just can’t be in a purely professional relationship. I think this helps to achieve extraordinary results in the long run.’

Over the past two years, Gianna has taken charge of the family estate’s now 30ha vineyard and has become increasingly involved in the cellar, working closely with the winemaking team under Gianfranco’s guidance.

She quickly learned that ‘good intuition is sometimes more important than theory’ when it comes to winemaking, honing her own skill to ‘read’ a wine.

Besides upholding the family estate’s reputation for unwavering quality in its Malvazija, she also has her sights set on shaping her own legacy within Kozlović’s future.

‘I’ve become interested in cracking the code for producing a great red wine,’ she says. ‘I’m very passionate about researching great vineyard locations for Teran [the Istrian indigenous red grape] and I think it will be my personal challenge to try to produce the best Teran you’ve ever tried.’

Next instalment: Mathias Paicheler and Sarah Frissant & Reenen Borman

Wines from a new generation:

Related content

Meet the next generation at four legacy Napa wineries

From Pauillac to Stellenbosch: Celebrating May-Eliane de Lencquesaing at 100

Champagne Dhondt-Grellet: The young grower at the top of his game

Everyone knows her as Bepa, though Josipa Marinov is her name: white hair, scrawny, nimble, energetic. Bent double to prune then, a moment later, straightening and standing upright, her hand shading her eyes from the sun.

She called out to us, waving her secateurs. It was a sunny Saturday last June, mid-morning and hot already; she was out trimming the family’s red Babić vines with her sons. In her 80s… but looking and sounding 20 years younger.

She’d spotted us coming up the path; I was with Croatia’s leading wine writer Saša Špiranec and Leo Gracin, the professor of oenology at Split University. We’d just visited the fishing village of Primošten, with its waving tamarisk trees and white sand; Leo has his own vinarija cellar door there. Now we’d come down the coast; some of Leo’s own vines were close by.

While they chatted, Bepa’s laughter ringing in the air, I wandered towards the cobalt Adriatic inlet next to the vineyards and looked back. Garments aside, this same Saturday morning scene could have unfolded at any time over the last millennium.

Another scene, a few days earlier, on the island of Korčula: this vineyard, too, lay open to the sea, close to the village of Lumbarda; the vines (white Grk this time) grew in similar limestones. Frano Bire stood next to his €25,000 drone – waist-high on the ground, bulky as a condor – and I took a photo. Then we stood back while his son flew it. It lifted 20 metres, turned elegantly, then moved off to spray its 50-litre payload over the family vines, well clear of human lungs.

When I’d last visited Croatia in 2019, the Istrian wine-grower Gianfranco Kozlović had lamented Croatia’s ‘lost century’ to me, describing how three wars had swallowed the efforts of four generations. Indeed; but the country is catching up fast. What matters in wine-growing are the timeless gestures: work, care, observation, taste. All the progress we’ve made – the drones, the sorting machines, the gravity wineries – are only there to help us make those gestures more effectively.

Long time, geologists’ time, is the gift that has created our planet’s ever-changing landscapes and skies. Wine’s joy is difference; these are its ultimate source. A second gift, one that has evolved over human or millennial time, is genetic: grape varieties, our tools for revealing and perfecting difference. Dalmatia, Europe’s most intricate archipelago, has been lavished with both.

Its jigsaw of islands and peninsulas, of aspects and soils, of winds and waves is why both white and red varieties flourish equally here. The ‘black island’ of Korčula, so called because its native holm oaks looked sombre to passing ships, not only has the sinewy, sappy Grk (Frano Bire’s are benchmarks) but is home to the softer, scented white Pošip, Croatia’s biggest hit.

The island of Hvar has its own white specialities – the zesty Bogdanuša and fragrant Prč – while the third, more far-flung island of Vis makes apricotty whites from Vugava. Maraština is lighter and more delicate, found up and down the coast.

The reds are no less diverse. Babić is the juiciest and, according to Leo Gracin, it needs tough, stony soils of the sort that he and the Marinov family work; Lasina is silky and light. Tribidrag (the original Zinfandel) is lushly fruity, though more structured here than in California.

An island variety I loved was the densely textured Dobričić. It hails from tiny Šolta, though the example which so impressed me was grown in the mainland vineyard of Vlačine, just above the town of Kaštela, north of Split. It was crafted by Jakša Bedalov: dense and powerful, sumptuous yet concentrated.

The grandee is Plavac Mali, the offspring of Tribidrag and Dobričić. It’s grown throughout Dalmatia, but at its finest in the two astonishing vineyard zones of Postup and Dingač. These giant slopes face the Adriatic on the island-like peninsula of Pelješac, looking across to Korčula; they produce outsize, brooding winter reds. All are better known to tourists than on export markets as yet, but give them time. If you love difference, it’s here. Just waiting.

In my glass this month

The vast solar amphitheatre of Dingač is a ‘roasted slope’ if ever I saw one: getting its bulk and force into drinkable form is not easy. The Saints Hills, Ernest Tolj Dingač 2021 met the challenge: lithe freshness to its aromas; lifted, pure fruit; and an overall sense of grace and gentleness despite its compelling amplitude and power. It’s made from selected Plavac Mali fruit from the best spots on the big hill, in the finest years only. A winter wine to spend time with.

Related articles

• Andrew Jefford investigates: Is Germany truly the new ‘Pinot Paradise’ for wine lovers?
• Andrew Jefford: ‘The set of possibilities grouped under “Chenin” can dazzle’
• Andrew Jefford: ‘What should we do? Panic? Sell the cellar and sign the pledge?’

From almost any vantage point on Santorini, the island looks timeless: whitewashed villages ring the caldera, basket-trained vines pepper volcanic terraces, and tasting rooms buzz with thirsty visitors. Wine has been made here for thousands of years, yet what is unfolding now is close to an extinction-level event for one of Greece’s most important wine regions.

Historic estimates suggest that Santorini once had 3,000-4,000ha under vine. Today, around 1,000ha remains, much of it fragmented into small family holdings. Over the last three vintages, drought and heat have pushed production to record lows. At the same time, the island’s success as a tourist destination has driven demand for hotels and villas on former vineyard land. Greece’s most famous wine export – Santorini Assyrtiko – is being squeezed by its most famous tourism export: Santorini itself.

Centuries-old vineyards in a new climate

Santorini’s vineyards, largely planted on their own roots in volcanic, sandy soils, form one of Europe’s most historic wine landscapes. Saline, acid-driven Assyrtiko dominates, with Aidani and Athiri playing supporting roles. Vinsanto, made from sun-dried grapes and extended barrel ageing, has been the island’s signature sweet wine for generations. Weaving vines into a basket shape, known as the kouloura, evolved to protect grapes from the Meltemi winds and trap night-time humidity in an already dry climate. Many vineyards are decades if not centuries old.

However, recent work by Greek researchers confirms an alarming trend observed on the ground: the island is seeing less effective rainfall, higher temperatures, lower humidity and increased drought stress each year. As a result, harvests have crept forward into late July and early August.

A visit to Estate Argyros, a modern facility with expansive terraces and interior tasting rooms, wouldn’t indicate anything amiss. Yet owner and fourth-generation winemaker Matthaios Argyros reports three consecutive years of severe drought, with annual rainfall below 200mm, earlier budbreak and more frequent heatwaves. Yields have fallen by as much as 60-80% in some parcels of old vines. At this pace, Argyros forecasts that continued warming could jeopardise traditional dry-farmed viticulture on Santorini within the next decade.

At Domaine Sigalas, now owned by northern Greek estate Kir-Yianni, Stellios Boutaris describes a similar picture. The 2025 harvest yielded about 450 tonnes of grapes across the island – roughly 15% of what was picked in 2000.

‘The last three years of drought, together with old vines, neglected vineyards and land lost to tourism, have pushed the system to a tipping point,’ he said. Sigalas oenologist Sara Iakovidou puts it bluntly: ‘The situation is very serious and we must do something. The only thing that can help is water.’

Vines versus villas

Climate stress lands on top of the island’s significant economic shift. Tourist arrivals now measure in the millions annually, resulting in rapid overdevelopment chasing the money. Fields that once supplied grapes have been subdivided, sold, and paved over. Many remaining plots belong to families whose main income comes from tourism, and growers can now receive around €10 per kilo for grapes even with minimal investment in vine care.

Yannis Valambous, founder of Vassaltis, points to a dwindling labour pool as another source of stress. ‘The older generation of growers are now retired or have passed away and the new generation has not stepped up,’ he said. ‘Almost all viticulture is done as a side job… there are (almost) no vineyard workers available.’

Changing styles, creating crus

The pressures of drought and scarcity fall unevenly across Santorini’s styles. The immediate casualty has been Vinsanto. It has always been a labour-intensive speciality. In the recent run of vintages, estates have faced a Sophie’s Choice between producing this heritage bottling or securing enough grapes for their dry Assyrtiko wines.

At Domaine Sigalas, the last vintage of Vinsanto was produced in 2020. ‘Under no circumstances do we wish to discontinue the production of this emblematic wine; however, given the current conditions, its production has become almost impossible,’ said Boutaris. He now regards Vinsanto as a museum wine – ‘a rare expression that reflects an era which may never return’.

Fortunately, Santorini Assyrtiko has held up in quality terms. Argyros sees 2025 as a classic ‘quality over quantity’ year, with exceptionally low yields but wines of notable density and purity. At Sigalas, Iakovidou reports very low yields but impressive concentration in the hot, dry 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Even as the crisis unfolds, producers are still debating how best to recognise Santorini’s top sites. At Argyros, years of mapping and micro-vinification around Episkopi have identified what the team internally considers its ‘grand cru equivalents’: sites with very old vines and a consistent record of depth and complexity. At Domaine Sigalas, Kavalieros was the island’s first single-vineyard Assyrtiko, followed by the ‘7 Villages’ wines that explore differences between sub-zones.

Valambous, however, believes such discussions can wait. ‘I think this is not what Santorini needs now,’ he said. ‘Our efforts should be focused on saving and replanting what is left from the current area under vine… Once we sort all these issues out we can discuss what we can do further to increase the added value of our work.’

The science of adaptation

Producers have responded to the crisis with a mix of vineyard research, water management techniques, and new plantings. At Argyros, that has meant adaptation centres on preserving soil moisture with organic mulching, replanting using cuttings from the healthiest old vines, and conducting irrigation trials on targeted plots.

Assuming that many old vineyards will be non-productive within five years, Vassaltis has taken a different approach. ‘Since 2020 we have uprooted and replanted all our vineyards,’ said Valambous. ‘Our new vineyards are single-variety, trellised and irrigated to combat the warmer weather and lack of rainfall. We use desalinated water, which, although expensive, is the only way to ensure our plants survive.’

At Domaine Sigalas, Boutaris has retained some traditional kouloura while integrating modern irrigation systems. ‘We don’t want to irrigate; we just want to make sure that in the winter, if it doesn’t rain, we will be able to provide the water needed,’ he said.

Beyond individual estates, the Santorini Winemakers Association is working with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the municipal water company on a pilot scheme to reuse treated wastewater in vineyards to replace the loss of seasonal rainfall.

For now, however, such projects are driven mainly by producers themselves. Against that backdrop, few hang their hopes on external intervention. Valambous points to limited, bureaucratic subsidies and a clear preference from authorities to back tourism infrastructure over agriculture. Santorini needs to go ‘back to the drawing board’, he said, suggesting there is little room for optimism about coordinated action on the island until that happens.

Growing scarcity

The pressure in the vineyard is already visible in the market. Boutaris says grape prices have ‘skyrocketed’ as yields fall, even as many grape growers leave the sector. Argyros reports a similar trend at his estate, with prices rising steeply over the past decade.

For importers, the consequences are clear. Ted Diamantis, founder of Diamond Wine Importers, says prices for Santorini wines have risen markedly in recent years, while allocations from key estates have been cut by roughly half compared with earlier vintages.

For Greece, the stakes extend beyond one PDO. Today, there are excellent whites produced from Naoussa to Crete, but Santorini remains the country’s global calling card: its most ageworthy white and the label that anchors Greek sections on serious lists. If production continues to contract, Greece risks losing its most recognisable benchmark just as its broader wine scene gains attention.

For drinkers, the picture is more nuanced than one of loss. Santorini is still producing some of Greece’s most compelling whites, and the best bottles remain serious candidates for the cellar. Argyros highlights 2017, 2019 and 2022 as particularly ageworthy, while his top Assyrtiko cuvées and Vinsanto are explicitly built for long ageing.

At Domaine Sigalas, Boutaris describes 2022 as an exceptional vintage for structure and balance, noting that Kavalieros shows the greatest capacity to age thanks to extended lees contact. Valambous considers all four of Vassaltis’ Assyrtiko bottlings suitable for cellaring, and holds back a portion of Alcyone for a second release after five years in bottle.

In practical terms, now is the moment for Assyrtiko lovers to think seriously about buying wine to cellar. With yields falling and favoured vineyards under pressure, quantities of top Assyrtiko will continue to drop – and prices will only rise.

Related articles

• Aegean island whites: Panel tasting results
• The Greek grape varieties you should be drinking
• Greek legend: Why Assyrtiko has won its place in the white wine pantheon

Igor Luković is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA)

Igor Luković

Igor Luković is a wine critic, writer, journalist and a certified sommelier from Serbia, who has worked in the wine business since 2003.

He is Editor in Chief at “Vino & Fino” magazine and associate of many other wine media. He is one of the founders of the Wine Identity initiative, which manages wine events in Serbia and the surrounding countries. For many years, he has been President of the Sommelier Association of Vojvodina and CEO of the Serbian Sommelier Association.

Igor is actively engaged in wine education, trainings, consulting and event management, and has a vast experience as a wine judge at many respectable international competitions.

He started in the wine industry as owner and Editor of “Gurman” and “Gastro Svet” magazines, and later he became General Manager of “Vinodrom”, company for importing and distribution of wine.

He judged at the DWWA for the first time in 2019.

Follow Igor on Instagram.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA.

Exploring the wines of the Balkans

The wines of Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia

Related content from Decanter

Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW is the Joint Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, and Croatia & Slovenia at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2026.

Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW

Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW, a wine writer & consultant from Poland, is the joint Regional Chair at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026. He became Poland’s first Master of Wine in 2023, notably obtaining the the Outstanding Achievement Award and Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in tasting.

He obtained an MA in Italian literature and PhD in musicology from the University of Warsaw. His book on Chopin’s favourite food and wines, Chopin Gourmet, was published in English by the Chopin Institute in 2015.

Simultaneously he developed a career in wine, working in London for a year before returning to Poland where he published eight books and founded the country’s leading wine website, Winicjatywa (2012), and wine magazine, Ferment (2017). The Ferment media group now also includes a wine events agency, wine school, and publishing house.

Wojciech is active internationally as a writer, wine market consultant & judge and currently focuses on the wines of Italy, Greece, Central and Eastern Europe, Jerez, Port, Madeira, and Champagne.

2016 was Wojciech Bońkowski’s first year as a DWWA judge.

Follow Wojciech on X @polishwineguide

See more 2026 Regional Chairs.

Simon J Woolf is the joint Regional Chair for Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, and Caucasus Region at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2026.

Simon J Woolf

Simon J Woolf is an award-winning English author and wine writer, currently based in The Netherlands.

An acknowledged expert on the subject of natural wine, he’s written for Decanter magazine, Meininger’s Wine Business International, World of Fine Wine and Noble Rot,

and many other publications. Simon is the editor of The Morning Claret, an online wine magazine which specialises in natural, biodynamic, organic and orange wine.

• Amber champions: Top 30 orange wines

• Discover Portugal’s talha wines

• Bordeaux’s wild side: Top biodynamic and organic producers to look for

• Can you taste amphora ageing? Ask Decanter

Simon’s first book “Amber Revolution – How the world learned to love orange wine”; was published in 2018, and winner of the Roederer Wine book of the year award in 2019. Simon has also won numerous awards for his magazine features and online columns.

His second book, Foot Trodden, a collaboration with photographer and wine communicator Ryan Opaz, was published in October 2021, shortlisted for a James Beard award and listed by the New York Times as wine book of the year 2021. It is described as a journey deep into the soul of Portuguese wine.

Simon is also active as a presenter, editor, wine judge and translator. Follow Simon on X: @simonjwoolf

See more 2026 Regional Chairs.

While Croatia’s coastal wine regions of Dalmatia and Istria get plenty of attention, the under-the-radar region of Kvarner boasts not only a fascinating history, but a fantastic, burgeoning wine industry and world-class cuisine which leans heavily into Croatia’s maritime bounty.

In the deep Adriatic waters of the Gulf of Kvarner, an archipelago of islands supports both fishing and vine-growing industries and is home to many of the region’s wineries.

At the northern end of the gulf lies the city of Rijeka which is Croatia’s main port. Its naturally deep harbour has seen it serve as a maritime hub for countless cultures and rulers since the late Neolithic period.

A selection of wines from Kvarner listed below

Its history is nothing if not eventful.

With powerful defences to protect the harbour, Riejka has borne the brunt of numerous assaults over the centuries. It was burnt to the ground by Attila the Hun and later besieged by Charlemagne.

By the 16th century it rivalled Venice as an Adriatic power which led the latter to attack it jealously, and it was a bastion against the high tide of Ottoman incursions into the Balkans.

Ruled by the Habsburgs from the 15th century to 1918, from 1919-1920 the city was seized by Italian nationalist poet Gabriele d’Annunzio and run as an independent statelet until, in a welter of contradictions, d’Annunzio declared war on Italy and was deposed after the city was besieged and bombarded by Italian warships.

The city was then annexed by Italy until it became part of Yugoslavia in 1945 and finally Croatia in 1991.

Deep waters and deep wine roots

Rooted in indigenous varieties, the winemaking islands of Kvarner have a long vinous history, probably pre-dating the arrival of the Romans.

The region is largely housed within the Croatian county of Primorje-Gorski Kotar. On the mainland, this centres around the city of Rijeka and then extends across the main islands of the Kvarner Gulf archipelago – Krk, Pag, Rab and a cluster of islands around Cres and Lošinj.

But while it extends over a large geographic area, the land dedicated to vines is much smaller.

‘Kvarner is a small, specific boutique wine region, where mostly autochthonous grape varieties are planted,’ says Żarko Stilin, director of the Kvarner Wines regional entity.

‘Today, the entire Kvarner has about 200 hectares of vineyards, while historical documents indicate that there were [once] several thousand hectares of vineyards on the island of Krk alone.’

The island of Krk is the largest of Croatia’s many islands, and the largest in the entire Adriatic Sea. These days, the northern end is largely forested, while the southern parts of the island are characterised by white karst rock, fully exposed due to the strong bora winds, which can reach 100 km/h.

These winds blow into the Adriatic from the north/north-west. Today, tourists are drawn to the sleepy towns, the historic walled city of Krk, and the ample beaches, as well as the incredible fishing.

The decline

However, at one point, Krk was a hotbed for Croatian viticulture.

‘In some records from the 18th and 19th centuries, it is noted that more than half of the arable land on Krk was used for vineyards,’ says Egle Katunar, proprietor of the winery, Ivan Katunar.

‘Monasteries and noble families maintained vineyards, and wine was a major source of income for both the poor labourers and wealthy landowners.’

Krk and Kvarner generally were decimated, like much of Europe, by phylloxera towards the very end of the 1890s. Tourism eventually became the primary driver of the local economy, as Europeans – and eventually Americans – were drawn to the country’s hospitality, affordability and pristine beaches along the Adriatic.

‘While towns like Vrbnik became known for their Žlahtina and other local varieties, often cultivated on steep hillsides and seemingly on every available patch of land,’ says Katunar, ‘beginning in the 1960s, tourism boomed on Krk.

‘Land once used for vineyards was converted into apartments and tourist accommodations. Generational change also played a role as younger generations left agriculture, leading to further vineyard abandonment.’

A Kvarner wine revival

As Croatia has become one of the world’s top tourist destinations, people are starting to see beyond the beautiful beaches and blue Adriatic waters. Gastronomy, and with it, the local wines are leading the way in Kvarner.

‘The 1980s and 1990s saw a revival of local winemaking,’ explains Katunar. On Krk, this centres around the town of Vrbnik, on the northern side of the island, almost directly across from the historical city of Krk.

Infrastructure and organisation around viticulture and wine have also driven quality and recognition. In 2025, the Kvarner Wineries Association entries at DWWA received 12 medals.

Meanwhile, as tourists seek to escape the busier beaches of Dalmatia, Kvarner is becoming a region that is gaining major attention.

The seafood and accommodation in towns like Opatija, combined with great dining, including the Michelin-starred Nebo in the regional capital of Rijeka, have given Kvarner a reputation as a world-class destination.

Kvarner was designated by the International Institute for Gastronomy, Culture, Art, and Tourism as the ‘European Region of Gastronomy’ for 2026.

With a rising tide lifting all the region’s boats, the main focus has been on the natural pairing between local seafood and Kvarner’s most popular wine made from the white grape Žlahtina.

Ivica Dobrinčić and family, of the Šipun winery. Credit: Vedran Gašparović

Kvarner’s indigenous ‘queen’

Croatia is a land of indigenous varieties, boasting a reputed 130, one of the highest in Europe. In Kvarner, however, one reigns supreme.

‘Of the 37 indigenous varieties in Kvarner, we like to call Žlahtina the regional “queen” as it accounts for almost 90% of the wine produced here,’ says Żarko Stilin.

‘There are more than 40 labels produced from Žlahtina – from pet nat and frizzante sparkling wines to traditional method sparkling wines,’ he adds.

‘You can find fresher styles of Žlahtina, those fermented in barrel, as well as orange wines and the regional wine Prošek, traditionally produced from dried berries.’

The variety sets up well to create wines of complexity and nuance, perfect for the intricate flavours of the local seafood.

In terms of red wine, Sansigot, an ancient indigenous variety that was originally found on the island of Susak. No one is bottling a wine from Sansigot that’s grown there anymore, though it can be found on Krk.

Sadly, while Žlahtina accounts for approximately 95% of local plantings, Sansigot is nearing extinction; however, Krk winegrowers, particularly Ivica Dobrinčić of Sípun, are committed to its preservation.

‘Kvarner as a whole is witnessing a winemaking renaissance,’ says Egle Katunar. ‘There are now more wineries, better quality and creativity from a new generation of producers. Globally, wine enthusiasts, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are exploring lesser-known regions, indigenous varieties, and natural wines. These are all areas where Kvarner has its strengths.’

Kvarner wines to try:

Related articles

• Croatian winemakers celebrate record-breaking performance at the Decanter World Wine Awards
• Dalmatia Rising: A wine renaissance on the Croatian coast
• The Dalmatian Islands for wine lovers

Lenka Sedlackova MW, Ana Jackson MW and Terry Kandylis tasted 59 wines, with 2 Highly recommended and 21 Recommended

Aegean island whites: Panel tasting scores

59 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 2

Highly recommended 21

Recommended 35

Commended 1

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release still whites, dry and sweet, made using indigenous varieties only, from any island within the Aegean sea

Scroll down to see the top-scoring wines from the Aegean island whites panel tasting

History meets modernity

The Aegean islands, between the Greek mainland and Turkey to the east, are a historical treasure trove of ancient and rare grape varieties, some of which were referenced as far back as Minoan (Dafni) and Homeric (Limnio) times.

This exceptional tasting showcased the remarkable diversity and high quality of many of these indigenous grapes.

The overall quality was high: something I find with Greek whites in general.

Importantly, winemakers are now embracing the distinct characteristics of these Greek native varieties.

Where oak and other winemaking techniques once overshadowed the grapes’ identities, a more restrained, hands-off approach is now emerging.

Characterful rather than technical styles were the clear winners of this tasting.

As Ana Jackson MW remarked: ‘Lesser-known Greek grape varieties really shone. These wines showed real character and also lower alcohols, which is very much on trend.’

The flagship grape still reigns?

Unsurprisingly, entries were dominated by Assyrtiko, Greece’s most renowned grape. It is widely planted and expresses itself in many styles.

Even so, Santorini continues to set the standard for Assyrtiko, producing benchmark examples – even in difficult vintages.

As Terry Kandylis observed: ‘The past few vintages in Santorini were very challenging, and this was reflected in the wines. I liked the fact that the highest-scoring wine is an Assyrtiko blend.

‘In my opinion, the other grapes help tame Assyrtiko’s intense character and make the wine more approachable.’

The tasting also emphasised that Vidiano from Crete firmly deserves its place among Greece’s most exciting – and versatile – white grapes.

Our second-highest scoring wine was an acacia-aged Vidiano, notable for its purity, aromatic finesse and balance.

Aegean island whites are certainly worth seeking out. Their combination of intriguing flavour profiles, saline acidity and moderate alcohol content offers an appealing and modern interpretation of these ancient grape varieties.

What to eat with Aegean island whites, by Fiona Beckett

We tend to think mainly of France in terms of terroir-based food and wine pairings, but Greek wines are just as well suited to the country’s foods.

Dry white wines dominate on the islands and go brilliantly with their simple seafood-and vegetable-based cooking.

The best known example is Assyrtiko, which, when young, sharp and saline, is perfectly suited to raw or grilled seafood such as calamari, but when serious and weighty – as it often is on Santorini – is an ideal foil for lobster or whole, wood-roasted fish.

Greek whites such as Assyrtiko and Crete’s Vidiano also work well with Greek meze (the small sharing plates that kick off a meal), but then they would also work with Mexican food such as fish tacos and guacamole, or with garlicky prawns.

Vidiano is also great with spanakopita and other dishes based on horta (the Greek word for greens).

You can also drink more serious, structured island whites with lamb (just think how it’s often seasoned with lemon in Greece), especially if cooked over coals, which makes them a great choice.

See all notes and scores from our Aegean island whites panel tasting

Aegean island whites panel tasting results:

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Lenka Sedlackova MW is head of brand management at Bancroft Wines. She has a particular passion for Greek wines, is a DWWA Senior Judge and is on the judging panel for the Great Greek Wines project

Ana Jackson MW is head of wine business development for Amathus Drinks and was formerly head buyer at Oddbins for more than 12 years. She is keen to promote less-familiar wine categories and has been a DWWA judge since 2011

Terry Kandylis is group head sommelier at Noble Rot in London, and the DWWA Regional Chair for Greece, Cyprus & Malta. In 2015, he earned the title of Best Sommelier in Greece, then won Moët UK Sommelier of the Year in 2016

Related articles

• Greece’s wine renaissance: Styles to know and the top wines to try
• The Greek grape varieties you should be drinking
• Catalonian whites: Panel tasting results

On the picturesque Istrian coast, Vinistra hosted an unforgettable evening to showcase Croatian success at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Set against the backdrop of the exclusive Kempinski Hotel Adriatic beach in Savudrija, the Decanter 2025 Winners Showcase by Vinistra brought together nearly 200 guests from across the wine world, including DWWA judges, producers, media and industry professionals, for a unique walk-around tasting of Croatia’s top DWWA medal winners.

Croatia had a strong year at the 2025 competition, claiming 386 medals, including one prestigious Platinum, 28 Gold and a strong showing of Silver and Bronze medals.

Istrian producers, in particular, were standout performers, with Malvasia leading the charge. Five Malvasias were awarded Gold medals, while Benvenuti’s San Salvatore 2021 – a luscious dessert wine from 100% Muscat – earned the only Platinum, further cementing Istria’s growing reputation as one of Europe’s rising wine stars.

The Gold and Platinum medal-winning wines from Croatia available to taste at the Vinistra DWWA Winners Showcase were:

• Benvenuti, San Salvatore Muškat, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal, Croatia, 2021 (Platinum, 97 points)
• Fakin, La Prima Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2023 (Gold, 96 points)
• Kozlovic, Santa Lucia Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2018 (Gold, 96 points)
• Bruno Ferenac, Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2023 (Gold, 95 points)
• Hvar Hills Winery, Merlot, Srednja i Južna Dalmacija, Coastal 2022 (Gold, 95 points)
• Hvar Hills Winery, Syrah, Srednja i Južna Dalmacija, Coastal 2022 (Gold, 95 points)
• Vina Bernobić, Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (Value Gold, 95 points)
• Vina Frankovic, Korona Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2019 (Gold, 95 points)

During the event, winning producers were invited on stage to receive their DWWA certificates from DWWA Co-Chair Beth Willard and Dr Caroline Gilby MW, Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe and Croatia & Slovenia, who personally congratulated each of them.

Willard noted how Croatia has become an extremely important wine country and how the quality of wines keeps improving year on year. Gilby, a longtime advocate for the region, emphasised the strong sense of place and authenticity that Croatian wines now consistently deliver.

The showcase also attended other DWWA judges including Zsuzsa Toronyi and Senior Judge Igor Luković.

The event offered wine lovers the chance to discover DWWA medal-winning wines in a walk-around tasting, exploring the country’s potential for outstanding quality.

Other DWWA 2025 medal winners available to taste on the day:

Silver winners

• Rossi, Templara, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2023 (94 points)
• Deklić, Konstantin Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal, Croatia, 2022 (94 points)
• Andelo Brčić, Barrique Merlot, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2019 (93 points)
• Fakin, Amfora Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (93 points)
• Fakin, Monte Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2023 (93 points)
• Benvenuti, Livio Teran, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021 (92 points)
• Kutjevo, De Gotho Graševina , Slavonija, Continental 2021 (92 points)
• Agrolaguna, Festigia Syrah, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (91 points)
• Bora, Maraština, Sjeverna Dalmacija, Coastal 2024 (91 points)
• Bora, Pošip, Coastal 2024 (91 points)
• Cmrečnjak, CMR Traminac Crveni, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental, Croatia, 2022 (91 points)
• Festigia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (91 points)
• Fuhtar, Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (91 points)
• Kadum Vina, Selection Malvazija , Hrvatska Istra, Coastal, Croatia, 2022 (91 points)
• Kutjevo, Graševina, Slavonija, Continental 2024 (91 points)
• Medea, Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (91 points)
• Opg Bertoša Robi, Berba Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (91 points)
• Vina Laguna, Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (91 points)
• Bernobić, Teran, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (90 points)
• Cattunar, 4 Terre Black Soil Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021 (90 points)
• Cattunar, 4 Terre Black Soil Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (90 points)
• Fakin, Teran, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (90 points)
• Kadum Vina, Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal, Croatia, 2024 (90 points)
• Kadum, Amphora Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal, Croatia, 2022 (90 points)
• Kozlović, Selekcija Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (90 points)
• Kutjevo, De Gotho Pinot Crni, Slavonija, Continental 2021 (90 points)
• Kutjevo, Graševina, Slavonija, Continental 2024 (90 points)
• Medea Vinarija, Montiron, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2023 (90 points)
• Munđarov Breg, Sauvignon Blanc, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental, Croatia, 2023 (90 points)
• Opg Bertoša Robi, Berba Teran, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021 (90 points)
• Poletti, Cabernet Sauvignon, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2018 (90 points)
• Rossi, Monte D’oro Riserva, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021 (90 points)
• Zigante Vero, Malvazijia Verõ, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2020 (90 points)

Bronze winners

• Deklić, Teran, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (89 points)
• Frankovic, Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (89 points)
• Kadum Vina, Cuvée Dark, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (89 points)
• Kutjevo, Vinkomir Graševina, Slavonija, Continental 2023 (89 points)
• šTampar, Pušipel Classic, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2024 (89 points)
• Valenta, Sauvignon Blanc, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (89 points)
• Andelo Brčić, Grand Cru Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2020 (88 points)
• Dobra Berba, Moe, Plešivica, Continental 2022 (88 points)
• Matošević, Alba Riserva Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (88 points)
• Matošević, Riserva Alba Robinia Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021 (88 points)
• šTampar, Pinot Sivi, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2023 (88 points)
• šTampar, Muškat žUti, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2024 (88 points)
• Vinogradarstvo I Vinarstvo Stanko Kovač, Pušipel Classic, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2024 (88 points)
• Zigante Vero, Teran , Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021 (88 points)
• Cmrečnjak, Classic Pušipel, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2024 (87 points)
• Damjanić, Clémente Blanc, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (87 points)
• Dobra Berba, Crn Jak Zweigelt-Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon, Plešivica, Continental 2022 (87 points)
• Kadum, Amphora Refošk, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (87 points)
• Kostanjevec, Graševina, Prigorje – Bilogora, Continental, Croatia, 2024 (87 points)
• Kostanjevec, Muškat žuti, Prigorje – Bilogora, Continental, Croatia, 2024 (87 points)
• Kostanjevec, Sauvignon Blanc, Prigorje – Bilogora, Continental, Croatia, 2024 (87 points)
• Kutjevo, Maximo Oro Graševina-Chardonnay, Slavonija, Continental 2022 (87 points)
• Pervino, Bračalet, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2023 (87 points)
• Pervino, Teraneo, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2022 (87 points)
• Poletti, Chardonnay, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (87 points)
• Stanko Kovač, Sauvignon, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2024 (87 points)
• Vina Vuković, Pušipel , Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2024 (87 points)
• Vina Vuković, Rajnski Rizling, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2024 (87 points)
• Zigante Vero, Malvazijia Istarska , Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (87 points)
• Cmrečnjak, Pušipel Mađerka, Zagorje – Međimurje, Continental 2023 (86 points)
• Damjanić, Clemente, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2020 (86 points)
• Damjanić, Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (86 points)
• Fakin, Malvazija Istarska, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024 (86 points)
• Valenta, Terre Di Paradiso, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2021 (86 points)

Search all DWWA award-winning wines 

Related articles

• Wines born of fire: DWWA 2025 winning volcanic whites
• Value Golds: DWWA’s Top 30 Golds under £15
• Istrian Authenticity: 15 Malvazija and Teran wines to try

‘We face three challenges,’ said Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, the email’s author, when I caught up with him and fellow grower Stellios Boutaris in early 2025, shortly before the February earthquakes that added to Santorini’s simmering stresses. Yiannis co-owns the 13ha Gaia winery, while Stellios’ Ktima Kir-Yianni has recently become the owner of the 40ha Domaine Sigalas winery, as well as partnering with Paris Sigalas for his new Santorini venture Oeno P. ‘Lack of rain, manpower and tourism.’

Together they make a cocktail toxic enough to call into question a future for one of the world’s most distinctive terroir wines. ‘The trend lines,’ said Yiannis, ‘show that there will be no more grapes by 2041. We’ll try to make sure that won’t happen, but in 20 years we may only have one third of the vineyard left.’

The island’s 1,000ha typically produce around 2,200 tonnes of grapes, but last year (in Stellios’ words) ‘everything went wrong – winter and spring were very warm, we had April hail, we had really bad winds, we had two big heatwaves’. After 2023’s meagre 1,100 tonnes, 2024 brought the islands’ growers just 750 tonnes. ‘To split among 18 wineries,’ Yiannis points out. Prices for grapes and wine have soared and customers are starting to baulk. ‘Even the Japanese,’ says Stellios. ‘They don’t bargain and always politely say yes. Until they politely say no.’

‘Young guys,’ Yiannis points out, ‘don’t want to work under the sun in the dirt any more,’ even those who own scraps of vineyard. Gaia and Sigalas bring workers from the mainland, house them expensively and know that they will leave again after a few years. Young Santorini owners, meanwhile, don’t want to sell their inherited, unworked vineyards… unless it’s expensively, for tourist development.

Ah yes: tourism. Some 3.4 million people are said to have visited Santorini in 2023, packing the tiny island. My only stay was back in June 2007, yet even then the tiny streets were so crowded that a brisk walk wasn’t possible. The hotel I stayed in had been commandeered by a Chinese bride and groom who had flown in specially from Beijing – just to take some dramatic wedding photos. ‘All the minibuses on the island make a snake 17km long,’ says Yiannis, ‘yet our longest road is only 25km.’ The richest tourists pay €500 for a three-minute helicopter hop from the airport to their hotels to avoid the 90-minute road crawl.

Santorini’s mayor is a wine producer: Nikos Zorzos of the pioneering Venetsanos. ‘I know the place where I was born,’ he said in an extempore speech to a tourism conference on the island of Paros in April 2024, ‘and I have difficulty in recognising it today. The identity of a place is also its distinctiveness,’ he continued, and Santorini’s ‘reckless and irrational rate of development’ has ‘already led to significant problems, and it will lead to even greater problems. What is the point at which we pass from development to destruction?’ Indeed. Yet Zorzos is now into his third term (he first became mayor in 2010) and development continues. Is this battle even winnable? A plan to seek UNESCO World Heritage status was argued down by islanders themselves.

Perhaps only Santorini’s wines can make the island’s agricultural case. I tasted three of the 2024s (Gaia’s Thalassitis and Wild Ferment, and the Sigalas Assyrtiko) shortly after my conversation with Yiannis and Stellios. Despite the minuscule crop, they were superb: fresh yet rich. Lemon, sun-warmed stone, sea spray, wrapped up in lithe, energetic and textured wines that convey place more effortlessly and memorably than many white Burgundies at twice the price. If you love them, support them.

In my glass this month

Another sign of the quality potential of Santorini Assyrtiko lies in its single-vineyard cuvées. The Sigalas, Kavalieros 2022 (£59.99 Hedley Wright) is pungent and masterful; while Gaia’s Ammonite 2022 (from Elias Zorzos’ Thalassina [‘things of the sea’] vineyard; £82-£85 Epinoia, Strictly Wine) is more purely fruity, packed with bitter grapefruit and lemon, though with plenty of sea tang, too. They constitute benchmarks for terroir expression – while also sitting on the Red List of endangered wine species.

Related articles

• Andrew Jefford: ‘Fine wines, like humans, seem to be moving into the semaglutide era, too’
• Andrew Jefford: ‘Listen to the best teacher in the world: Nature’
• Andrew Jefford: ‘The progress Georgia has made in the last decade is astonishing’

Deep Purple said, ‘April is a cruel time’ in the bizarre 12-minute song, April, the last track on their third album, brilliantly titled Deep Purple III.

Respectfully, I disagree. April can be a great time, as spring brings slumbering greenery to life, and opportunities to visit wine regions, near, like the Dundee Hills and far, like Croatia’s Kvarner region, came my way, I embraced April, despite Deep Purple’s jaded take on the month.

Oh, and New York City was in there too, how can I forget? I was there to promote our New York Fine Wine Encounter, on 7 June. Less than a month away!

Scroll down for scores and reviews of Clive’s selection of wines from his April tastings

Come out to the coast, we’ll have a few laughs

I had got word through the grapevine that the Croatian national government wanted to honour the scribblings of yours truly, so who was I to say no?

All kidding aside, the Croatian tourism board gave me the Gold Pen Award for my coverage of the country’s wines in 2024, so off to Istria I went.

A side journey to the region of Kvarner opened up yet another gem in that country’s fascinating array of growing regions, principally centered around the island of Krk.

I was able to taste and dine with a few of Kvarner’s producers and visit the region’s largest vineyard, planted to Zlahtina. A white indigenous variety. Croatia has over 100 such wine varieties originating in this diverse growing region.

This is a country I’ve been visiting for almost a decade, and I continue to be impressed with the direction the wines are taking. If you’ve never been to Croatia, its food, wine and immense natural beauty are a great reason to visit.

I did a little truffle hunting and sightseeing in a storybook town called Grožjnan, a charming village high in the Istrian hills. Our awards ceremony was held at the Kozlović winery, who make some of the country’s best white wines. It was a whirlwind, but the kind you enjoy.

The Dundee Hills turns 20

The Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association invited me to help them celebrate their 20th birthday. They can legally start drinking their own product next year.

We hosted a panel for consumers and industry members alike to look back at where Oregon Pinot Noir got its start, and forward to the undeniably bright future.

I was joined on the panel by pioneering winegrowing Allen Holstein, second-generation Dundee Hills growers Jesse Lange and Paul Durant and one of the region’s rising stars, winemaker Kate Payne Brown.

Anytime I’m down in the Willamette, I try to schedule a few tastings. For my quick one-day visit, I shoehorned in two exciting stops. First up was Abbott Claim, where the very talented Alban Debeaulieu is making the wines, including my top wine of last year’s Decanter Top 50 US Wines.

I find his 2022 vintage wines, particularly a couple of his Chardonnays, to be exhilarating, as you’ll see below, the Temperance Hill bottling really captivated me.

He also told me about a special project the folks at Abbott Claim are working on. From there, I checked in with Craig Williams of X Novo, the longtime brains behind Joseph Phelps.

He left California behind for the wilds of Oregon. Williams has planted a couple of vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills from which winemakers are clamouring to source fruit.

The X Omni site, in particular, makes electrifying Chardonnay.

The Big Apple

The last trip of my whirlwind April was New York City for a little event promotion. As the only full-time Decanter person in the country, someone’s gotta do it, and well, that someone is me.

After sharing a natural wine at Frenchette with our columnist Eliza Dumais, I hosted a couple of cool Decanter events. One was a dinner at the famed Carlyle hotel, just across from Central Park, where I highlighted the American wines that were among the top in the 2024 DWWA judging.

They included an array of Chardonnays and a top-rated Pinot Noir, a Best in Show wine from Oregon’s Audeant.

My trip was rounded out by a fantastic tasting at Millesima, where we previewed our Fine Wine Encounter masterclasses from Veuve Cliquot, Biondi Santi and the Rioja DOCa.

I also hit up a few pizza places, including my favourite, Scarr’s. Let’s grab a slice together if you’re coming to our Fine Wine Encounter.

Further highlights

This month, my wine highlights included several bottles from the Willamette Valley. In addition to the Abbott Claim, the 00Wines, X Novo, and Granville bottles were serious standouts.

I was really taken by the Love & Squalor Temperance Hill Pinot Noir. With a little age on it, it’s loaded with elegance.

The 2022 vintage from Reynvaan Family Vineyards, largely in The Rocks District, shows tremendous balance with that regional depth. There were a couple of California wines from Ridge Vineyards and Tablas Creek also got my attention.

You can see all the wines we taste in our Decanter database.

If you don’t subscribe to our weekly US newsletter, you can do so here.

Clive’s selection of 10 top wines from April

Related articles

Pursehouse: ‘I reviewed over 150 wines in March, here are 10 standouts’

Oregon vintage report: Tricky Willamette Valley 2022 sticks the landing

Pursehouse – ‘I tasted 250 wines in February, here are 10 I loved’

Buy tickets to Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York

Researchers said they have found the first chemical evidence of wine being drunk in ancient Troy, backing up long-held speculation.

Yet findings also suggested wine was enjoyed by ‘common people’ alongside the legendary ancient city’s elites in the early Bronze Age period, said the researchers, from the Universities of Tübingen, Bonn and Jena.

That casts doubt on theories that wine was only drunk by the upper classes at this time, they said, publishing findings in the American Journal of Archaeology.

UNESCO has enshrined the archaeological site of Troy on its world heritage list, describing its location as on the mound of Hisarlık in modern-day Turkey, overlooking the Aegean coast.

The city features in early literary works, notably Homer’s The Iliad, and is thought to have been an important meeting point of different cultures.

Researchers analysed organic residues on fragments of ceramic drinking vessels known as depas goblets.

These thin, two-handled vessels were known to have been popular in several regions and more than 100 have been found in the Troy area dating to around 2500 – 2000 BCE, according to the University of Tübingen. 

Researchers examined samples of two fragments held at the University of Tübingen.

‘The evidence of succinic and pyruvic acids was conclusive: they only occur when grape juice ferments,’ said Dr Maxime Rageot, professor of bimolecular archaeology at the University of Bonn. 

‘So now we can state with confidence that wine was actually drunk from the depas goblets and not just grape juice.’

Wine is thought to have been a relatively expensive drink in the Bronze Age, but the researchers found evidence that some form of wine was consumed more widely than assumed.

‘We’ve also [chemically] studied ordinary cups that were found in the outer settlement of Troy and therefore outside the citadel,’ said Dr Stephan Blum, from the Institute of Prehistory, Early History and Medieval Archaeology at the University of Tübingen. 

‘These vessels also contained wine. So it is clear that wine was an everyday drink for the common people, too.’

More research could focus on whether this was the case in other places, said the study’s authors.

‘Further examinations at other sites could reveal whether a wider range of vessels were utilised for wine elsewhere, potentially challenging current assumptions about the distribution and consumption of wine during the third millennium BCE,’ they wrote.  

Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated the site of this legendary city in the 19th century. Further work was headed by the University of Tübingen from 1987 to 2012, with the findings currently being analysed.

Related articles

• Pompeii wine production rises from the ashes
• Frescoes depicting worship of the wine god uncovered at Pompeii
• Ancient elites drank wine infused with vanilla, says study

The large-scale frieze covers three walls of an elaborate banquet hall, presenting lively images of female followers paying homage to the wine god.

Archaeologists said the artwork offers fresh insight into the ancient city’s religious practices before it was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius erupting in AD 79.

Initiates had to take part in secret rituals to join the cult of Dionysus, the god of winemaking, fruit, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy and theatre. That’s quite the cocktail.

The Romans referred to Dionysus as Bacchus. The frescoes depict a procession of bacchantes, the female followers of the wine god, as they march with a slaughtered goat.

Satyrs play flutes and drink wine in the background, while Dionysus’s mentor Silenus also makes an appearance.

The frieze draws inspiration from The Bacchae, an Ancient Greek play written by Euripides, produced posthumously around 405 BC. Dionysus descends on Thebes seeking retribution for slander, and the city’s women are eventually driven to madness. Researchers say the frescoes were painted at some point between 40 BC and 30 BC.

It is not the first large-scale frieze to depict a Dionysian ritual. In 1909, archaeologists uncovered the Villa of the Mysteries, which shows Dionysus and his bride, Ariadne, flanked by bacchantes, fauns and winged figures.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, who attended the unveiling, said: ‘In 100 years’ time, today will be remembered as historic.

‘Alongside the Villa of the Mysteries, this fresco forms an unparalleled testament to the lesser-known aspects of ancient Mediterranean life.’

Dionysus is said to induce a frenzy in his followers, as his wine, music and ecstatic dance free them from self-conscious fear. The resulting debauchery is known as a baccheia or a bacchanal.

Viticulturalist Peter Morio adopted the name Bacchus when he crossed Müller-Thurgau and a Sylvaner-Riesling cross in 1933. According to 2023 data from the Food Standards Agency Wine Team, Bacchus is the fourth-most widely planted grape in the UK, after Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

The fresco discovered in Pompeii depicts the bacchantes as both dancers and hunters. Another elegantly dressed woman is waiting to be initiated into the Dionysian ritual, while the upper frieze depicts another slaughter.

Researchers believe this juxtaposition highlights the duality of Dionysian worship, which combines wild revelry with primal sacrifice.

Archaeologists began the latest dig into the ancient city of Pompeii in early 2023. They have uncovered more than 50 rooms, which depict life in the city before Vesuvius exploded, killing thousands of Romans. Additional discoveries include an extensive bath complex, a banquet hall and a laundry shop featuring a dry cleaner.

Related articles

• Glitzy ancient winery hosted ‘spectacles’ for Roman imperial elite
• Ancient elites drank wine infused with vanilla, says study
• Negev desert study may have earliest evidence of white grapes

Dalmatia is a modern-day paradise, perched along Croatian’s Adriatic coast. Tourists the world over flock to its crystal blue waters and enchanting ancient towns from Dubrovnik to Split and Zadar on the region’s northern limit, their red roofs basking in the sun.

Dalmatia’s coast and plentiful islands have long harboured a wine culture built on indigenous grape varieties that are tough to say and spell owing to their Slavic roots and abundant consonants.

The flagship wine for Dalmatia has long been Plavac Mali, a hearty red variety known for its higher alcohols and ample tannins. But as the region becomes a summertime playground for tourists and serious wine drinkers beginning to explore Dalmatia’s myriad varieties, a lighter, fresher style is being sought in red and white wines.

I recently visited the region twice after a 10-year hiatus and was taken by the wines being produced today and the fresh, youthful energy driving a wine renaissance.

Scroll down for the tasting notes and scores from some of Dalmatia’s rising stars

The California connection

While the younger US wine industry is more established than Croatia’s, the coastal region of Dalmatia has been intimately linked to California. Zinfandel, the variety which launched California’s fine wine boom in the late 19th century, is genetically identical to the indigenous grape from Dalmatia.

Known locally by two names, Crljenak Kaštelanski and Tribidrag. The Dalmatian region of Kaštela and its rocky soils were confirmed as the original home of Zinfandel in a genetic analysis by UC Davis scientist Carole Meredith conducted in the 1990s.

The finding has reinvigorated local interest in the variety that had long given ground to the more regionally popular and easier to cultivate, Plavac Mali. Varietal Tribidrag and Crljenak have seen plantings increase in the last 10 years.

In addition to California’s fine wine origins having deep Dalmatian roots, one of the most historically significant American winemakers also comes from the Dalmatian coast.

Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich was born in the hillside village of Desne, above the Neretva River, in April 1923. He would flee (what was then) Yugoslavia via Germany and Canada before making his way to the Napa Valley in 1958.

There, he would craft perhaps the most important wine in American history. At Chateau Montelena, in 1973, Grgich made the white wine that won the 1976 Judgement of Paris, besting the best white Burgundies in the competition and shaking the world of wine to its core.

His Chardonnay showed that America could produce wine as well as anywhere in the world.

A stylistic shift

The variety most associated with Dalmatia is the big, boisterous red wine from the long-heralded Plavac Mali. Hearty and a tad rustic, Plavac Mali is high in alcohol and tannin.

It has long been the primary driver for the region’s fine wine industry and is responsible for the fine wine world paying attention to Dalmatia.

The region’s signature wine, it can certainly develop elegance with age but remains a robust wine that stylistically is a bit of a throwback to the days of high scores correlating to big fruit and opulence with very low acidity, making balance a challenge.

The best examples show refinement and ageability, making a case for Plavac Mali made in a more elegant, classic style.

And as Dalmatia’s winemakers evolve their approach, they’re embracing white and red wines that are lighter, fresher, and more in vogue.

Leaning into the historic indigenous grapes and exploring international varieties, a select group of Dalmatian producers are raising the bar in Dalmatia, making fresh, captivating wines.

Dalmatian producers on the rise:

Ante Sladić

In the tiny village of Plastovo, some of the most exciting wines in Croatia are being made. Just around the corner from the renowned natural wine producer Bibich sits Ante Sladić, an exciting Dalmatian winery that leans on generations of wine growing and winemaking tradition.

Winemaker Ante Sladič embraces fresher takes on indigenous grapes like Maraština, Debit, Plavina and a glorious variety that only grows in the hills outside of Skradin near the Krka River, Lasina.

As red wines in Dalmatia go, Lasina is an outlier. Its vibrant acidity and savoury, red-fruited character make it a standout, evocative of Pinot Noir or perhaps Gamay. The cool evenings of the area surrounding the Krka River preserve Lasina’s brightness.

It’s a difficult grape to farm and to make wine from, owing to its vigorous canopies, uniquely high acidity and lower levels of sugar accumulation. Well worth the effort, it’s a wine of purity and precision, at once delicate and vibrant.

Lasina is a rare variety that only grows in a 50-kilometre radius around the hills of Skradin; however, it may point towards the future of Dalmatian wines in terms of style, light-bodied and lower in alcohol, a definite chillable red for those hot Dalmatian summer days.

Degarra

The Degarra winery, a translation of vin de garage, is in Zadar County, the far northern coast of Dalmatia. It is a partnership between Mate Pestić and Dane Šulentić, along with Dane’s wife Dragana, the winemaker.

The partnership came together as Mate Pestić inherited a family vineyard from his grandfather, and serendipity brought Dane and Dragana Šulentić into his orbit. They make wine in an old Yugoslavian military depot, which apparently formerly stored everything from landmines to trombones.

Degarra produces wines from local varieties as well as international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. While these wines are wildly popular locally, their treatment of the indigenous variety Maraština is a standout from all the Dalmatian wines I’ve tasted.

They are serious about ageability, which may be the key to unlocking the great potential of Dalmatian wine.

Prović

South towards the Pelješac Peninsula, the Neretva River flows from its headwaters in the Dinaric Alps through Bosnia and Herzegovina before passing through Croatia to the Adriatic Sea.

In the lower Neretva delta, the estate vines of the Prović winery are cultivated near the town of Opuzen. Here, the vines are planted in soils reclaimed from the river delta, sea shells embedded in the fertile soils.

Now in its second generation, young winemaker Vjeko and his sister Monika Prović lead the family business.

Looking down on Opuzen from the foothills of the Dinaric Alps sits the small village of Desne. The birthplace of Mike Grgich, one of the most critical figures in Croatian and American wine.

Grigch opened his Croatian winery in 1996, Grgić Vina, inspiring a revolution in fine wine here. Spurred on by Mike’s landmark American wine from Chateau Montelena, they’ve planted Chardonnay, the first in the southern reaches of Dalmatia, amidst more than 100 indigenous varieties.

A saline minerality and sterling acidity mark their outstanding white wines. It’s a throughline across the range from the indigenous Zlatarica to the celebratory Chardonnay, which shines alongside the rich river gastronomy of frog and eel, unique to the region.

Rizman

Rizman has a long history in Dalmatian wine. The current winemaker and owner, Damir Štimac, can trace his family’s roots in wine to the early 20th century; his great-grandfather, Mihovil Mijo Popich, made wine in the town of Opuzen and was known by the nickname Rizman.

Today, the winery and tasting room sits atop the hill in Komarna, a region they founded. Looking out at the bridge to the Pelješac Peninsula, the views are breathtaking. They began planting 22 hectares of vineyard in 2008, along with over 1,700 olive trees.

The region is entirely organic, and the Štimac family is committed to indigenous varieties. Plavac Mali and Pošip comprise 90% of their plantings, with Tribidrag (Zinfandel) making up the remainder.

While it’s a hot region, the wines retain great tension and acidity; Damir credits the wind and cold nights high on the exposed slopes above the Adriatic Sea.

The Plavac Mali bottlings from Rizman, particularly their Primus, show a refined and classic character to the variety that is few and far between.

Korta Katarina

Staring out at the Adriatic, Korta Katarina sits on the Pelješac Peninsula. Perched along the road, just before the town of Orebić, where one takes the ferry to the island of Korčula. Korta Katarina was founded by an American couple, Lee and Penny Anderson, who purchased the property after helping rebuild Croatia after the war.

In addition to a vineyard planted completely to Plavac Mali and their winery, Korta Katarina operates a luxury villa on the property.

Often, when wines are attached to a larger resort property, they are seen as an accessory; at Korta Katarina, they are the focus. Over the years, they have developed a reputation for crafting some of the finest Plavac Mali in all of Dalmatia.

They source fruit for their top wines from both Postup, where the estate vineyards sit, and nearby Dingač, both on the Pelješac peninsula. These two regions are considered Dalmatia’s top appellations with protected designations that date to the 1960s and Yugoslavia, planted exclusively to Plavac Mali.

Winemaker Ante Cibilić is one of the young names raising the profile and modernising the styles of Dalmatia’s indigenous wines. Crafting age worthy wines that show nuance and a sense of place.

Dalmatia rising: 15 wines from the region’s top producers

Related articles

• Croatian winemakers celebrate record-breaking performance at the Decanter World Wine Awards
• Wines of the Balkans – five things to know
• The Dalmatian Islands for wine lovers

Zvonko Herceg is a judge at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Zvonko Herceg

Zvonko is a wine critic, educator, certified sommelier, wine consultant. He has over 25 years of experience in managing a company for wholesale wine and spirits on-premises.

He is also a WSET educator and manager of the WSET wine school Wine Educator. As well, Zvonko is an associate for wine education and marketing at Tikves Chateaux & Domaines since 2019.

Zvonko is also the President of the Macedonian Association of Sommeliers – MASOM since 2018 and one of the founders of the Balkan Wines Association. He is not only the organizer of several major wine events, but also an active participant in many projects aimed at promoting Macedonian wines, regions and wine tourism.

Zvonko has been a judge for wines and spirits at several international wine competitions, and the chief editor of the wine portal Terroir.mk and correspondent for several wine media.

See Zvonko’s website here.

See more judges for the 2025 DWWA.

Robert Gorjak is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Robert Gorjak

Robert Gorjak lives near Ljubljana, Slovenia, and has written about wine since 1994. Author of the book Slovenia – a winemaking Country and the first Slovenian to hold a WSET Diploma. Beside regular contributions to Slovenian periodicals, he is a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Wine and The World Atlas of Wine, and is the author of Wine Guides Slovenia 2008-2012.

A former Regional Chair for the DWWA, Gorjak founded Slovenia’s first wine school, Belvin, in 2002.

Robert Gorjak was first a judge at the DWWA in 2005.

Follow Robert on Instagram.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA. 

Dilyan Kolev is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Dilyan Kolev

Dilyan Kolev is a hospitality and wine industry professional with expertise on the development, trends, issues and ambitions of the producers and wines from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Born in Ruse, the biggest Bulgarian city on the river Danube, he was raised with the culture of assisting in his small family vineyard, overlooking the river. From a young age he helped with the grape picking, winemaking and rakia distilling every autumn.

After graduating with his Bachelor Degree in International Tourism and Masters in International Relations, he moved to the UK in 2005 and built a career in hospitality, reaching the level of Michelin star restaurant manager. He also undertook the WSET Advanced qualification and various wine and spirits trainings before switching to the wine trade for good 12 years ago.

Dilyan is currently the director of The Jolly Merchants, a specialist import and distribution company in the UK of wines, spirits, craft beers and deli products from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. You will find him working with various producers to discover interesting new products to introduce to the UK market, organising and promoting wine and food fairs, tasting events and dinners, and helping customers to build successful drinks and food menus.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA.

Christopher Martin MW is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Christopher Martin MW

Christopher Martin MW has recently become the director of education at the Wine Scholar Guild and was previously head of educator training at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). He has over 17 years of teaching experience and has taught wine and spirit WSET courses all over the world.

Chris achieved the MW qualification in February 2024 and is one of the first MWs of the 2024 vintage of Masters of Wine.

He judges at wine competitions in Korea, Japan and the UK. He joined the Decanter World Wine Awards as a judge for the first time in 2022.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA.

Serdar Balkaya is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Serdar Balkaya

Serdar Balkaya was the club head sommelier of Royal Automobile Club and Heston Blumenthal’s London restaurant Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental.

Prior to his role at the renowned restaurant, he worked as head sommelier for Hakkasan Group’s HKK, which he joined in 2004, and was also part of opening teams for the group’s restaurants both abroad and in the UK.

Balkaya studied tourism and hotel management in London, went on to pass the WSET exams and the Court of Master Sommeliers’ advanced course. He is currently studying for the Master Sommelier qualification.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA. 

Originally built as a luxury hotel in the 1940s, this stately villa overlooking the Adriatic Sea sits on the picturesque Dalmatian coast, just outside the town of Orebić, on the Pelješac peninsula. American philanthropists Lee and Penny Anderson purchased the property after helping to rebuild Croatia in the post-war period. The property is a Relais & Châteaux member.

The Andersons spent nearly a decade transforming this historic villa into a haven of luxury. Reopened in December 2018, it now offers eight exclusive suites, each a masterpiece of design by Marie Meko. These suites, with their own distinct character, offer breathtaking views of the Adriatic, blending the charm of antique furnishings with the convenience of modern technology.

For those seeking relaxation, an infinity pool and hot tub, perched on the rocky Adriatic shore offer a serene escape. Korta Katarina also provides a range of indulgent spa treatments. To complete the experience, each night of your stay includes a delectable meal with perfectly paired wines. Beyond the villa, Korta Katarina operates vineyards and a boutique winery, seamlessly blending luxury and nature.

A well-pointed fitness centre, hot tub, sauna and steam room are tucked into the villa’s ground floor to prioritise guests’ healthy routines.

In addition to the villa during the summer’s high season, you may inquire about booking the Katherine, a luxury motor yacht. Katharine is a 61.3m CRN classic traditional style yacht with a canoe stern and luxury amenities aplenty; this luxurious sea-faring accommodation can hold up to 12 guests in six staterooms.

Backed up to the villa’s property line is a working vineyard planted entirely to the indigenous variety Plavac Mali. Adjacent to the luxury villa is a working winery with a tasting room, production facilities, and a full barrel room.

The wines made at the Korta Katarina winery are no mere vanity project – it produces some of the best Plavac Mali (the principal red wine grape grown along the coast) in Dalmatia. Its Reuben’s Private Reserve is a wine with plenty of age; the current release, 2013, was awarded a Gold medal at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards. The house wines are exquisite, with Ante Cibilić, one of the top young winemakers in the region, in charge of production.

The villa staff will make personal reservations for interested guests with winemakers throughout the region. Just minutes down the road in Orebić, a ferry takes wine lovers to the island of Korčula, one of Dalmatia’s most important wine-growing focal points. Korčula is home to dozens of wineries and vineyards, many perched just above the sea. Two indigenous white grapes originated here and are perhaps the rarest in Dalmatia; Grk only grows on the east end of the island of Korčula, around the town of Lumbarda.

In the charming walled 13th-century town of Korčula, history abounds. Locals claim this was the birthplace of Marco Polo. Some of Croatia’s top restaurants, including the Michelin star LD restaurant, are tucked into the old and winding cobbled streets and the broad pedestrian boulevard that circles the city.

For more information and to book see the villa’s website.

Related articles

• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Hôtel Hermitage, Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: L’AND Vineyards, Portugal
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Villa La Massa, Tuscany, Italy

It seems that everywhere you turn in the wine world, you’ll find a grape called Malvasia – according to the ultimate scientific grapevine database VIVC.de, there are as many as 290 of them. And many are delicious, so are definitely worth exploring.

The name ‘Malvasia’ is widespread across the Mediterranean basin and into the Atlantic as far as Madeira and the Canary Islands, and it would be logical to assume there’s a family connection.

However, in these days of DNA analysis, there are no dark family secrets and scientists have worked out that most grapes going by the name Malvasia are unrelated to each other – and in many cases, the name has been attached to other grapes entirely. The mystery is why Malvasia became such a popular name and where it came from.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 12 outstanding Malvasia wines to seek out

Centuries of history

There are several colourful historical tales about Malvasia. In Richard III, first published in 1597, Shakespeare refers to the Duke of Clarence being drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine (the name for the sweetest Malvasia wine from Madeira).

In 1498, Leonardo da Vinci had a small vineyard of 16 rows of vines in Milan granted to him by Duke Ludovico Maria ‘Il Moro’ Sforza, as a reward for his works as he was completing The Last Supper. Genetic analysis of traces of vine roots suggests that the vines were Malvasia di Candia Aromatica – the vineyard has been replanted with Malvasia and makes wine again today.

But written history goes back much further, to 1214, when there is a reference to Malvasia wine being served ‘in abundance’ at a church delegation in Constantinople, so it was already likely to have been a prestigious wine by then.

At that time, it was closely connected to Monemvasia in Greece, a Byzantine fortress town built on a rock in the Laconia region of southeast Peloponnese. It was also the trading centre of the larger administrative area of Monemvasia. The Venetian rulers of the fortress of Monemvasia named it Malvasia and used the name for the wine that they exported.

It seems that only sweet wine from sundried grapes, or sometimes boiled must, was stable enough to be shipped long distances, and by the 14th century, records indicate that the wine from this region was called Malvasia in the markets of Venice; even wine shops were named Malvasie.

Originally this name referred to its origin – it was considered excellent, with a reputation so good that it became a luxury product under the name Malvasia-Monemvasia. As trade grew, the region couldn’t keep up with demand and traders started to ‘franchise’ the brand to places in Greece beyond Laconia (Paros and Crete).

At the peak of trade, the quantities required were so large that Muscats and other indigenous grape varieties were being used, and by the end of the 16th century, only a handful of pure Malvasias from the original grape were still being produced.

Gradually the name became a description of style rather than geographical origin – something that has happened numerous times elsewhere with names such as Champagne, Sherry, Port and Burgundy, before the EU became protective.

By 1540, the Monemvasia area came under Ottoman rule, which disrupted wine production here; however, due to steadily increasing demand, wines of similar style were produced even more widely around the Mediterranean and marketed as Malvasia.

Possibly Greek varieties had been introduced to establish vineyards, but over time, domestic varieties took over, probably better suited to local growing conditions. In time, if the wines were especially admired, the name Malvasia became linked to a designation of origin (eg, Malvasia Istriana or Malvasia Dubrovačka – see ‘Key Malvasia varieties to know’ box, below). And over time, wine styles shifted towards drier and more aromatic examples.

Modern manifestations

Many of the grapes called Malvasia are often hidden as part of blends or behind denomination names – just a few examples include Malvasia del Chianti as a permitted minor blending component in red Chianti DOCG, or Frascati, which must be 70% Malvasia di Candia and/or Malvasia di Lazio (known as Malvasia Puntinata locally).

The focus here will be on wines that feature Malvasia in their name.

One highlight has to be the revival, or as close as possible, of sweet PDO Monemvasia-Malvasia wine in its birthplace after a gap of five centuries. This was born from the dream of Yorgos and Elli Tsimbidi to recreate this ancient style, with the support of the late Dr Stavroula Kourakou Dragona, and the Universities of Athens and Thessaloniki.

The first release of this wine was the 2010 vintage, and the second was the 2012, bottled in 2016 after long ageing. It’s a Vin Liastos made from grapes sundried for at least two weeks on racks or on straw (an unusual hazard is wild boar, which have a taste for these sweet grapes).

It’s a blend of 60% of the Monemvasia-Malvasia grape variety with other local grapes that bring acidity to balance the natural luscious sweetness in this stunning piece of history in a glass.

Key Malvasia varieties to know

Malvasia Istriana

Main synonyms: Malvazija Istarska, Malvazija.

Main countries & area planted: Croatia 1,551ha, Slovenia 987ha.

Malvasia Dubrovačka

Main synonyms: Malvasia de Lipari, Malvasia de Sitges, Malvasia de la Palma, Malvasia di Bosa.

Main countries & area planted: Italy – Sicily 170ha & Sardinia 115ha, Spain – Catalonia 128ha & Canary/Balearic Islands 213ha, Croatia 32ha.

Malvasia Bianca Lunga

Main synonyms: Maraština, Malvasia del Chianti, Malvasia Toscana, Rukatac, Pavlos.

Main countries & area planted: Italy – Tuscany 1,247ha, Croatia 315ha, Greece [insufficient data].

Malvasia Bianca

Main synonyms: Malvasia di Rioja.

Main countries & area planted: Italy – Lazio 4,300ha.

Malvasia Bianca di Candida

Main synonyms: Malvasia Candia.

Main countries & area planted: Italy – Lazio 9,685ha, USA 486ha, Brazil 165ha.

Malvasia Volcanica

Main synonyms: Malvasia di Lanzarote.

Main countries & area planted: Spain – Canary Islands 786ha.

Malvasia del Lazio

Main synonyms: Malvasia Puntinata, Malvasia Gentile.

Main countries & area planted: Italy – Lazio 680ha.

Malvasia Riojana

Main synonyms: Alarije.

Main countries & area planted: Spain 4,905ha.

Malvasia Fina

Main synonyms: Boal, Malvasia Fina do Douro.

Main countries & area planted: Portugal 3,282ha.

Monemvasia-Malvasia

Main countries & area planted: Greece 81ha.

Malvasia Nera di Brindisi

Main synonyms: Malvasia Nera di Lecce, Malvasia Nera di Bari.

Main countries & area planted: Italy 1,264ha.

(Sources: Vinistra, Vivc.de, Slovenian official data, OIV; Quattrocalici. Compiled by Dr Kristijan Damijanic, October 2023. Based on data from 2020-2023).

Lost origins

No one quite knows when Malvasia switched to typically being dry wine – which is the main style today. There’s an intriguing story that features Malvasia Volcánica on the island of Lanzarote, where this is the predominant grape.

The El Grifo winery was founded in 1775 and is the oldest on the island, but it broke new ground recently with the first-ever winter-harvest wine in Europe made from Malvasia Volcánica, named Vendimia de Invierno.

Hard pruning after the harvest in September enabled a spring harvest in February 2023 from vines by the coast, where temperatures had already reached 25°C. The vine pest phylloxera isn’t present on this volcanic island and most vines are planted at 250m or more, benefiting from a distinct Atlantic influence.

The winter harvest wine (now all sold) was made by carbonic maceration of whole berries, but the producer also has classic wines: typically fresh, saline and vibrant, often with an aromatic orange blossom character.

The Istrian approach

Malvasia Istriana, or Malvazija Istarska as it’s more commonly known in Croatia and Slovenia, may be the most important Malvasia to take pride of place on wine labels.

Its origin remains a mystery due to a lack of close relatives in Croatia or abroad. Professor Ivan Pejić (University of Zagreb) explains: ‘Based on my previous research, the genotype of Malvasia Istriana is to some extent related to rare Croatian native varieties from Kvarner and the Dalmatian hinterland. However, up to now, we have not found any direct parent-offspring relationship and no links with Italy or Greece at all.’

The current best theory is that Istria is its homeland. And Malvasia Istriana has certainly made a home here as a superstar variety. In Croatia, it’s the second most important grape, despite only growing in Istria.

It only came to prominence between the world wars, when a meeting in 1931 identified it as a priority for the region for producing premium and luxury wines. Sadly, it went through a difficult socialist period as a volume workhorse, but several visionary producers rescued it in the 1990s and today it’s proving its mettle across all styles.

Malvasia Istriana is an adaptable grape with high quality potential, though fresh, fruity, steel-fermented styles account for about two-thirds of production. These are perfect for summer drinking by the sea, but even such ‘simple’ wines can defy expectations and keep for up to two decades.

At lower yields and from the best sites, it suits judicious use of oak, skin contact and even orange wines (see recommendations). It can display a slightly honeyed, jasmine character that can work well with fermentation and ageing in acacia wood.

To complete the picture, there are good traditional-method sparkling (such as Kabola’s Re Brut and Agrolaguna’s Festigia Blanc de Moi Brut) and even rare passito sweet wines such as Benvenuti’s Corona Grande.

Malvasia Istriana is also found in Slovenia’s part of northern Istria, producing nicely mineral, saline versions. It also does well inland, where it’s usually just labelled Malvazija.

The grape arrived in the Brda hills (abutting the border with northeast Italy) when the area was part of the Venetian Republic (ended 1797), and in the past, it was used to add aromatics to blends with the more neutral Rebula grape. In the 20th century, Malvasia Istriana survived socialism as it was planted in the lower, more frost-prone areas, since it’s more cold-resistant.

Malvasia Istriana is also gaining popularity as a single variety as it does well in sites with more clay, which don’t suit Slovenia’s flagship Rebula variety. It’s also able to ripen in drought years, thanks to the moisture in the clay.

Aleks Simčič (of Edi Simčič winery) describes it as having more Mediterranean herbal notes, typically rosemary and thyme, and white pepper aromatics, compared to the fruitier, floral coastal versions.

Other Malvasias to know

Croatia also has other Malvasias that aren’t related to the Istrian version, nor have they been found in Greece. Near Dubrovnik, Malvasia Dubrovačka (see ‘Key Malvasia varieties to know’ box) has quite a story of rescue.

The variety lays claim to being the oldest indigenous Croatian grape mentioned in writing, as an archive document from 1383 kept in Dubrovnik refers to it. Malvasia Dubrovačka had almost disappeared and was down to just 250 vines in 2001, yet it has now been revived to 40ha all around the Dubrovnik region.

It’s also being brought back in Sitges on Spain’s Catalonian coast, where the planting has gone from 2ha to 128ha. Vinified as a mineral, orange-scented dry wine in Croatia, it also makes great sweet wines and even orange wines in Lipari, off the northern coast of Sicily.

Then there’s another grape with a complex history of travel around the region. The variety called Maraština in Croatia is at least five centuries old and has been found to be genetically identical to Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Malvasia del Chianti. Plus, in Italy, there are several black-skinned Malvasia grapes, such as Malvasia Nera di Casorzo (Piedmont), di Basilicata, di Brindisi and more.

Gathering pace

The Malvasia story could continue further. There’s even an annual wine competition in Croatia, The World of Malvasia, organised by Istria’s producer association Vinistra, which aims to bring together as many versions of the grape as possible.

Twelve countries have entered their wines so far, including unexpected places such as Germany, Brazil, the USA and Australia, as well as better known Malvasia countries. In 2024, there were 340 entries from 11 countries.

Although the mystery may not be 100% solved, it’s clear that Malvasia is a name with a long, complex story, and in its many forms is worth exploring, whether for a snapshot of its glorious history or a taste of its amazing modern faces.

Gilby’s pick: 12 of the best from the heartlands of Malvasia

Related articles

• Grape spotlight: Malvasia de Sitges
• Born of ash and fire: A taste of Lanzarote’s volcanic wines
• Croatian winemakers celebrate record-breaking performance at the Decanter World Wine Awards

For inimitable style, consistent quality and impressive value, rosé wine from Greece has the potential to become a category leader. Strange then to discover that, officially at least, Greek rosé doesn’t exist. Sete, the Greek Wine Federation, whose members produce 75% of the total volume of wine produced in Greece and export 95% of bottled Greek wine, has until now been counting rosé in with red wine, so it’s impossible to say exactly how much rosé is flowing from one of my favourite wine nations.

Scroll down for Olly Smith’s 10 Greek rosé wines to try

For certain, Greek wine is on the rise in the UK. For a second consecutive year, the Federation reports, exports to the UK exceeded €7 million, up by 57% on the five-year average. And the rise of rosé may prove a significant jewel in their crown.

Heart & soul

Scrubby Grecian hillsides fringed with herbs, pines and sea are perfectly suited to the production of everybody’s favourite poolside glass. On my annual pilgrimage to the Greek wine fair Oenorama in Athens earlier this year (next edition, 7-10 March 2025), rosé was unquestionably the major buzz. I tasted plenty of varietal rosés from local grapes such as Xinomavro, which tends towards summer fruit with a hint of sundried tomato, or Fokiano with its salty strawberry thrill. Blends commonly fuse a splash of red with fragrant whites such as Malagousia or Moschofilero, which lifts Greek rosé to the headiest refreshment.

There’s also heritage to consider. Take, for instance, Iliana Malíhin’s sublimely rich, lees-aged Liatiko Rosé 2022, harvested from Cretan bush vines. In 2019, at just 26 years of age, Iliana established her own winery on Vouvala mountain working with local organic producers around the village of Melambes. In 2022, wildfires tragically ripped through vineyards with some vines more than 140 years old and 95% pre-phylloxera. She tells me she made her Liatiko Rosé 2022 ‘because of the fire – it has the colour of the fire and it is my passion to bring every small plot of old vines back to life’.

Similarly, three and a half hours north of Athens in Meteora, I was awestruck by Theopetra’s vineyard, surrounded by ancient pinnacles of rock in a landscape created when a vast inland lake emptied into the Aegean. Monasteries and nunneries, built over centuries, are perched on the lofty peaks in a ring shape that shelters the vines, providing protection from the extremeties of weather – almost like a giant version of the kouloura vines woven at ground level across the vineyards of Santorini. Theopetra’s resulting rosé guards a lush fragrance with grip and zest that I still find as thrilling as the memory of this ancient, sculpted terrain.

Seriously appealing

Yiannis Paraskevopoulos of Gaia, based in Santorini and Nemea, insists that Greek love for rosé is nothing new. In fact, he says, ‘rosé is in our genes; Greeks always think of rosé when they think of wine’. And while most modern Greek rosé tends to be bottled in clear glass, showing off the colour and suggesting drinking rather than keeping, respected growers such as Apostolos Thymiopoulos are treating rosé with real reverence. ‘Rosé to me is a wine not a marketing tool, thus I respect it and bottle in a dark bottle,’ he says. Without question, Thymiopoulos’ remarkable Greek rosé has the capacity to age and if you’re already a fan of Bandol rosé, from Provence in southeast France, look no further than his Rosé de Xinomavro 2022, which will happily evolve with careful cellaring for a decade or more.

Street cred

While cult wine-growers impress wine fans with serious rosé via restaurants and independent merchants, thanks to the persistence of UK-based buyers such as Steve Daniel of Hallgarten Wines and Mary Pateras of Eclectic Wines, the presence of Greek rosé is also growing on the high street. Majestic’s Agapi by Kintonis, Greek Rosé 2023 is £9.99 at the retailer’s Mix Six price (£12.99 per bottle). It’s a joyfully summery blend of Roditis and Malagousia, with a dash of red Agiorgitiko, sourced from low-yielding, high-altitude vineyards in the Peloponnese. At £10, Marks & Spencer’s Myrtia Moschofilero-Assyrtiko Dry Rosé 2022 makes for a gently aromatic aperitif.

But my current top high street pick is Aldi’s superb Athlon Assyrtiko-Syrah Rosé 2023 (£9.99). I recommended it on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen alongside a Mediterranean chicken cooked by Philli Armitage-Mattin, catapulting sales of the rosé by 124%. For the price, it’s a fresh and noteworthy champion of new-wave Greek rosé.

And perhaps it’s with food that the diversity of Greek rosé is at its most irresistible. Yannos Hadjiioannou, co-founder of London merchant Maltby & Greek, agrees that ‘most are fantastic as an aperitif but also have the body and structure to accompany a meal from start to finish’. In Athens wine bar Oinoscent I paired Gerovassiliou’s delicious Xinomavro Rosé 2023 (£25.34 Epinoia) with a dish of raw scallops laced with kumquats and citrus zest, which was one of the most invigorating combinations I can remember.

And over lunch at Skotadis on the island of Aegina, beside the harbour’s bobbing boats, I was struck by the simplicity and splendour of fresh prawns, lightly crisped and paired with the zing of Muses Estate’s A.Muse Rosé 2023. This smart blend of local red Mouhtaro with mostly Sauvignon Blanc is such a gem that I’ve listed it in my six Glass House wine bars across P&O Cruises.

Greece, albeit unofficially for now, is offering everyday drinkers as well as serious collectors a whole new realm of rosé to explore.

Rosé brilliance: Smith’s 10 beyond the high street

Related articles

• Olly Smith: ‘The surging feeling of energy across the Greek wine scene is so potent right now’
• Greece’s wine renaissance: Styles to know and the top wines to try
• Greek odyssey: Olly Smith’s pick of the regions and wines

Politicians, wine writers, sommeliers and trade professionals from across Europe gathered to celebrate Croatia’s record medal haul at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Tugomir Majdak, State Secretary for Agriculture, was among the dignitaries that gathered at the 5-star Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Istria for the special event.

Guests tasted the best wines from 40 different producers, who won 366 medals in total at this year’s DWWA. Caroline Gilby MW, the regional DWWA chair for Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Croatia and Slovenia, handed out the awards.

She said: ‘It’s wonderful to see the enormous progress that Istrian winemakers have made in the last 10 years, as evidenced by the medals from the evaluations, with Decanter’s judging criteria being very strict.

‘The focus is solely on quality, and the entire viticultural year is evaluated in a glass. Today, in a glass of Malvasia and Teran, you can see all the beauties of the Istrian peninsula, as well as the character of Istrian winemakers,’ she added.

Sylvia Wu, Decanter’s regional editor for Asia, Northern Europe and Eastern Europe, also attended the Decanter 2024 Winners’ Showcase on the Adriatic coast. ‘We have discovered excellent wines not only in Istria but throughout Croatia, and since last year, Croatia has been featured on Decanter’s wine map,’ she said.

The number of award-winning wines from Croatia has been steadily increasing in recent years. Croatian winemakers won 314 medals at the DWWA in 2022, a tally that rose to 358 in 2023 and a record 366 this year.

Twelve Croatian producers won gold medals at the 2024 awards: Casa Boschi, Fakin, Galić, Marija Kolarek, Meneghetti, St. Jerome, Tasovac, Viña Deak, Vina Furjan, Vizzulin, Zigante and Zure. Coastal producers performed well, especially those in Istria, but continental producers also enjoyed success.

Vinistra, the association of Istrian winegrowers and winemakers, teamed up with Decanter to organise the exclusive event. President Luka Rossi said he was ‘extremely proud’ of the region’s medal haul and congratulated all the awarded Croatian winemakers. Ezio Pinzan, head of the Department for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting, Fisheries and Hunting Economy of the Istrian County, also added his congratulations.

‘Having Decanter in Istria is a great recognition for all winemakers and the Vinistra association, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year,’ said Pinzan.

The association has been working hard to put the region on the global wine map, and recently ran a helicopter tour of 15 top Istrian vineyards for international wine experts.

Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, believes that the awards can help to cement the country’s status as a popular tourism destination. Croatia received 20.6 million visitors in 2023, up from 18.9 million the previous year.

‘The arrival of Decanter in Croatia and the world’s most influential wine evaluation is a significant step in the growth of Croatian oenology and domestic tourism as a whole,’ said Staničić.

‘This event can be considered a confirmation that our country is continuously working on the quality development of wine production, thereby elevating oeno-gastronomy as one of the sought-after tourist products that often represent an important motive for guests to choose a destination.’

Search all DWWA 2024 award-winning wines

Related articles

• Croatia guide: wine regions beyond Istria
• Wines of the Balkans – five things to know
• Adriatic whites: panel tasting results

Alexandre Fréguin is a qualified sommelier, educator and wine event organiser – in August 2024, will be taking his Master Sommelier examination. Having begun his career in 2009 as an apprentice at Michelin one-star Restaurant Pierre Reboul in Aix-en-Provence, Fréguin has since worked in prestigious establishments in France and the UK. In 2018, he won the Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year award, and he has served as the wine director for Famille Perrin in the southern Rhône since 2020.

Ah, Slovenia! I fell, hard and fast, in love with the country in 2016 during my first trip there – a visit planned on a whim after reading about it in Decanter. I dream about moving there one day, my heart captured by the Alpine beauty, endless valleys and clear lakes as blue as the sky.

Nature is everything here, and every Slovenian has so much respect for the land that it’s no surprise to discover some incredible wines being produced there.

From east to west, Slovenia has three main wine regions: Podravje, Posavje and Primorska. All wine styles are produced, but my primary passion is for the bright whites. The profound sense of terroir here is simply astonishing, proud women and men growing exciting indigenous grapes such as Rebula, Vitovska (my favourite), Zelen and Malvazija Istarska.

There are two winemaking dynamics. Inevitably, you’ll find larger cooperatives, often producing more commercial styles. But the real excitement is found among the smaller growers who are crafting incredibly layered, complex and vibrant wines. I would call them gardeners, given the intimate relationship they clearly have with their vines.

Looking at the white grapes in more depth, let’s start with Zelen (meaning ‘green’): found in the western region of Vipava valley, it delivers lively, zingy, aromatic wines. Rebula – shared with northeast Italy’s Fruili region, where it’s known as Ribolla Gialla – has a home here in Brda, and produces an array of styles from fresh and fruity, through skin-contact examples, to sparkling and sweet wines – Marjan Simčič producing one of the best examples of the latter with the passito-style cuvée Leonardo.

Moving to Malvazija Istarska – what grace here, a grape that delivers a clear Istrian stamp of character. In textured and powerful examples that have been aged in large old oak with some lees contact, you have a wine ready to match any seafood fresh from the Adriatic.

The Vitovska grape and the Karst region is a match made in heaven. I will never forget my first glass. Powerful, with a lingering palate – and often with ‘yellow’ characteristics of dried straw, honey, ripe apricot and cooked peaches, plus a white pepper lift – this grape responds well to skin contact and long ageing. Whatever the expression in your glass, Vitovska makes you feel alive.

All of these are some of the very best food companions, matching pretty much the whole range of vegetables, especially root vegetables, as well as any kind of white meat. The skin-contact styles will shine with mushrooms, and Malvazija is perfect with any seafood.

A word of advice: as a general rule, these are wines to serve not too cold – around 10°-12°C – but most importantly, if you can, open the bottle a few hours before you plan to drink it and the experience will reach another level.

Discovering Slovenian white: Alexandre’s three to try

First, Burja’s Zelen 2022 (£24-£25.15 Les Caves de Pyrene, Sip Wines). This is a textbook version of this ancient variety with personality and vibrant aromatics, from the Vipava valley. I love the clean expression of the grape, preserved by a simple vinification in stainless steel.

Over in the Istrian part of Slovenia, Uroš Klabjan farms vines planted 3km from the Adriatic, bestowing a marked marine influence on its Klabjan, Black Label Malvazija 2019 (£43-£49.50 Highbury Library, Roland Wines). A four-day maceration on skins gives a profound and perfumed expression, with notes of ripe orange peel and jam. There’s also a delicate fragrance of almond. The length is incredible, driven by an infinite salinity.

Last but not least, Marko Fon’s Vitovska, Kras 2018. Fon has spent more than 30 years making some of Slovenia’s greatest expressions of the Vitovska grape. Long ageing in botti has given the wine a sense of serenity. It’s elegant but fleshy, very complex but shy at the same time.

Related articles

• The sommelier suggests… Jura by Mason Ng
• The sommelier suggests… Savennières by Pascaline Lepeltier
• The sommelier suggests… Semillon by Florencia Rey

Herzegovina, the smaller, southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has at least 2,000 years of viticultural history, but it has really blossomed during the last 20. More than 30 modern wineries dot this sun-drenched strip abutting Croatia. Alongside these contemporary vineyards, the majority of families in this region of roughly 350,000 inhabitants make their own wine. Only-try-here bottles of humble yet hearty ‘vina’ are sold on the roadside next to wild honey and pomegranates. Bordeaux it isn’t.

DWWA results out 19 June!Be the first to know: Subscribe to the DWWA newsletter

Wine-tasting in Herzegovina – a resolutely welcoming experience, where wine is often paired with pršut (local prosciutto) – revolves around two indigenous grapes. Blatina is a madcap red that erupts in the glass like a plum volcano. Yet it’s tricky to grow even here. Its flowers are auto-sterile, meaning they can’t fertilise themselves and the vines must be planted with another variety, though this still doesn’t guarantee fruit production, hence the variety’s nickname: ‘empty barrel’. The Austro-Hungarian emperors, who ruled Herzegovina from 1878 until World War I, preferred the zingy, mineral-rich white Žilavka. In the words of one of Herzegovina’s hottest young winemakers, Milena Anđelić: ‘Our guests didn’t fly thousands of miles to try Cab Sauv.’

Opened in 2007 and upgraded and re-launched in 2023, the Herzegovina Wine Route, which starts in the pretty regional capital of Mostar, reveals this burgeoning wine region to a wider audience. This year, 300 wine-friendly hotels, restaurants and experiences are expected to join the 30-odd wineries on an interactive route map, alongside canoeing, bike trails and historic towns in the hilly hinterland. Best of all, the route unites wine lovers of all faiths in a region once riven by difference. Visit now and you’ll be among the first to sip the latest generation of one-off wines.

Striking out from Mostar

Andrija Ćorić is vice president of the Herzegovina Wine Route. His great-grandfather Šimun soldiered for 12 years for the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was repaid with some sloping, stony land in the village of Paoča near Čitluk. Here the Andrija vineyard, named after Šimun’s son, was established, a 30-minute rollercoaster drive southwest from Mostar. In 2019, the historic winery was modernised, and it’s now a viticultural playground with a wine library, stroll-through cellars, tasting rooms, boutique guestrooms and a gourmet restaurant. ‘God gave us stones, sunshine and two grapes you won’t find anywhere else,’ says Ćorić.

During the socialist era, when families in the former Yugoslavia were limited to making 100 litres of wine a year for personal consumption, Andrija was given special dispensation to produce creamy Žilavka whites, with the honeysuckle subtlety of a wildflower meadow, for national leader Josip Tito. When war came to the Balkans in the 1990s, the Ćorić family didn’t miss a single vintage, despite a bomb falling on its vineyard. Wine and food tastings (€10-€40), conducted by generous hosts Andrija, his sister Katarina and loquacious patriarch Miro, are superb. Their Blatina Andrija Selection revs like a Formula 1 car then finishes like a slow cruise through an orchard of cherries.

Also southwest of Mostar is biodynamic pioneer Brkić. This bucolic vineyard produces a landmark organic Žilavka. Like most wineries in Herzegovina, a call or WhatsApp a few days in advance will allow host Josip and his three young sons to prepare a wine tasting with some homemade bread, pršut and two types of cheese (€25 per person), or arrange a local driver or activities. Visitors are welcome to help with the September harvests. Other wine-related activities and tours in Herzegovina are generally open from Easter until October.

My perfect day in Herzegovina

Morning

Start on the rebuilt Ottoman-era bridge in Mostar, the symbol of the historic regional capital. Each August or September, the 16th-century bridge becomes a venue for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, as divers leap more than 20m into the Neretva river flowing below. Mostar’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town area abutting the bridge is a warren of craft stores, weaving enterprises and cafés. Sample a Bosnian coffee, a foamy version of the drink introduced by the Ottoman Turks, who ruled Herzegovina for

more than 400 years. Overlooking the river is standout classic Restaurant Šadrvan (see ‘address book’, below), where a halal Balkan menu takes diners back centuries. Finish with a speedboat tour along the Neretva, passing under the Ottoman bridge.

Afternoon

The region’s most complete viticultural experience is Carski vineyard, a 20-minute taxi ride south of Mostar. It looks like a chic Napa estate. Wines to purchase or taste in the ultra-modern cellar rank among Herzegovina’s finest. The olive tree-strewn vineyards make for a wonderful stroll. Carski sits on the outskirts of adventure village Blagaj, home to rafting operators and a via ferrata climbing trail. It’s also the location of a gorgeous whirling dervish monastery, enchantingly located alongside a surging river.

Evening

Continue 30 minutes southeast through a series of wine-growing villages via the Catholic pilgrimage site of Međugorje. Near the awesome waterfall of Kravica is Nuić winery. Here, Žilavka and Blatina are grown alongside rare Croatian grapes, as well as a number of international varieties; a one-hour tour and tasting costs €12.50. Nearby, Etno Selo Herceg is a hotel complex of 50 stone villas featuring Slavonian oak furniture, together with a large swimming pool. The estate serves fine food and its own wines alongside those from top wineries, including Nuić and Brkić.

Towards Trebnije

The Herzegovina Wine Route is criss-crossed by a unique cycling trail. Until 1976, a steam train, first operated by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, chuffed its way from Mostar, through the countryside and eventually to Dubrovnik. Today the Ćiro (as the train line was known) has been remade as a pastoral bike trail dotted with rural hotels serving burek pastries and trout plucked from the river. The 142km section that roughly follows the wine route runs from Mostar all the way to Trebinje, Herzegovina’s other major winemaking area. If driving, Mostar and Trebinje are two hours apart.

Trebinje is a majority ethnic Serb area of Herzegovina. It’s home to the visitor-friendly Tvrdoš monastery, where a religious order has made a flinty Žilavka since the 15th century. The head cellarman, behind such Decanter award-winning wines as the Velika Rezerva 2016 (DWWA Bronze in 2018), is a monk. Try the juxtaposition of tasting in the medieval cellar then making your way upstairs and gazing up at the adjoining monastery’s frescoed dome, a religious vision in cobalt and gold.

In Trebinje, a 10-minute drive from the monastery, one of the largest and most impressive wine operations in the area was created in a single generation by Radovan Vukoje. In 2000, aged 20, Vukoje harvested his first grapes at winery Vukoje 1982 while studying oenology in Belgrade. His wines can be tasted in the seven-storey cellar, fermentation room, restaurant and rooftop bar, which overlooks Trebinje. A favourite is the 2018 pure Vranac. Made with big, black liquorice-tang Vranac grapes, this wine tastes large and lasts long – imagine a Balkan amarone.

Vukoje’s latest project delivers history in a glass. In 2023, he purchased the last of 11 parcels of land that once made up the personal vineyard of Emperor Franz Joseph (who died in 1916). He now escorts guests there for summertime tastings, a 10-minute drive from Trebinje through fig orchards. Vukoje’s Carsko Vino – ‘csar’s wine’ – is predominantly Žilavka and as unctuous as a peach smoothie. ‘Now they drink it in Vienna again,’ smiles Vukoje.

On the road back to Trebinje, an absolute must-visit is Vinarija Anđelić. Run by mother-and-daughter team Milica and Milena, the winery is sited inside a rock cavern that the family hollowed out using construction dynamite in 2004. (Milena, now 24, used to rock climb around the cellar walls.) At their new tasting room (due to open in 2024), try the signature Žilavka, as fragrant and moreish as Turkish delight. Multilingual Milena also conducts al fresco tastings accompanied by local cheese and ham (€35-€40, bookings essential) in her family vineyards during summer.

Back near Mostar, Carski vineyard, so called because it supplied wines to Vienna’s Habsburg ‘csars’, and its adjoining Emporia Hotel is the ultimate wine address. It has a top chef and a slick tasting experience for a fraction of the price of France or Italy. Carski produces about 125,000 bottles of wine per year, which is large by local standards – Herzegovina’s entire production could be trumped by a single big Italian winery. And what wines they are, made by Josip Martinović, one of the region’s top oenologists, who also manages Herzegovina’s biggest online wine store, Hedonism, which stocks 2,000 lines of wine. Carski’s full-blooded Blatina, costing €7 at the vineyard, is like being fed wild strawberries by Habsburg Empress Sisi, who features on the label. It’s a taste of things to come.

Your Herzegovina address book

Accommodation

Hotel Emporia, near Mostar

Herzegovina’s ultimate wine address has a pool, funky rooms, gourmet restaurant and rows of Tuscan-style cypress trees.

Hotel Verso, Mostar

A hip new bargain, 10 minutes’ walk from the Ottoman bridge, with 10 contemporary rooms and a restaurant area that doubles as Mostar’s ladies-who-lunch address. A glass of wine costs €2.50; double rooms including breakfast from €69.

Kriva Cuprija, Mostar

A heritage hotel overlooking Mostar’s old town and Ottoman bridge. Local wines are served on the panoramic terrace. Double rooms including breakfast from €97.

Food & drink

Andrija winery, Čitluk

There is no menu at the new restaurant of Herzegovina’s most welcoming winery. Text or call in advance for a belly-busting platter of pork goulash and slow-cooked lamb. Pair with Travarica firewater, made using 28 herbs and distilled by owner-host Miro, then sleep it off in a wine-themed guest room upstairs.

Restaurant Šadrvan, Mostar

@restoran.sadrvan

A highly commended vintage charmer overlooking Mostar’s famous bridge. Šadrvan’s cuisine is a Balkan delight of ćevapi minced lamb fingers with hot pepper sauce, paired with the best baklava desserts this side of Istanbul. Follow with Bosnian coffee.

Romanca, near Mostar

A 10-minute drive south of Mostar, Romanca sits in its own vast vineyard. It offers cellar tours and tastings, and you can enjoy stuffed lamb and wine-steeped beef in the adjoining restaurant.

Things to do

Blagaj monastery, near Mostar

A 25-minute taxi ride from Mostar, this astonishingly picturesque monastery was built by Sufi Islamic ‘whirling dervishes’ five centuries ago. The mystical location – where the Buna river oozes out from an eerie cave – adds to the peaceful allure.

Kayaking on Neretva river, Jablanica

A 40-minute drive from Mostar, outdoor-adventure specialists Visit Jablanica operate kayak glamping trips, hiking tours and, for €20, regular canoe rental on the translucent blue Neretva river.

Via Vino, Mostar

This wine store, tasting room and regional travel agency on Mostar’s bustling Feljića boulevard offers a €75 Herzegovina Wine Route tour that stops at three rural wineries, including Brkić.

How to get there

Mostar is about two hours’ drive from three airports: Sarajevo, Dubrovnik and Split, the latter two in neighbouring Croatia. From Sarajevo, Bosnia’s capital city, a telegenic train (also two hours) runs alongside the Neretva river directly to Mostar.

Related articles

• Central Europe: Come and taste
• Helsinki for wine lovers
• Slovenia: A wine lover’s guide

If there is one country’s wine quality evolution to follow at the Decanter World Wine Awards, it might well be Croatia.

In just two years, the country has more than tripled its Gold medal count at the international competition. But what’s more, its indigenous varieties have featured in the realm of quality improvement.

Divided into four major wine regions, Istria, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic, is marked by its proud producers, determined to make a name for their region’s staple varieties: the white Malvazija (locally Malvazija Istarska) and red Teran.

For the ambitious winemaker and adventurous wine enthusiast, Malvazija is remarkably varied. It can be produced and enjoyed in a light, fresh style, but its intrigue comes from time maturing on lees, in oak, on skins or aged in bottle.

Scroll down to discover 15 Istrian wines to try from DWWA 2023

With the region’s red mainstay Teran, producers have found ways to thoughtfully cultivate, vinify and harness the full potential of this local variety, embracing and fine tuning its tannins to produce fruity, elegant reds which can, and have proven to, compete on the world stage.

The authenticity inherent in Istria is skilfully mirrored by the adeptness of its producers. Aware that quality starts in the vineyard, they intrinsically understand Istria’s distinctive red, white, grey and black soils and how each influences their indigenous varieties and the subsequent wines produced.

‘This is a country with incredible diversity,’ commented Caroline Gilby MW, DWWA Regional Chair. ‘Each region has a strong story and distinctive identity; there’s always something new to discover.’

Below explore 15 regional standouts from the 2023 competition, with more to seek out at awards.decanter.com

Istrian Authenticity: 15 Malvazija and Teran wines to try

Malvazija

Kabola, Unica 2019

Gold, 96 points 

kabola.hr

Concentrated and full of flavour, this has a distinct definition and pleasant aromas of ripe pear and Mirabelle plum. Intense fruit on the palate accompanied by poached plum notes, with a long mineral finish. Alcohol 14%

Vinarija Rossi, Malvazija Istarska 2022

Value Gold, 95 points

vinarossi.com

Wonderfully crafted, boasting a delightful honeyed and floral aroma and flavour. Its refreshing acidity and distinctive, lingering finish make it truly exceptional. A superb choice for any occasion. Alc 12.5%

Vivoda, St Euphemia Malvazija 2019

Gold, 95 points

vina-vivoda.hr

Beautiful complexity with rich and elegant oaky flavours, complemented perfectly by zippy acidity. It’s full-bodied and finishes with delightful notes of peach and nectarine that linger. Lovely. Alc 13.8%

Eliđo Pilato, Malvazija Sur Lie 2019

Silver, 94 points

£34.80 (2015) Croatian Fine Wines, Novel Wines

Salted citrus, camomile and candied pineapple aromatics – glorious. Sleek and supple on the palate with crisp acidity and a floral complexity. Long on the finish. Alc 13.5%

Roberto Terzolo, Campi del Bosco 2022

Silver, 94 points

@vinaterzolo

Classic nose of green melon, apple and camomile. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity and lively notes of spice and minerals. Long, floral finish. Alc 13%

Damjanić, Akacija 2020

Silver, 93 points

£21-£25 (2016) Croatian Fine Wines, Novel Wines

Good depth of colour with creamy complexity and aromas of hay and peach. Lovely fruit intensity on the honeyed, layered, delicate palate. Long finish. Alc 13.5%

Ivan Kadum, Malvazija 2022

Silver, 93 points

kadumwines.com

Youthful apple blossom nose. Fresh, zesty, vivid and pure in the mouth with juicy acidity. A good expression with a long finish. Alc 13%

Fakin, Amfora Malvazija Istarska 2020

Silver, 92 points

fakinwines.com

Floral, pineapple and saline nose. Serious complexity on the long, intense palate. Long, warming finish. One to enjoy with food. Alc 14.5%

Poletti, Classica Malvazija Istarska 2020

Silver, 92 points

vina-poletti.hr

Rich and full style with soft oak, nectarine, sweet spice, dried apricot and vanilla aromas. The palate is rounded with an oily texture. Persistent finish. Alc 13.5%

Agrolaguna, Vina Laguna Malvazija Istarska 2022

Silver, 90 points

agrolaguna.hr

Floral, citrus and herbal aromas. The palate has notes of lime and apple, with crisp acidity and a light mineral note. Persistent finish. Alc 12.8%

Teran

Benvenuti, Livio Teran 2019

Gold, 96 points

benvenutivina.com

An elegant wine with ripe red fruit aromatics. The palate is juicy and well structured with plenty of tannins and integrated sweet oak. Engaging, with lots going on and a long, smooth finish. Alc 13%

Benvenuti, Anno Domini Teran 2012

Gold, 95 points

£17 (2018) Howard Ripley

A fantastic wine still amazingly in fine fettle with a complex floral, raspberry and tobacco leaf bouquet, a structured palate, lively acidity, supple tannins, a lovely taste of forest berries and excellent length. Alc 14%

Kozlović, Selekcija Teran 2021

Gold, 95 points

kozlovic.hr

Beautiful floral, candied red fruit, spice and wild cherry aromatics. The palate has fine tannins, a spicy, dark fruit character and a very long, oaky finish. Fantastic drinking. Alc 13.5%

Fakin, Il Primo Teran 2020

Silver, 92 points

fakinwines.com

Inky, complex nose of coffee, dried cherry and tobacco leaf. The palate is soft and elegant with supple tannins and a long finish. Alc 14.5%

Vinarija Medea, Teran 2021

Silver, 91 points

medea.hr

Aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry. Juicy, vibrant and youthful with plenty of tannins and great varietal character. Alc 12.5%

Search all DWWA 2023 results

Related articles

• Istria for wine lovers
• A taste of Croatia: 15 exciting wines to seek out
• Buzz of the Balkans: Croatia’s white wines

Wojciech Bońkowski became Poland’s first Master of Wine in 2023, holding many more titles and credentials including a PhD in musicology.

He first started writing about wine in 1999 and by 2012 this became a full-time career with the launch of his online wine magazine, Winicjatywa, followed by print magazine Ferment in 2017.

Balancing the economic requirements of running a publishing business with maintaining editorial independence, Bońkowski commented, ‘I am happy and proud to have been able to make wine writing a living, despite the significant challenges faced by publishing in the modern era.’

Active internationally as a writer, consultant and judge, judging at Decanter World Wine Awards since 2016, Bońkowski will be joining Dr Caroline Gilby MW and Simon J Woolf as the new joint Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, Croatia and Slovenia.

Ahead of DWWA judging this May – and with entries open now until 15 March – we get to know more about Bońkowski, including his recommendations on regions to explore, inspirations in the wine world and advice for producers.

What’s a typical day like for you?

My typical days are full of either tasting wines or writing articles about the wines I’ve tasted! Of course, there is a lot of wonderful wine country travel and meeting fantastic enthusiastic people involved, too.

How do you feel about becoming Poland’s first Master of Wine?

It has certainly been a long and tortuous journey through dark valleys of self-doubt, but I am glad I could stay motivated and optimistic, to no little degree thanks to the support of my family and mentor, Caro Maurer MW.

Now I look forward to leveraging my authority as an MW to spread the word about the wines I believe in, such as those of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Which wine producing regions would you encourage people to explore?

European regions south of Tuscany and east of Berlin have long stayed in the shadow of the mighty industries of France, Italy and Germany but are now experiencing a fascinating renaissance of their winemaking tradition and offering fantastic value for money.

Greece is arguably at the forefront of this quality revolution, while I feel there is still a lot of untapped potential in countries like Croatia, Lebanon, Cyprus, and even Albania. Hungary has enormous potential as well. And the next big thing? Wines from Poland!

What do you find most inspiring in the wine world right now?

I have witnessed many exhilarating changes in my 25 years of tasting. The emergence of a young generation that is widely-travelled and open-minded is one such change. Another is the growing acknowledgement of the important environmental contribution that we can bring as a wine industry, pioneering aspects such as regenerative viticulture and responsible supply chains.

But most importantly, I am deeply moved by the renewed pride vintners take in their age-long traditions in many hitherto neglected regions.

What do you look forward to most as a new Regional Chair at DWWA?

I very much look forward to working with a brilliant team of tasters to showcase the outstanding quality of many of the wines emerging from these regions in recent years, with special emphasis on their traditional grape varieties.

Why should people explore wines from the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, Croatia and Slovenia?

These are generally regions with venerable winemaking traditions and a plethora of local diversity, from grape varieties to winemaking techniques and traditional styles. From cool-climate crisp dry whites to generously flavourful Mediterranean reds, there is almost an infinite choice for the drinker, and the quality has never been higher.

In your opinion, what do you think makes a successful panel of judges?

I have always valued Decanter World Wine Awards because, besides a transparent, robust tasting protocol, its culture has always been about getting to the core of each wine we taste and making sure we are understanding it. A successful panel is where tasters are respectful of each other’s opinion, open-minded to look at a wine again, and confident enough to never give up.

Do you have advice for DWWA entrants who don’t win a medal?

Your wine is tasted by the world’s best palates against the best of the competition. Well done for making it here, and persevere—we are always looking for wines of identity and personality.

Related articles

• New Co-Chair to join DWWA: Welcoming Beth Willard
• Meet the judges: Q&A with Pierre Mansour
• Meet the judges: Q&A with Amanda Barnes

Darrel Joseph is a judge at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Darrel Joseph

Darrel Joseph is a wine writer and lecturer, based in Vienna, who is currently working on a book focusing on Balkan wine countries.

He began writing about the wines of Central and Eastern Europe in 1995, after his palate was captured by Hungary’s Tokaji and Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.

Since then, his specialization broadened to include Croatia, Serbia and all other Balkan wine countries, plus Russia and the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan).

Over the years, Joseph’s writing has appeared in Decanter, Wine Spectator, Meininger’s Wine Business International, Harpers Wine & Spirit, Wine-Searcher.com and more. He has also contributed to a number of books and guides, including Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book and Gault & Millau (Austria).

Besides his writing, Joseph judges in wine competitions in Europe and Asia, conducts masterclasses and seminars internationally, and lectures for the International Wine Business programme at IMC/University of Applied Sciences in Krems, Austria. He also translates a wide range of wine texts from German to English. As a professional voice-over speaker for more than three decades, he also narrates films about wineries and wine regions.

Follow Darrel on Instagram and X @DarrelJoseph

See more judges for 2024 DWWA.

Returning to Belgrade, Serbia for its second year, Wine Vision by Open Balkan has quickly solidified its standing as the fourth largest wine fair in Europe.

The four-day event opened its doors on 16th November showcasing more than 570 exhibitors from 30 countries all eager to share their wines with trade and consumers alike.

It’s message for 2023: ‘We have excellent wines and it’s time to get to know them!’

A fair to explore the unexplored, the wines of Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania took centre stage, with producers embracing tradition, indigenous varieties and authentic expressions of international varieties.

Scroll down to see the DWWA 2023 awarded wines showcased

Deeply rooted in tradition, the Balkan’s authentic grape varieties have been embraced and revived by producers of late, with importance placed on white Grašac and red Bagrina, Prokupac and Probus in Serbia, white Tamjanika and Smederevka and red Vranac and Stanušina in North Macedonia and Kallmet, Shesh i Zi, Shesh i Bardhe and Pulles in Albania.

Ahead of the fair, Decanter released its October 2023 issue with a special Balkans supplement in cooperation with Wine Vision by Open Balkan – an in depth guide to the wines, regions and styles, ultimately highlighting the wealth and quality waiting to be discovered. Distributed at the fair, Decanter also showcased more than 25 DWWA medal-winning wines from the hosting countries.

A momentous year for Serbia at DWWA 2023, Vinarija Vinčić’s Grašac 2020 received Serbia’s first-ever spot in the competition’s Top 50 Best in Show list, brining wines from Fruška Gora to the attention of trade and consumers globally.

Six Gold-awarded wines were also sampled at the fair, including one of North Macedonia’s two wines awarded in this category for Tikves Winery’s Luda Mara Vranec 2020 from Tikvesh, Povardarje.

All 90-plus points, the event drew the attention of trade and consumers from near and far, looking to discover the quality wines of these regions as rated by the experts behind DWWA, including joint regional chairs Caroline Gilby MW and Simon Woolf.

A powerful joining of forces between Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania and beyond, attendees of Wine Vision by Open Balkan included the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovačevski, and the President of Italy’s Veneto, Luka Zaja, alongside more than 30,000 visitors.

Encouraged by the excitement and engagement by trade and consumers, the fair is set to return for its third edition in 2024.

Discover below the full list of DWWA-awarded wines showcased at the fair, well worth seeking out, with more to explore at awards.decanter.com

DWWA 2023 awarded wines showcased at Wine Vision by Open Balkan

Serbia

Vinarija Vinčić, Grašac, Fruška Gora, Srem 2020

Best in Show 97

We’ve grown used to seeing Graševina (whose many synonyms include Laški Riesling, Welschriesling and Riesling Italico, though the variety has no genetic link to Riesling itself) from Croatia in our competition in recent years, but this year the Graševina which emerged as our judges’ favourite comes from Serbia, where the variety’s name is Grašac. It’s clearly happy in the Danubian hills of Fruška Gora, giving ample varietal character without ever descending into caricature. This carefully crafted version is pale silver-gold in colour, with scents in which the characteristic soft gassiness of the variety is held well in check, to the benefit of honeyed grape and pear. On the palate, you’ll find it pure, long, refined, faintly smoky-savoury, textured and tapered: a fine-dining, white-tablecloth version of this demotic charmer. Alc 13%

Bt Winery, Mister Marselan, Fruška Gora, Srem 2021

Gold 95

This wine boasts a rich hue and intense flavour profile of dark fruits, vanilla, and sweet spices. The palate is well-rounded and refreshing, with a long, spicy finish. A standout bargain. Alc 14.5%

Erdevik, Stifler’s Mom Shiraz, Fruška Gora, Srem 2017

Gold 95

Blackcurrant and peppery aromas. Its taste is smooth with hints of chocolate, leather, coffee, spice, vanilla, and toast. The wine’s acidity is zippy and it has a long, toasty finish. Huge but undeniably expertly crafted. Alc 15.5%

Vinarija Jovac, Stella Noir, Centralna Srbija 2020

Gold 95

This is an engaging wine with a lot going on. It has an oaky imprint, lovely notes of sweet spice, red berries, spice and a bright beam of acidity. Finishes lengthily, too. Alc 14.5%

Matijašević Vinogradi, Sovinoa Fumé Blanc, Oplenac, Šumadija-Great Morava 2021

Gold 95

Enticing peach, gooseberry, grapefruit, citrus and oaky aromatics. The palate is complex with notes of stone fruit and lemongrass set against a briney streak of minerality. Persistent finish, too. Be ready to swoon! Alc 14%

Matijašević Vinogradi, Tri Doline, Oplenac, Šumadija-Great Morava 2020

Gold 95

Stunning wine with a captivating aroma of oak. On the palate, the oak is perfectly balanced, accompanied by dry tannins and flavours of ripe plum, cacao, and a subtle hint of green spice. Long finish. Bravo! Alc 15%

Temet, Beli Kamen Merlot, Jagodina, Šumadija-Great Morava 2019

Silver 94

A powerful, dense and youthful wine with fine-grained tannins, lots of ripe dark fruits, elevated alcohol and a long, complex finish. Good ageing potential. Alc 15%

Temet, Ergo, Jagodina, Šumadija-Great Morava 2018

Silver 94

Intense and soft with lots of black fruit, a smooth palate and concentrated fruit core and a lot of oak. Fine-grained tannins with a long finish. Alc 15%

Vinarija Deuric, Severna Morava, Fruška Gora, Srem 2021

Silver 93

Nectarine, Meyer lemon and herbal nose. The palate is juicy with plenty of peach, melon and lemongrass characters. Long finish. Good drinking. Alc 13.5%

Podrum Cokot, Radovan 100% Prokupac, Centralna Srbija 2020

Silver 91

Lovely, well-defined cherry fruit on the nose and palate. Opens up further with oxygen and reveals dark forest fruit, earth and the characteristic spicy finish. Good length. Alc 14%

Vinarija Zvonko Bogdan, Cuvée No.1, Subotica-Horgoš 2021

Silver 91

Ripe black cherry and oaky nose. The palate is warm, full-bodied and intense with fresh acidity and lots of oak. A lovely wine for food. Alc 14.5%

Vinarija Verkat, Barrique Malvazija, Fruška Gora, Srem 2021

Silver 91

Well-made wine with a floral, stone fruit and sweet oak nose. The palate is juicy and structured with a medium, stone fruit finish. Alc 13.5%

Matijašević Vinogradi, Belina, Oplenac, Šumadija-Great Morava 2021

Silver 90

Restrained citrus nose. The palate is quite weighty and fresh with notes of green apple, lime and stone fruit. Fine length. Alc 12%

Vinarija Drašković, Beli Pinot, South Banat, Banat 2020

Silver 90

Intense pear, peach, lemon, vanilla and white pepper nose. The palate is rounded with a nice structure; finishes lengthily, too. Alc 13%

Vinarija Fragaria, Fragaria Selekcija Kruševac, West Morava 2019

Silver 90

Intense vanilla, spice and black fruit aromatics. The palate is dry and full-bodied. Long, liquorice finish. Alc 15%

Temet, Tri Morave Reserve, Jagodina, Šumadija-Great Morava 2019

Silver 90

Orange peel, tropical fruit and floral nose and palate with drying tannins and a long finish. Alc 12.5%

North Macedonia

Tikves Winery, Luda Mara Vranec, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2020

Gold 95

This is a charming, well-made, fruit-forward Vranac with ripe blackberry and prune aromatics, nicely-integrated oak, ripe, polished tannins and high acidity. It concludes with a super long, expensive finish. Alc 15%

Kamnik, Cuvée De Prestige, Skopje, Povardarje 2020

Silver 94

Black cherry, spice, raspberry leaf, coffee, vanilla and oaky aromas. A structured, international style with layers of complexity, well-integrated oak and dense black fruit flavours. Alc 14.8%

Popov Winery, Carmenere Reserve, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2018

Silver 93

Pretty nose with varietal bramble, black fruit and grilled red pepper aromas. Ripe and full-bodied with well-judged oak. Well done. Alc 14%

Tikveš Winery, Barovo, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2021

Silver 92

A beautiful wine with well-defined red and dark fruits, classy oak, high acidity and ripe tannins. Huge potential. Alc 15%

Tikves Winery, Bela Voda Red, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2021

Silver 92

A modern take on this blend with a dried cherry and damson bouquet. The palate has lots of vanilla, clove and sweet wood. Very polished. Alc 15%

Tikves, Bela Voda White, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2022

Silver 91

Youthful but quite classy floral and stone fruit nose and palate. An interesting blend with a spicy finish. Alc 14%

Tikves Winery, Alexandria Cuvée Red, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2021

Silver 90

Black cherry and leather aromas. The palate has notes of summer berries and a hint of ripe raspberry. A high-quality, charming wine with a long finish. Alc 14.5%

Tikves Winery, Babuna White, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2022

Silver 90

Spiced yellow plum, pear and floral nose. The palate is oaky and layered with flowers and oak. Medium, slightly warm, finish. Alc 14%

Domaine Lepovo, Chardonnay, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2021

Silver 90

Pronounced oaky and orchard fruit nose. The palate is full-bodied with well-defined notes of buttered toast. Long finish. Alc 14%

Lepovo, Grand Cuvée, Tikvesh, Povardarje 2019

Silver 90

Deeply concentrated black cherry aromas with prunes and a hint of leather. The palate explodes with tobacco and summer fruit. Alc 15.5%

Albania

Mrizi I Zanave, Kuven, Western lowland 2021

Silver 90

A simple, well-made wine with ripe red fruit aromas and flavours, lively acidity and a long finish. Alc 13.5%

Search all DWWA 2023 award-winning wines

Related articles

• An iconic day: DWWA winners’ table at DFWE
• Savour Serbia: 15 exciting wines to seek out
• World Vranac Day: 16 award-winning wines to try

After the annual Greek wine fair Oenorama in March, I darted from Athens to Central Greece to the Valley of the Muses before swooping down to eastern Crete. The surging feeling of energy across the Greek wine scene is so potent right now that if you offered me a Greek passport I’d change my name to Giorgos in a heartbeat.

From the front line of Greece’s deep-rooted vineyards, I bring my very own blueprint for the Ten Commandments of Greek Wine…

1. Old vines are big news

From Mouhtaro in the Valley of the Muses to Savatiano in Central Greece to the familiar veneration of Assyrtiko in Santorini, old vines are extensive in Greece and there are plenty more to discover, promote and celebrate.

2. It’s not all about sunshine

Greece is a land of snow-capped mountains, abundant hillsides, lakes and endless coastline. Sun-drenched islands may be the familiar poster campaign, but there is so much more – you’ll find cool-climate vineyards in regions from Epirus in the northwestern mainland, where it often snows, to the breezy Valley of the Muses and the high Ziros plateau in Crete. Warmth in Greece is often mitigated by wind, water and altitude.

3. Assyrtiko is the flagship white

Beyond Santorini, plenty of contrasting styles of Assyrtiko are marching across the mainland and islands. But after Assyrtiko, the next superhero white grape is waiting in the wings. Savatiano has widespread planting and quality. But Kidonitsa, albeit in small quantities, deserves to be leading the charge.

4. Savatiano is the Chenin Blanc of Greece

If you haven’t tasted aged Savatiano, please put it at the top of your must-try list – it’s capable of great and fascinating diversity. When it evolves, the aromas are compellingly

Chenin-meets-Riesling; the flavours as deep as a citrus canyon echoing to Iggy Pop’s boldest growl.

5. The Greek wine industry has a fresh face

Young wine-growers, plenty of female winemakers, siblings, friends and international experience are all reinforcing an industry which now feels bonded by camaraderie. This is a game-changer. From Tselepos to Skouras to Gaia to Monemvasia, as old rivalries fade, the next generation is creating a new legacy by youthful revolution.

6. Dark rosé should become a trend

In Greece, I found it can be deeply fruity, dry, or even have an appetising touch of sweetness. Deeper colour seems to allow a more faithful iteration of local grapes – in my view, Greece can deliver much more range and complexity by not worrying about the current obsession with pale rosé. Samartzis Winery’s Mouhtaro One 2022 (Alcohol 13%) is one of my favourite deeper rosés (think strawberry meets pomegranate) and, alas with no UK importer, currently is available from botilia.gr for €15.60 – even with clobbering import taxes outside the EU plus shipping fees, I ordered myself a case [check with the retailer before finalising purchase].

7. The most recent vintage is not necessarily the best

Greek wines, both red and white, take time. While it can deliver fruity flair in youth, Xinomavro benefits hugely from bottle age and I’m pleased to see big names such as Boutari, as well as the wizard of Xinomavro himself, Apostolos Thymiopoulos, holding back vintages before release. Liatiko can similarly be wonderful when young, with urgent fruit twisting into a sour cherry tang, but with a few years of bottle age it unwinds into strata of compelling savoury finesse. Ageing Greek white wine, however, is the hidden headline here. When I had the chance to taste the Papagiannakos, Honores Savatiano 2015 (Alc 12.5%) at the winery I nearly fell off my chair, I felt so deeply stunned and delighted by its confounding riddle of everlasting complexity. And even more everyday whites can perform miracles in the bottle, such as Toplou’s Assyrtiko 2019 (Alc 13%) from Crete; a wine which sells locally for just over €10 on release, it ages into a vortex of beeswax, nuts and evocative evolution.

8. Xinomavro is superb and deserves to be the flagship red grape

But beyond the wave of international appreciation for Xinomavro, I am convinced that Limniona and Mouhtaro are both capable of leading the vanguard as the next hero status red wine legends of Greece.

9. Blends are only just beginning

My advice to producers is ‘Be bold!’. Muses Estate’s entry-level Clio white (Alc 12.5%) is perfectly balanced, fused from Assyrtiko, Roditis and Savatiano, and oustanding

value in the UK (2022, £15.95, Strictly Wine). And while I adore a varietal Malagousia white, it too performs gentle aromatic miracles as part of a blend. While I mostly eschew international grape varieties in Greek wine (Avantis Estate Syrah Collection 2019 being a notable exception), they can prove useful for blending.

10. Dessert wines are stellar and a huge part of Greek wine heritage

Samos is famous, Santorini’s vinsanto is legendary, but I would urge you to take another look at top-quality aged Mavrodaphne. I’m a particular fan of the work of Parparoussis Winery, and for a mind-blowing balance of sticky zing its white Muscat de Rio Patras 2018 is available from Cava Spiliadis UK for £28.50/50cl. It’s a world-class wine that every dessert wine fan simply must taste.

In my glass this month

After tasting the Muses Estate, Mouhtaro 2021 at the winery I ordered a case from an online seller, because it makes me as happy as any bottle of red I can remember. It is turbo-scented (redolent of those haunting violet whispers from high-altitude Malbec), and the palate is a delicious riddle: sundried tomato meets wild strawberry with a surging freshness on the finish and deeply dynamic vitality. Though the wine is youthful now with firm oak, its gentle spice will settle with age and reveal even more of this rare Greek grape’s outstanding pedigree, and almost Rioja-meets-Rhône character. Here the Valley of the Muses has spelled out an ancient modern legend.

Related articles

• Greek white wines to drink this summer
• Sailing the Ionian Islands
• Greek odyssey: Olly Smith’s pick of the regions and wines

It’s simultaneously one of Europe’s most ancient winemaking regions – and one of its most up-and-coming. And yet, for whatever reason, Croatia is perhaps not the first holiday destination to come to mind for the vinous traveller. But the appeal of the sun-soaked Istrian peninsula, circled in blue Adriatic Sea, becomes abundantly obvious when you check into Meneghetti Wine Hotel. Set just inland from a west-facing coast flecked with beach, ancient Roman ruins and vineyards aplenty, the secluded Relais & Châteaux estate dishes up both old-world charm and an exciting wine offering; including bottles crafted onsite. Dare we say it, who needs Italy or France?

Indulge on the ground

On the approach to Meneghetti – via its pin-straight, tree-lined drive – you might momentarily imagine that you’ve landed in Tuscany. Manicured vines radiate outwards amid bushy patches of gnarled olive trees. Rigid cypresses flank stone farmhouse buildings with terracotta roofs. But though the Italian border is less than a two-hour drive away, this is firmly Croatia. Here Malvasia Istriana grapes dominate in a range of styles – from zesty and floral to oak-aged and honeyed – while red grape Teran reaches tannic, inky depths.

Meneghetti was designed to celebrate the region’s long wine history. Vineyards encircle the estate and, by the pool, rows of ripening grapes are in view when you relax with a good book. Likewise, you’ll see them from the grounds of the private villas, which exude a rustic but sophisticated Provençal-style mood. Elsewhere, green vines creep across the stone exterior of farm-style buildings, and wind over pergolas.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and there is ample opportunity to drink the fruits of the vineyard too. Meneghetti’s own wines, born from the stone- and iron-rich terra rossa soils, are showcased in the design-forward cellars. Book in for a vertical tasting, sampling reds from 2009 onwards, or take things more relaxed, sipping golden-hued Malvasia with a charcuterie board on the terrace. Do try the olive oil, too, which has won plaudits from Flos Olei, one of the most respected expert olive oil guides.

Food is another highlight. Daytime relaxed affairs unfold at Oliveto, where sea bass ceviche and burrata with prosciutto are plated up under umbrellas overlooking the vines. Come evening, a refined tasting menu takes centre stage at the main restaurant, as diners parade through the likes of ravioli with black truffle; crispy egg with wild asparagus and caviar; braised beef cheek with polenta. All washed down, of course, with a considered wine list that features not only an excellent back catalogue of Meneghetti wines but a vast range of fine European bottlings. Take your pick from Château Lafite Rothschild 1990, or a red from neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Explore beyond

From its ancient Greek winemaking roots – via the Yugoslavian era, which largely quashed quality – Istria has newly emerged to be one of the Mediterranean’s most exciting vinous pockets, particularly for white wines. And the visitor experience is growing in reputation too. Between a half-hour and hour’s drive north of the hotel, a glut of options awaits for a day of tastings.

At Kozlović Winery, founded in 1904, indigenous varietals such as Malvasia Istriana, Teran and Momjan Muscat rule, with tastings held alfresco on warm days. Further south at Matošević, old Malvasia vines perched on hilltops above the sea provide a different profile. Or try long-established Kabola Winery, an organic producer running the gamut from sparklings to sweet wines.

Beyond the grape, take time to enjoy Istria’s other pleasures too. To the south in Pula, a remarkable Roman-era amphitheatre towers above the coast. Inland, deep caves welcome cool, adventurous exploring. And in opulent Opatija, regal Habsburg villas line the waterfront, a scene so photogenic it’ll have you instantly contemplating a return visit to Croatia.

For more information, visit the Meneghetti Wine Hotel website.

Related articles

• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Lombardy, Italy
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Akelarre, San Sebastián, Spain
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Loisium Wine & Spa Hotel Champagne, France

Lying on the Balkan peninsula between Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania, Montenegro has five national parks, highlighting its dramatic landscapes and unspoilt nature.

Through the millennia, its original inhabitants, the Illyrians, were joined by Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottoman Turks. While much of the coast was under Venice from 1392 to 1797, the mountainous interior came under the Ottoman Turks from 1496 to 1878. You’ll notice these influences in regional cuisine, architecture and dialects. Nowadays, tourism accounts for 25% of the country’s GDP – with the most popular destinations, Kotor and Budva, overlooking the Adriatic.

Montenegrin wines are little known abroad, as most are consumed at home. It’s believed the ancients already made wine here and celebrated the Dionysian cult. Regarding reds, the oldest known indigenous variety is Kratošija (very closely related to Primitivo / Zinfandel), recorded in the Budva Statute in the 15th century. But after the phylloxera epidemic in the early-20th century, the Vranac grape became more prominent, and now accounts for 70% of vines. Krstač is the dominant autochthonous variety for whites. Traditional methods are still highly respected, but recently several new family-run boutique wineries have opened, bringing modern techniques and flavours to the Montenegrin wine scene.

We begin our tour in Podgorica. It’s not generally regarded as a top destination, but being the capital, it’s well served by year-round international flights, and it lies near several outstanding wineries.

Podgorica

On the vast Zeta Plain, surrounded by limestone mountains, Podgorica straddles the Morača river. The city was bombed during WWII, so most of it today is modern – city life focuses on the main square, Trg Republike, approached via the central thoroughfare, Ulica Slobode. One sight worth visiting is the neo-Byzantine Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, decorated with golden mosaics and consecrated in 2013.

Montenegro’s biggest winery, producing 90% of the country’s wine, is state-owned Plantaže. Plantaže’s extensive vineyards stretch south of Podgorica as far as Lake Skadar, accounting for some 11.5 million vines, two-thirds of which are Vranac. At the Šipčanik wine cellar, occupying a hangar at a former military base, Plantaže’s standard one-hour tasting comprises the three main native varieties – Krstač, Kratošija and Vranac.

Plantaže took seven awards at Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2023, including a Silver medal for its red Pro Corde Vranac 2020. Pro Corde means ‘for the heart’ in Latin – apparently, it’s high in condensed tannins (believed to be health-promoting by some). It’s a reliable inexpensive buy, available at supermarkets throughout the country.

Driving north to the village of Rogami (where Kratošija is said to have originated), you’ll find several excellent family-run wineries. The biggest, producing 50,000 bottles annually, is Krgović Arhonto, founded in 2009 by Ljubiša Krgović, former governor of the Central Bank of Montenegro. At the winery, overlooking the ruins of the ancient Illyrian-Roman capital, Duklja (Doclea), be sure to taste Arhonto Kartošija (Primitivo di Montenegro) and Arhonto Vranac (70% Vranac, 30% mix of Kartošija and Cabernet). Note how Vranac is a full-bodied winter wine, high in tannins, as opposed to Kartošija, which is a little lighter and fruitier.

Nearby, Dragica Vučinić, Montenegro’s first female winemaker, runs the Zenta Vučinić winery. She learnt the art of viticulture from her parents and started commercial production in 2005. She’ll gladly show you the cellar, in a 25-metre-long tunnel, carved into the rocks below the house, and then take you up to the tasting room, with a wooden beamed ceiling and views over the vineyards. She makes seven different wines, all single-varietal, totalling 2,500 bottles annually, and explains that Kartošija can be drunk a little cooler than most reds, at 14°C, while Vranac is better at 18°C.

Northwest of Podgorica, in Novo Selo, on the road to Danilovgrad, Keković Estate welcomes visitors to wine and olive oil tasting upon reservation. At DWWA 2023, its fruity Sauvignon Blanc 2022 won a Bronze.

South of Podgorica, near Golubovci, on the way to Virpazar, the Knežević family produces wines under the Monte Grande label and welcomes guests daily, by appointment. Unusual for Montenegro, the estate specialises in whites – be sure to try the Chardonnay.

Lake Skadar National Park

From Podgorica, a good fast road leads southwest to Virpazar, overlooking Lake Skadar National Park. The lake’s unique ecosystem attracts pelicans, cormorants and herons, and it’s on the Ramsar wetlands list. You can tour the lake, with its clusters of bamboo and water lilies, by boat or kayak, and try carp, either fresh or smoked and marinated – locals recommend drinking red Vranac with it as it’s rather fatty.

Virpazar is the centre of the Crmnica wine region, the original home of the Vranac grape. Viticulture has a long history here, and many family-run wineries preserve that tradition. You might sleep at Eco Resort & Winery Cermeniza, where the Đurišić family has been making wine for generations. Taste the appley white Krstač, and the Vranac and Vranac Barrique, both aged in oak. The team doesn’t add sulphites as it don’t sell its wines commercially.

Nearby, in the village of Donji Brčeli, the Kopitović winery cultivates Kratošija and Vranac to produce four robust reds. This family also has a long history here, and hosts tasting on request in its 300-year-old stone cellar, accompanied by platters of cheeses, cured meats and olives, and genuine old-fashioned hospitality.

North of Virpazar, on the Crnojevića river, close to the lake, Wine Gallery Bogojević offers another fine-tasting experience. Its red Bogdan 2017, made from Vranac, was awarded a Silver at DWWA 2023.

Budva Riviera

Montenegro’s best beaches lie along the 35-km Budva Riviera, running from Trsteno to Buljarica. It centres on Budva, where the Venetian-walled old town is a labyrinth of stone alleys. However, the surrounding high-rise development has somewhat spoilt Budva.

East of the town, in Bečići, you have a string of big modern resort hotels giving onto a sandy beach. Further southeast, Sveti Stefan is a romantic cluster of medieval stone cottages on a fortified islet, connected to the mainland by a causeway. It launched as the luxurious Aman Sveti Stefan in 2008 (see address book section for further details).

Kotor Bay

Often dubbed Europe’s southernmost fjord, Kotor Bay is a 28km-long meandering inlet. Rimmed by soaring mountains, its shores are dotted with centuries-old settlements – Herceg Novi, Risan, Perast, Dobrota, Kotor Town, Prčanj and Tivat – making it Montenegro’s top cultural destination. It’s ideally explored by boat or sea kayak – from the water, you get ever-changing perspectives of the bay and the surrounding rugged peaks.

Deep inside the bay lies Unesco-listed Kotor. Protected by Venetian-era fortifications, its pedestrian-only old town is a huddle of cobbled streets and noble Baroque buildings – visit the 12th-century Romanesque cathedral, on the main square, and the Maritime Museum, tracing Montenegro’s seafaring past.

Behind Kotor rises Mount Lovćen (1,749m), crowned by the monumental Njegoš Mausoleum, designed by sculptor Ivan Meštrović to celebrate the life of 19th-century Montenegrin Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović-Njegoš. It’s approached up 461 steps, and affords magnificent sweeping panoramic views over the entire country. On the eastern edge of Lovćen National Park, lies Cetinje, Montenegro’s former royal capital.

Near the mouth of Kotor Bay, set amid hillside vineyards above Herceg Novi, is the Savina winery. Here the Obradović family hosts tasting in a lush garden with spectacular views back down to the bay. Savina’s Merlot 2018 won a Silver medal at DWWA 2023, and its Chardonnay frequently picks up prizes too.

Ulcinj

Moving down the coast to the very south of the country, Ulcinj lies close to the border with Albania. The oldest part of town is contained within the walls of a sturdy medieval fortress, built on a small peninsula. Unlike other Montenegrin towns, it has lots of mosques and a sizeable Albanian population. Southeast of town, Velika Plaža (‘Long Beach’) is a 12km swathe of sand, much-loved by kite surfers.

Northeast of Ulcinj, in the hills of Briska Gora, Brano Milović grows Vranac. It does particularly well here and his robust red Status, Status Barrique and Status Reserve are highly sought after.

My perfect weekend in Kotor Bay

The shores of Kotor Bay offer a choice of classy hotels. Of these, I’d suggest the recently refurbished Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay, enjoying spectacular views across the water to the surrounding mountains, plus a beach, spa, health and wellbeing retreat, gourmet dining and superb rooms and suites.

Friday

Book in at the hotel and have a late-afternoon swim from the beach. For millennia, Kotor Bay has offered shelter from the open sea to passing ships – bathing in these tranquil waters, it’s easy to see why.

Evening

Dine on the waterside terrace at Lighthouse Restaurant, specialising in fresh local fish. Ask your waiter to recommend the catch of the day, plus the best Montenegrin wine to accompany it.

Saturday

Morning

After a buffet breakfast on the Blue Restaurant terrace, take a boat tour from the hotel, sailing across the bay to Perast, with its twin island churches, then out onto the open sea to visit the extraordinary Blue Cave.

Afternoon

Have a healthy salad for lunch at Bliss Pool Bar and swim at the green-tiled infinity pool. Then head for Spa Soul to indulge in a massage or skin rejuvenation treatment.

Evening

Take a boat transfer for an aperitif at Underwater Cellar Kraken‘s raft in Kotor Bay. Try the Muscat Barrique white wine, aged for one year at a depth of 20m under the sea. Then head into Kotor Town (which is more peaceful come evening, once the cruise ships have left), to wander its lovely stone alleys and squares, and see the hillside fortifications, floodlit after dark. Dine at Galion, overlooking the bay, offering a modern take on local favourites.

Sunday

Morning

Visit the Savina winery above Herceg Novi to taste Chardonnay and Merlot. You’ll need either a private transfer or a hire car – avoid traffic congestion by driving onto the Lepetane-Kamenari ferry at the narrowest part of the bay.

Afternoon

Drive up to Lovćen (via Tivat) to visit the Njeguš Mausoleum for spectacular panoramic views over Montenegro’s remarkable landscapes and out to sea.

Depart from either Podgorica or Tivat airport.

Your Montenegro address book

Restaurants

Lighthouse Restaurant, Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay

Waterside hotel restaurant specialising in fish – try the seafood platter, which combines saffron and prawn risotto, tuna steak and delightfully tender slow-cooked octopus.

Galion

Refined modern seafood restaurant, with a deck built over the water, just outside the walls of Kotor Town.

Tri Ribara (‘Three Fishermen’)

On the waterfront in Rafailovići, near Bečići on the Budva Riviera. Much loved by locals, this rustic eatery has been run by a family of fishermen since it opened in 1982. Fresh fish caught each morning and open all year.

Restoran Pelikan

In Virpazar, Pelikan serves traditional local specialities from Lake Skadar – carp, eel and trout. It also has boats and arranges cruises on the lake.

Accommodation

Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay

Big luxurious modern resort hotel in Donji Stoliv, overlooking Kotor Bay. Expect spacious rooms with marble bathrooms, a choice of bars and restaurants, a beach and two spas.

Palazzo Radomiri 

Heritage boutique hotel in Dobrota, overlooking Kotor Bay, a 20-minute walk from Kotor Town. There’s a garden restaurant and rooms are furnished with antiques.

Aman Sveti Stefan

The gorgeous island complex is shut, but you can still stay at the luxurious eight-suite Villa Miločer on the mainland, with its spa and beach.

Eco Resort & Winery Cermeniza

In a terraced garden with a pool, near Virpazar, Cermeniza has six cosy stone cottages with wooden beamed ceilings and kitchenettes. It offers wine tasting, homemade dinners, and bikes for guests’ use.

Hilton Podgorica

Right in the centre of Podgorica, the Hilton is best known for its rooftop Sky Bar, affording great views over the city. It also has a spa and indoor pool.

Wine shops and bars

Bucca Wine Bar

A chic bar serving quality local wines in Podgorica.

Salon Vina

Private wine tasting by appointment in Podgorica.

Underwater Cellar Kraken

Wine tasting on a raft in Kotor Bay.

How to get there

Fly to Podgorica or Tivat

Related articles

• Istria for wine lovers
• The Dalmatian Islands for wine lovers
• A perfect weekend in Dubrovnik

After the decade-long Trojan War, Odysseus and his crew sailed home to the Ionian Island of Ithaca. According to Homer’s ancient Greek epic The Odyssey, they encountered a race of one-eyed giants, only to find themselves trapped in a cave serving as snack food for the Cyclops, Polyphemus. To escape, Odysseus served Polyphemus wine until he fell asleep drunk, then blinded him with a sharpened stake. Today, sailing the Ionian Islands entails fewer risks of encountering mythical beasts. Instead, this verdant rocky archipelago promises rare and enchanting wines, heart-stopping beaches and idyllic anchorages in old Venetian ports.

Nestled off the western coast of mainland Greece, the six core Ionians, plus a splatter of satellites, starkly contrast the Cyclades’ tidy cubic lines and arid landscapes. Stretching as far north as Albania down to the Peloponnese Peninsula, each island has a distinct personality stemming from history, culture and natural beauty.

Sailors – novice and accomplished alike – flock to this sapphire sea for easygoing conditions and festive ports of call. One Greek wine importer and avid sailor, Ted Diamantis of Diamond Wine Importers, calls it ‘the bathtub of Greece’ for its gentle breezes and calm conditions. Short distances between the islands make navigation straightforward, allowing passengers and captains to spend more time on land.

Though myriad islands deserve visiting – including Corfu in the north – a tried-and-true sailing route starts in Lefkada and weaves down around Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and back. The sailing season runs from April through October and charter boats book a year in advance, so plan accordingly.

Lefkada

While still mainly under the radar with international travellers, Lefkada connects to mainland Greece by a narrow causeway and features a rugged coastline with Greece’s most spectacular beaches. Most of the islands have a similar western coast topography: steep limestone cliffs eroding into the waves, the calcareous sediment leaving dazzling white sand beaches kissed by a band of milky tourmaline water separating the deeper cobalt sea. Accordingly, most ports sit inside protected harbours of the north, east and south coasts.

Sail Ionian, a popular family-run charter outfit on Lefkada, operates out of Vliho Bay. It offers different lengths and sizes of yachts for 7-day, 14-day and 21-day charters, whether skippered, flotilla or bareboat. The company is not a yacht agent; it care for its boats and hire staff personally.

Arrive a day or two before your scheduled departure to experience Lefkada. Most travellers rent a car in Athens and drive the four-hour trip west. Sail Ionian offers complimentary parking near the boat berths while you’re away.

One needs a car in Lefkada to visit the famous beaches of Porto Katsiki, Egremni and Kathisma and to dine out in Lefkada Town. Thymari restaurant offers modern regional cuisine and a good wine list. Another popular activity – popular enough to require a table reservation – is to catch a sunset drink at one of several cliffside bars such as Fly Me and Amente.

Though Lefkada doesn’t have the recognition of its southern neighbour Kefalonia, its wine industry spans six active wineries which supply restaurants, bars and grocers with wine from indigenous varieties. Island-wide production falls under PGI Lefkada.

The local red grape Vertzami is arguably the island’s most important variety, typically fashioned into a lighter, slightly rustic, cherry-scented red. With a slight chill, Vertzami suits languorous days on the bow of a boat. White grape Vardea produces light, bright quaffable table wines that pair well with fresh grilled fish and hearty Greek salads. The easiest way to taste local wines is to visit Lefkaditiki Gi winery, where walk-ins are welcome. At the tasting bar, you’ll find a line-up of stainless steel, skin-contact and oak-aged Vardea, rosé from Vertzami, a dry red, and a sweet wine called Melidonos, produced by blending partially dried grapes of Vertzami and Patrino.

Book a visit or look for the wines from Siflogo winery at restaurants. Vasilis Papanikolopoulos makes certified organic wines from classic varieties Vardea and Vertzami, a pink-skinned Mavropatrino and an orange wine from Chlori.

Ithaca

For its outsized personality in Greek mythology, Ithaca surprises with its quiet appeal and diminutive ports. While indigenous grape varieties exist, they’re found mostly in small garden plots for family winemaking.

Vathy and Kioni, the two main settlements, welcome sailors seeking overnight berths. Pretty houses with tiled roofs, old mansions, and stone-paved paths reflect Vathy’s Venetian influence. The settlement is believed to be the Homeric harbour of Phorcys, where the Phaeacians left a sleeping Odysseus. Fanned out in a deep-water amphitheatre, Vathy eclipses Kioni in size, providing a good base for hiring a car or scooter, replenishing provisions, and dining out. Family-owned Tsiribis restaurant, on the northeast side of the harbour ten minutes out of town and close to Loutsa beach, attracts repeat sailors year after year for fresh fish and reasonable prices.

Kioni, a picturesque jewel box of a port, dates to the 16th century. Stone mansions with blue shutters and red tile roofs interspersed between waterfront tavernas compose a postcard-worthy image from the vantage of a sailboat.

Kefalonia

Within the Ionian archipelago, Kefalonia has the most robust wine industry. It’s also the chain’s largest island and the sixth largest in Greece. Winemaking dates to ancient times, with archaeological findings suggesting that wine was produced on the island from 500 BC, according to Kostas Bazigos, director of the Robola Cooperative of Kefalonia. However, the modern industry started in earnest in the 1970s.

The main grapes of Kefalonia are Robola, Vostilidi, Muscat and Zakynthino for whites and Mavrodaphne for red. Robola of Kefalonia is the only white grape to earn a PDO; the rest fall under the PGI classification. PDO Mavrodaphne of Kefalonia covers a historic sweet red fortified style; winemakers leaning into modern dry styles hope the PDO will eventually encompass those, too.

Many Robola vines grow ungrafted at more than 300m on the limestone slopes of Mount Ainos (or Aenos). The light, bright, herbal and citrusy wines reflect the soil through a chalky flintiness. Vostilidi has a soft creaminess, lemony salinity and orchard fruit notes. Winemakers use Mavrodaphne to create various styles, from a youthful crunchy, fruity expression akin to Beaujolais to a more structured wine aged in oak.

The Strait of Ithaca separates Kefalonia to the west and Ithaca to the northeast. The strait is approximately 20km long and 4-6km wide, offering an easy, protected crossing from Ithaca to Kefalonia. Fiskardo, located at the northern tip of Kefalonia, has evolved from a quiet fishing village into a wildly popular summer stop for mega yachts and sailboats. No matter the class of one’s transport, everyone eats, drinks and revels equally along a strip of bay-hugging restaurants and bars, including at the oldest and most famous – Tassia – which has an excellent local wine list. Though the village has a cosmopolitan burnish, it remains one of the quaintest ports in the Ionians, having survived the archipelago-wide earthquake of 1953 with its colourful mix of Venetian and Neoclassical architecture intact.

At around 800km², Kefalonia has a plethora of glittering bays and deep blue inlets for mooring, many accessible only by sailboat. However, as a base to explore the island’s wineries and picturesque beaches, head for the sheltered capital city of Argostoli on the island’s southwest coast, where cars hires are plentiful.

There are two trails for visiting wineries. The first follows the fertile plains and hills of Paliki, a peninsula jutting down the west coast. The quickest route to the peninsula crosses the narrow gulf by car ferry from Argostoli to Lixouri. During summer, the ferry runs every 30 minutes. On Paliki, stop for the natural, biodynamic skin-contact wines of Sclavos Wines. Reservations are preferred, especially if you want to sample a local charcuterie and cheese board. Nearby, Haritatos Vineyard cultivates indigenous varieties and accepts visitors by appointment amidst the vines at its country stone estate.

The second longer trail covers a wider berth, starting just outside Argostoli and heading up and around Mount Ainos to the plateau of Omala. Boutique producer Gentilini Winery showcases Robola of Kefalonia’s range through bottlings of high-altitude vineyard sites, old vines, wild yeast ferments, barrel ageing and extended lees contact. Orealios Gaea, the Robola Cooperative of Kefalonia, welcomes around 80,000 visitors a year to its cellar door to taste mountain Robola wines.

Zakynthos

Though Zakynthos earned a reputation as a hard-partying destination for British holidaymakers, the island has matured into a mix of rustic and upscale experiences. Dip into its rural side by anchoring in the sparely populated north. The port in the settlement of Agios Nikolaos overlooks mainland Greece. Consider heading to the overrun but justifiably famous Navagio beach in the morning. The draw here is a rusted hull of an old shipwreck trapped in a cove between towering cliffs. Nearby, the blue caves offer a stunning collection of sea grottoes. Sunlight reflects off calcareous walls to turn the water an iridescent blue. Moor south in Zakynthos main port to experience a new crop of restaurants and bars from island tastemakers, tucked into narrow streets between Venetian buildings. However, you’ll have one of the best dining experiences at a hotel, Olea All Suite. Book a table for sunset at Flow Dine & Wine to sample the island’s most sophisticated Greek-inspired food with wine pairings.

PGI Zakynthos covers the tiny but fascinating indigenous wine industry. White wines include a long list of grapes though winemakers blend Robola, Skiadopoulo, Katsakoulias and Pavlos to make a traditional ‘green’ or high-acid wine called Verdea. Vostilidi of Zakynthos makes dry modern whites and sun-dried sweet wines, offering citrus fruits and white blossoms aromas.

Red grapes include Avgoustiatis, Katsakoulias, Mavrodaphne and a few others. Avgoustiatis produces dry rosés and reds with berry fruit, spice and violet notes.

Three wineries see the most visitors. The cute but kitschy Callinico Winery Museum, founded in 1918, pours over 15 local wines. Set in a verdant spot of the Zakynthian hinterland, Goumas Estate hosts visitors in a 19th-century building and pours several styles of Vostilidi of Zakynthos and Avgoustiatis. Grampsas Winery serves lunch and dinner, focusing on local dishes like ladenia (flatbread) with ladograviera (Zakynthian cheese) and open ravioli boutridia (Zakynthian ratatouille) with langoustines. The rustic property sits near the semi-mountainous village of Lagopodo.

With breathtaking landscapes, singular wines and rich history, the Ionian Islands offer a sailing experience unlike anywhere else in Greece. So, hoist the sails, set a course, and let the archipelago enchant.

Related articles

• The Sporades for wine lovers
• Greek odyssey: Olly Smith’s pick of the regions and wines
• Decanter’s dream destination: Scalani Hills Boutari Winery & Residences, Crete

The industrial port city of Pula, founded by the Romans, sits on Istria’s southern tip, while the cheerful seaside resorts of Rovinj and Poreč lie on the west coast. Inland you’ll find undulating hills supporting vineyards, olive groves and oak forests (concealing pungent truffles), overlooked by medieval-walled hill-towns such as Motovun and Grožnjan.

Culturally, the Illyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Austro-Hungarians have all left their marks here. Much of Istria came under Venice from the 13th century till 1798, and the Italian influence is apparent in the centuries-old fortifications, churches and loggias, in the local cuisine (lots of pasta, gnocchi and risotto dishes, plus fresh Adriatic seafood) and the dialect (Italian is the second language here). Tourism developed under Yugoslavia in the 20th century, when modern resorts were built along the coast. Since then niche markets have flourished: cycling, hiking and agrotourism inland, and sailing, sea-kayaking and scuba-diving on the Adriatic.

Winemaking here dates from Roman times – hordes of amphorae have been found on the sea bed. Red Teran and white Malvasia prevail, and both are very versatile. The Romans probably brought Teran here, while Istrian Malvasia is said to have arrived from Monemvasia in Greece aboard Venetian ships some 600 years ago. And there’s Muscat too. There are two main types of soil: red soil, containing a lot of iron, which tends to produce fruity wine; and white soil, which gives forth aromatic wine with notable minerality. Many wineries are organic and the grapes hand-picked. All those listed here are open for tasting by appointment.

Pula

Pula‘s skyline is dominated by an impressive Roman amphitheatre, while the site of the Forum is now the main square, overlooked by the proud Temple of Augustus. Roman relics are displayed in the Archaeological Museum, reopening in summer 2023 following renovation. Each morning, Pula’s covered market puts on a show of fresh fruit and vegetables and Adriatic seafood displayed on crushed ice. Come sunset, the industrial port zone lights up, as eight giant cranes are illuminated by multicoloured lighting.

On the edge of town, sisters Katarina and Ana run the welcoming Benazić winery with a cellar carved out of the rocks below the family house, and a slick tasting room of polished concrete. The standard tasting offers six wines and a platter with carefully prepared snacks – the stand out wine is the aromatic Katarina Malvazija Istarska 2020, awarded a Silver medal at Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2022.

Rovinj

For many people, Rovinj is Istria’s loveliest seaside town. Built around a sheltered fishing harbour and overlooked by a hilltop church with an elegant bell tower, you can clearly see Venetian influence in Rovinj’s pastel-coloured facades. With two Michelin-star restaurants and a handful of big modern 5-star waterside hotels (one a member of Design Hotels), Rovinj is Croatia’s second most luxurious destination after Dubrovnik. It lies 36km northwest of Pula.

You’ll find two wineries open for tasting in a residential neighbourhood of Rovinj. Dobravac, where you should try the Sonata Riserva 2020 and orange Simfonija, both from Malvasia; and Vivoda, best known for its fruity St Euphemia 2018, made from Malvasia and aged 16 months in oak, which won a Gold at DWWA 2022.

On a carefully-cultivated hillside southeast of town, Stancija Collis produces good Malvasia and Teran, as well as award-winning olive oil. The winery also keeps donkeys and sells donkey milk.

Motovun

In inland Istria, 68km north of Pula, the medieval-walled hilltown of Motovun is central Istria’s most popular destination. From the fortifications, you have spectacular views over the Mirna Valley, with its lush vineyards, and oak forests loved by truffle hunters. Motovun is exposed to two climates, Mediterranean and Continental – in summer temperatures vary from 40°C during the day to 15°C at night. Teran does especially well here, and Motovun Malvasia has a herbal flavour.

In Motovun, Klaudio Tomaz, a former butcher and keen game hunter, heads the Tomaz winery. His best seller, Malvazija Avangarde, is an easy summery wine. His powerful ruby red Barbarossa Teran 2019, aged 18 months in oak, won a Gold at DWWA 2022. In summer 2023, Tomaz will open a stylish new winery, built from concrete, stone and oxidised metal, with a tasting room overlooking the vineyards.

Below Motovun, in the village of Brkač, at the Fakin winery Marko Fakin grows Malvasia down in the valley, where it is warm and damp, and Teran up on the sun-drenched hill of San Tommaso. His vibrant fruity Fakin Teran 2021, aged six months in oak, also won a Gold at DWWA 2022.

In the village of Kaldir, 5km southeast of Motovun, Benvenuti is run by brothers Albert and Nikola. Taste their superb Teran Livio Benvenuti 2019, and their sweet San Salvatore Muškat 2017, awarded a Platinum medal at DWWA 2022.

Buje & Momjan

Lying close to the Slovenian border, hilltop Buje has a medieval-walled old town with a 16th-century Baroque church on the main square. Amid lush green undulating hills, 6km northeast of Buje, tiny Momjan is famed for Muškat Momjanski, declared a protected label of origin by the EU in 2021 – just five wineries, within a 5km radius of the village, produce this sweet dessert wine. Malvasia and Teran do well here too.

In Momjan, family-run Prelac can truly claim to be a garage winery – in the tasting room, a former vehicle inspection pit has been concealed by an oxidised metal cover. Be sure to try the award-winning Momjan Muškat 2022, and also look out for the quirky Malvazija Under the Sea, aged in bottles at a depth of 20m for one year in the Kvarner Gulf.

Approached up a driveway lined by cypresses and olive trees, Marino Markežić’s Kabola winery occupies an old stone farmhouse. You might recognise it as a location for the 2021 film, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Kabola’s top seller is its light and fruity Istrian Malvasia. Also, try the full-bodied golden Malvazija Amfora – inspired by a visit to Georgia in 2000, Markažić started making wines in big clay amphorae.

Hidden in a cool damp valley, with a stream and natural springs below Momjan, the slick contemporary Kozlović winery, designed by Fabrika architects from Pula, is a world unto its own. The valley produces a delightful fresh Malvasia, while the hot, dry, white-soil vineyard near Buje produces Kozlović Santa Lucia Malvazija 2017, which is aged in big 5,000-litre wooden barrels for 12 months, and was awarded a Platinum medal at DWWA 2022.

Bale

On the road from Pula to Rovinj, surrounded by flat fertile land supporting olive groves, Bale has a sleepy old town with cobbled alleys leading to the 16th-century Soardo-Bembo Castle.

Lying 8km southwest of Bale, Meneghetti is a luxurious wine resort, with rooms, residences and villas, set amid vineyards and olive groves. Its modern winery, designed by Fabrica architects, has a slick tasting room. The extensive portfolio includes sparkling wine and several conceptual labels, such as ‘White’ and ‘Red’. Inspired by memories of time gone by, when the two colours were the only way people differentiated wines, Miroslav Plišo tasked himself with producing the best white and the best red possible. The results are impressive. The fruity mineral-rich Meneghetti White 2021 combines Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, while the powerful Meneghetti Red 2018 uses Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Both are aged in oak.

My perfect weekend in Rovinj

My favourite base in Istria, Rovinj offers a choice of classy waterside hotels. Of these, I’d suggest the newest, the Grand Park Hotel, enjoying magnificent views of the old town across the bay, plus contemporary design, gourmet dining and a rooftop spa.

Friday

Having booked in at the hotel, stroll along the seafront promenade to Rovinj’s lovely old town. Walk around the pretty fishing harbour, rimmed by pastel-coloured houses, hosting seafood restaurants and ice cream parlours, then continue around the peninsula. Originally a tiny island, Rovinj was connected to the mainland coast in 1763, when the sea channel was filled in.

Evening

From the harbour, take an early-evening ride in a traditional flat-bottom batana rowing boat, lit by a fishing lantern. Then return to the hotel for a spectacular dinner at Cap Aureo.

Saturday

Morning

Start with breakfast on the hotel’s Laurel & Berry terrace – the eggs Florentine are divine. Walk over to the old town and up to the hilltop Church of St Euphemia, to climb the bell tower for fantastic views. Then head east of the centre, to visit two wineries, Dobravac and Vivoda. Returning to town, near the port, take a look at the colourful open-air market. Have lunch at waterside Puntulina – I recommend sea bream carpaccio followed by ravioli with truffles

Afternoon

Cycle (the hotel has bikes) south along the coast, through the parkland of Zlatni Rt peninsula, then inland to Stancija Collis, which makes its own wine and olive oil. On the way back, stop for a swim at a pebble cove shaded by pine trees on Zlatni Rt.

Evening

Enjoy Maistra’s Kozlović Dinner and Wine Tasting package, which includes transfer from the Grand Park Hotel to Momjan, for a tour of the Kozlović winery with tasting, followed by a private dinner on the winery rooftop with wine pairing.

Sunday

Morning

After breakfast, drive to Paladini, near Buzet, for truffle hunting in the Mirna Valley with Karlić Tartufi. You’ll be walking through oak forests with dogs, after which you’ll have an optional truffle cooking demonstration and a light lunch. If you forgo lunch, head up to hilltop Motovun to eat at Konoba Fakin.

Afternoon

Depending how much time you have, visit the Tomaz and Fakin wineries (both open Sundays) below Motovun. Depart via Pula airport.

Your Istria address book

Restaurants

Cap Aureo, Rovinj

Reserve in advance to experience Jeffrey Vella’s six-course degustation menu with wine pairing. Expect a sensuous journey, full of surprises, with treats including artichokes, truffles, turbot and lamb.

Puntulina, Rovinj

This waterside restaurant, on the rocks on Rovinj’s old town peninsula, specialises in fresh fish (including raw options, such as carpaccio) and homemade Istrian pasta dishes.

Kantinon, Rovinj

Overlooking the fishing harbour, this informal eatery does typical Istrian fare – try the crni rižot (black risotto made from cuttlefish ink) with a carafe of house wine, white Malvazija from Vivoda.

Fakin, Motovun

In Motovun’s old town, Fakin’s terrace affords sweeping views over the Mirna Valley. Come here for creative dishes based on local seasonal produce, such as tagliatelle with wild asparagus and goat’s cheese, plus Fakin’s own wines.

Konoba Rino, Momjan

Owned by the Prelac winemaking family, Rino stays busy all year, serving authentic homemade dishes, such as fritaja (omelette) with black truffles, and apple strudel paired with a glass of Momjan Muscat.

La Parenzana, Buje

Much-loved by touring cyclists and foodies, steaks and fish are cooked over an open fire, while the kitchen prepares gnocchi with venison at this rustic eatery.

Accommodation

Grand Park Hotel, Rovinj

A smart 5-star hotel with lovely views of Rovinj’s old town across the bay, with contemporary design and a vast rooftop spa.

Grand Hotel Brioni, Pula

By the sea on Verudela peninsula, 5km from the centre of Pula, this big modern 5-star hotel reopened after renovation in 2022.

Meneghetti, Bale

A sprawling complex of luxurious rooms, suites, residences and villas, with two restaurants, a spa and an outdoor pool, set amid beautifully curated gardens and vineyards.

La Parenzana, Buje

This renovated stone farmhouse offers comfortable rooms and a restaurant with outdoor tables on a terrace with wisteria and lavender.

Hotel Kaštel, Motovun

In a 17th-century building on Motovun’s main square, Kaštel has 33 rooms and a café-restaurant with tables shaded by towering chestnut trees.

Hotel Parentium Plava Laguna, Poreč

A big modern 4-star hotel, with outdoor pools and a spa, set amid pine trees on the coast, 5km from Poreč old town.

Wine shops and bars

You’ll want to do your wine shopping direct at the wineries you visit.

Caffe Bar XL, Rovinj

A fine place for a sunset aperitif, with gorgeous views, next to Rovinj’s hilltop church.

Café Cvajner, Pula

On the Forum Square, Cvajner has to be Pula’s coolest spot for coffee or a glass of wine.

Things to do

See the Arena (Roman amphitheatre) in Pula. Originally built to host gladiator fights, it now stages open-air summer concerts and the annual Pula Film Festival. Northeast of Pula, visit Brijuni National Park (accessed by boat from Fažana), an archipelago of green islets, where former President of Yugoslavia Tito kept a summer villa.

Visit the Unesco-listed Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, adorned with glittering golden Byzantine mosaics

In the Mirna Valley, near Buzet, go truffle hunting with Karlić Tartufi.

Also in inland Istria, cycle along the Parenzana, a former railway line running from Poreč to Trieste, which now connects several wine routes.

How to get there

Fly to Pula, served by flights from various airports in the UK.

Related articles

• The Dalmatian Islands for wine lovers
• A perfect weekend in Dubrovnik

Croatia’s Adriatic coast does not shy away from its beauty. Its homes are delightfully Mediterranean with their wind-polished stony walls and red-tiled roofs which vibrate with the summer sun.

While dishes from the blue-green waters of this sea are excellent, the fact that the islands in these waters are wine destinations in their own right is often overlooked.

These are islands that have been inhabited for thousands of years. Various waves of civilisation have come to pass – from the Greeks to the Romans, the Austro-Hungarian crown, two World Wars and ‘Communism lite’. For thirty years the Croatian republic has been a member of the European Union, the Eurozone and Schengen. Despite all the diverse history, the connective tissue has always been the wine.

Since Croatia declared independence in the 1990s, there’s been steady investment in private wineries at the cost of the old collective cooperatives which have nearly all collapsed. There’s also been consolidation around the main grape varieties of Plavac Mali along with a splash of Tribidrag (Croatian Zinfandel) for the reds, and Pošip, Prč, Bogdanuša and Vugava for the whites, depending upon the island.

The evolution of the wine industry has readily kept pace with the rise in visitors and the islands of Dalmatia now make for an excellent destination for any wine lover.

Hvar

A destination within a destination, the island of Hvar has been the hottest point of travel for some time within both Dalmatia and also Croatia as a whole. Its slim profile seems small at first glance, but the fact that it stretches for 100km east to west and features a mountain ridge reaching 626m at Sveti Nikola peak makes the island a hulking bastion of stony slopes and natural harbours.

Winemaking is exceedingly historic here. So much so that the Stari Grad Plain, containing the ruins of old Roman villas as well as winemaking sites, was established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. This is also where winery owners have their ‘cooler’ sites, especially for white wines made from Pošip, Prč and Bogdanuša.

The main wine growing area, however, is on the south side of the island, which is home to epic vineyards of Plavac Mali grapes splashing up the slopes while at the same time plunging into the waters of the Adriatic below. The main winery in this area is well-established Zlatan Otok founded by Zlatan Plenković.

Luviji winery is located just outside Hvar Town. Further towards the middle of the island is the main concentration of wineries with Vina Tomić seeing a wealth of visitors to the village of Jelsa. Also not to be missed in Jelsa is the new winery of Vina Carić which also has a tavern in neighbouring Vrboska.

Korčula

While you can choose whether to buy into the claim of Korčula Town being Marco Polo’s birthplace, the island of Korčula is a fine destination regardless. The massive walls and towers of the old town provide a stunning view when arriving by boat, and the streets have been laid out in a fascinating ‘leaf’ pattern to allow for better air circulation.

Wineries here are all based towards the middle of the island and, as the post-World War II Yugoslavian authorities dubbed this a white-producing region, the white grape Pošip still reigns supreme, although several producers are working with Grk, believed to be an older grape.

Cooperative Pošip PZ Čara has not only managed to stay afloat in the conversion to the free market but also to make stellar wines from Pošip. Krajančić winery also makes Pošip wines of note and is located in the village of Zavalatica. Toreta in the central village of Smokvica makes great white wines as well as dabbling in a bit of red.

Elaphiti – Šipan

The Elaphiti are a series of three small islands that sit like a cluster of paint daubs running northwards from the main port of Dubrovnik. Each has its own attraction – be it the beach, hiking or small chapels – but it’s the largest island, Šipan, which has a more serious wine presence.

The wineries of Daničić and Goravica are both based in Suđurađ and are the only two wineries on Šipan. Both work with a mixture of local and foreign varieties and Mato, the owner of Goravica, also produces carob and olive oil.

Brač

Approaching by sea, the island of Brač’s gleaming white heights conceal its centre – a longstanding source of excellent marble that the quarries, both old and new, will attest to.

It’s a gorgeous island to travel across but most people stay along the more populated areas of the coast and the triangular, sandy beach of Zlatni Rat (often referred to as the Golden Horn) is a tremendous destination in the summer months.

Despite its size and favourable growing conditions due to altitude, there aren’t very many wineries on the island. Those of Senjković and Baković produce great wines from Plavac Mali. But, undeniably, the main draw is Stina which is based on Bol’s waterfront (right next to the famous beach) and took over the ailing Agricultural Cooperative of Bol in 2009. Since then, the winery has been producing some of the top Plavac Mali, Pošip and even Tribidrag wines in all of Dalmatia and as has a fine visitors’ centre.

Vis

Far-flung and remote despite being only 55km from the mainland, Vis feels like a world far removed. This is largely by design as it was a military base closed to outsiders until 1991 and while it sees plenty of visitors in the summer months, is a slightly more relaxed island of Dalmatia.

Wine production is rather recent due to the island being closed off for so long and it’s taken a long time to attract permanent residents who weren’t originally from the island. The main production is of red and rosé wines based on Plavac Mali and white wines from Vugava (or Bugava), thought to be potentially native to the island.

The main producer of note for some time was Lipanović, based in the old submarine bunker making for very photogenic tastings, but Senjanović and Vislander have since added to the mix.

My perfect day in the Dalmatian Islands

Given the development of services over the last few decades, a trip to any of the islands in Dalmatia is sure to be a fine experience. However, when you consider the fuller range of tourist services open for more of the year, my recommendation is Hvar, which happens to be the only island with its own wine association: Hvar Otok Vina (Hvar Island of Wine).

You will need a car no matter where you go and one of the best places to be based is in Hvar Town. It’s a compact, historical town that’s fully walkable on foot and has plenty of hotels, bars and restaurants as well as one of the two main ferry ports of the island (the other one being in Stari Grad).

In terms of accommodation, there are hotels of all sizes, styles and prices but my recommendation is the Hotel Villa Nora which is on the old cobblestone streets of the hill leading up to the fort.

Morning

Start the day with the excellent homemade breakfast served on the patio of Hotel Villa Nora, including the famous dried figs from the island.

From the centre of Hvar, either walk or drive up to the 16th-century Fortica to take in the view of the harbour in the morning light. From there, ramble down for a visit and tasting at Luviji just on the outskirts of the old town.

Afternoon

Take a slow trip out to Vrboska and Jelsa across the Stari Grad Plain, taking in the historical Roman sites which are marked via signage.

Have lunch at Me & Mrs Jones, a great restaurant right on the water serving well-crafted local dishes with modern touches and an excellent wine list.

Make plans for an afternoon visit to the new winery of Vina Carić and/or Vina Tomić which both produce excellent examples of modern Hvar wines using native grapes. Carić also offers a tasting option paired with chocolates from artisan shop Gamulin, which is located on the waterfront of Jelsa.

Later you can pay a visit to the viticulture museum in Pitve (see below). Then take the one-lane Pitve tunnel out to the south side of the island to see the tremendously sloped vineyards. Opt for a sunset stroll in Stari Grad or head back to Hvar Town on the new road (be advised that while new, this is a road that just barely clings to the slopes).

Evening

Hvar doesn’t lack restaurant offerings and in Jelsa, Vrboska and Stari Grad you’ll find fine food options, especially at the traditional konoba (tavern) restaurants, although many can be closed in the off-season – a concept that is rapidly changing as more people visit the island year-round.

A very solid recommendation for evening dining is Macondo in Hvar Town. While known for its seafood, it serves all kinds of dishes, offered up in classic style along with a lengthy list of local wines.

Your Dalmatian Islands address book

Restaurants

Konoba Kopačina

Donji Humac, Brač

+385 21 647 707

Located in the centre of Brač, the restaurant offers a mix of Dalmatian dishes with pleasant outdoor seating when weather permits.

Konoba Maha

Žrnovo, Korčula

+385 91 605 1207

Maha offers a chance to get out of the main tourist spots in Korčula Town. Experience the mix of dishes showcasing seafood, pasta, meat and more, all done Korčula style. Of special note is the peka, a dish of meat, potatoes and herbs baked on coals under a lidded bell.

Konoba Nikola

Vrboska, Hvar

+385 98 192 7120

Located on the canal of this village that locals half-jokingly call ‘little Venice’, this tavern serves traditional island dishes along with a healthy selection of local wines, including an emphasis on those of the owner.

Konoba Tauris

Šipanska Luka, Šipan

+385 98 619 013

While there aren’t too many options on the small island of Šipan, thankfully there’s Tauris which has outstanding seafood and the ability to grill it to perfection. Make sure to call ahead as it is generally closed half the year and will only open for special bookings in the off-season.

Macondo

Hvar Town, Hvar

+385 21 742 850

Fine seafood and other traditional Dalmatian fares. Macondo has a solid list of local wines and is right in the centre of the old town.

Me & Mrs Jones

Jelsa, Hvar

+385 21 761 882

Situated on the harbour, the view would be reason enough to go, but the friendly atmosphere of the owner and host, Josipa, as well as the fine craft of the dishes, gives you a reason to never leave. The wine list is compact but well chosen and importantly, it’s one of the few restaurants open nearly the entire year.

Restoran Pojoda

Vis Town, Vis

+385 21 711 575

Known for its fresh-off-the-boat seafood offerings grilled with expertise. It’s a more traditional setting for the coast, but the outdoor seating is a fine option in the warm months.

Taverna Riva

Bol, Brač

+385 21 635 236

Located right on the waterfront of this port village of the island, the evening view is stupendous. Dishes are a mix fresh seafood as well as plenty of grilled meats, all with the option of the local island wines for pairing.

Accommodation

Hotel Bozica

Suđurađ, Šipan

+385 20 325 400

Offering the tranquil setting of Šipan, this hotel looks down upon the harbour of the main village as the local fishermen of the island come in with their daily catches. A fine option for those looking for a calm, restful getaway.

Maslina Resort

Stari Grad, Hvar

+385 21 888 700

If looking for a higher-end option, this hotel in Stari Grad is a fine choice. Rooms are classy and finely appointed and the hotel is situated close to the yacht harbour.

Villa Nora Hotel

Hvar Town, Hvar

+385 92 217 7466

Set in a 14th-century palace, the rooms are spacious and modern without being over polished and the family who runs it is incredibly hospitable and serve an outstanding breakfast.

Wine shops

Za Pod Zub

Stari Grad, Hvar

+385 95 819 7792

A fine collection of local wines as well as other products, set in the heart of the old cobblestone streets of Stari Grad.

Vijola Hvar

Hvar Town, Hvar

+385 95 399 8900

A very thorough selection of all the local wines as well as a great many from Dalmatia at large and, most importantly, at proper retail prices.

Things to do

Blaca Hermitage

Brač

A stunning 16th-century monastery that was built into a cliff which can be fully visited and has its own onsite museum.

The Viticulture Collection

Pitve, Hvar

This is the first public wine museum in all of Croatia which officially opened in February 2023. It features various historical exhibits and has an explanation of their terroirs on the island. There are also planned activities for tastings as well as the eventual addition of WSET classes.

Stari Grad Plain

Hvar

Stretching between the villages of Stari Grad, Vrboska, and Jelsa, this historic, UNESCO World Heritage Site may initially not seem like much, but hidden within its stacked stone walls are two thousand years of history. If staying in Stari Grad, first make a stop at the historic house of Tvrdalj Petra Hektorovića.

Moreška

Korčula

In addition to Medieval traditions and tournaments in Korčula, the island also hosts the moreška. This is a traditional sword dance and accompanying drama from the 12th and 13th centuries which needs to be experienced in person.

How to get there

The starting point for any trip to the Dalmatian islands is to fly into either Split or Dubrovnik airports, which form the northern and southern gateways to Dalmatia, respectively.

While the islands are very well served by various ferry lines, the majority of regular routes run when there’s a peak of visitors in the summer. The main operator for all islands, throughout the year, is the state company of Jadrolinija, which has offices anywhere you find water where a boat can stop.

Beyond that, each island has something of its own peculiarities in terms of connections. The Elaphiti Islands have a daily, regular passenger ferry throughout the year.

The islands of Hvar and Korčula are served by both passenger and car ferries that run the Split-Dubrovnik route. Korčula can also be reached via a very short, 4km ferry hop from Orebić if you drive up the Pelješac peninsula from Dubrovnik.

Brač and Vis are destinations unto themselves with car ferries running throughout the year. You need your own vehicle on these islands.

Related articles

• The Sporades for wine lovers
• Restaurants by the sea in Italy: 10 to try
• Cyprus travel guide: restaurants, wineries and hotels

A force of the Adriatic, Croatia’s wines have been steadily drawing more and more attention to the already-popular tourist destination. And perhaps that’s in part because if you want to discover the country’s outstanding wines, then you seemingly have to pay a visit.

Wine exports are indeed limited, as attested by the selection of wines that follows – but the unwavering drive for quality across Croatia’s wine regions in recent years isn’t.

Its best results to date were achieved at the most recent Decanter World Wine Awards, where Croatian wines were awarded three Platinum and 16 Gold medals. But for the past three years the nation has maintained a high standard of success at the competition, specifically for its white wines produced with indigenous varieties.

Scroll down to discover 15 of Croatia’s top-scoring white wines from DWWA 2022

Four-time DWWA judge Simon J Woolf is the new joint Regional Chair for the Balkans region alongside Caroline Gilby MW. He reflects: ‘I remember tasting a much wider variety of wines from Dalmatia last year, and I think historically the wines have been a little more rustic, but there’s an increasing amount of quality and diversity coming out of the region, which was great to see.’

The noteworthy success in 2022 for Croatia’s Coastal and Continental white wines shows that the expert judges are clearly excited about the quality wines coming from the nation – and this buzz is steadily being emulated by the wine drinking public and trade alike.

Difficult to track down, but worth the search, below discover 15 of Croatia’s top-scoring white wines, with more to discover at awards.decanter.com

Buzz of the Balkans: Croatia’s white wines

Coastal

Kozlović, Santa Lucia Malvazija, Istria 2017

97 Platinum

kozlovic.hr

100% Malvasia Istriana

Ripe, vibrant with wonderful complexity. There are dried apricots, tropical fruit, hints of camomile, yellow apples, lemon peel and pronounced minerality giving gorgeous freshness. The structured palate is long and well balanced. Alc 14%

Zure, Reventón Grk Sur Lie, Central & South Dalmatia 2019

96 Gold

zure.hr

100% Grk

An oaky-rich wine that opens with a lovely expression of dried summer fruits, melon and a touch of overripe banana peel. Expressive and charming with a vibrant acid backbone giving sensations of freshness. Alc 13%

Kraljevski Vinogradi, Prestige Pošip, North Dalmatia 2019

95 Gold

kraljevski-vinogradi.hr

100% Pošip

Deep golden colour. Lovely, layered richness or aromas, marrying ripe tropical and Mediterranean fruits with some well-integrated oak. Dry with delicate floral characters and an amazingly vibrant character and length. Alc 14%

Matić, Afrodita Malvazija Istarska, Istria 2019

95 Value Gold

vinarija-matic.hr

100% Malvasia Istriana

A complex macerated wine with beautiful aromas of yellow flowers and stone fruits. Full of ripe fruits, lovely minerality, well structured, with a round, smooth and long finish. Alc 13.5%

Vivoda, St Euphemia Malvazija Istarska, Istria 2018

95 Gold

vina-vivoda.hr

100% Malvazija Istarska

Concentrated and rich, having aged for 16 months in oak: suggestions of skin contact and a salty-tangy bitterness. Overripe stone fruits with vanilla yoghurt, bitter oranges, herby pineapple, dried apricots and some iodine tang. Long, really fresh and lively. Alc 13.5%

Zure, Grk Bartul, Central & South Dalmatia 2019

95 Gold

zure.hr

100% Grk

Lemon zest and Mirabelle aromatics lead into nectarine, pineapple and a squeeze of grapefruit. Smooth oaky start then yellow flower notes, a hint og banana, and a mineral saltiness, ending with a wet stone and pine accent. Alc 13%

Ante Sladić, Maraština, Dalmatian Hinterland 2021

94 Silver

antesladicvino.hr

100% Marastina

Ripe peach, quince and buttered nuts with hints of dry straw and a nice mineral edge with a touch of grippy phenolics. Alc 13%

Vina Laguna, Festigia Malvazija Vižinada Riserva, Istria 2017

94 Silver

@vina_laguna

100% Malvazija Istarska

Very delicate, youthful, with white flowers, acacia honey and poached pear. Good fruit concentration, elegant and harmonious. Alc 13%

Cossetto, Prima Luce, Istria 2021

93 Silver

cossetto.hr

100% Malvazija Istarska

Aromatic, with plenty of tropical fruits, yellow fruits, acacia flowers and oriental spices. Dry and structured with some saltiness. Alc 13%

Continental

Dvorska Soškić, Haiku, Plešivica 2019

97 Platinum

soskic.hr

50% Riesling, 50% Manzoni Bianco

A rounded and well-balanced wine with interesting herbal details and some broad spicy tannins. There is a charming creamy texture that adds to the mouthfeel, giving it generosity and character Alc 13.3%

DeMar, Graševina, Zagorje-Međimurje 2020

96 Gold

demar-vina.com

100% Graševina

Haunting aromas of white flowers, spicy jasmine, summer pears and lifted green-lemon notes. The palate grows with sweet-spicy layers of quince, nectarine, jasmine and honeysuckle. Elegant and charming finish with subtle structure. Alc 12.1%

Zlatno Brdo, Gold Cuvée, Baranja 2020

96 Gold

zlatnobrdo.hr

45% Rajinski Riesling, 20% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Gris and 15% Traminac

Intense aromatics, leading with ripe stone fruits, honeyed yellow fruits and a propolis character. The fresh, floral-toned palate builds with notes of melon, rose petals and lychee. A very food-friendly, off-dry wine. Alc 14%

Puhelek Purek, Sauvignon, Prigorje-Bilogora 2021

95 Value Gold

vinapuhelekpurek.hr

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Aromatic, crisp and refreshing, plenty of grassy-green pepper varietal typicity with additional accents of green apple and citrus fruits on an elegant, quite pronounced mineral palate. Long, dry and vibrant finish, Alc 12.5%

Štampar, Sauvignon, Zagorje-Međimurje 2021

95 Gold

vinarija-stampar.hr

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Quite intense and spicy, interesting notes of nutmeg, oriental spices and herbs joining fresh green bell pepper and lemon-lime flavours. Finishes dry with good intensity and plenty of character. Alc 12.5%

Dvorska Šoškić, Taste of Terroir Sauvignon, Plešivica 2021

93 Silver

soskic.hr

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Very pure and peachy, an intensity of lemons, green bell pepper and some oak presence. Dry with very fresh acidity. Alc 12.8%

Search all DWWA 2022 results

Related articles

• Adriatic whites: panel tasting results
• Wines of the Balkans – five things to know
• Faustino Rivero Ulecia – Entrepreneurial legacy

To best describe Albania as a wine-producing country today, a bit of irony must be applied. Its viticultural history dates back to at least the 8th century BC, when ancient Illyrians inhabited the Balkan peninsula; yet, now, nearly 3,000 years later, Albania is at an infancy stage of modern-day wine development, a diamond in the rough virtually unknown to most of the wine world.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for a selection of Albania’s top wines

Why infancy? Colossal challenges had occurred throughout those millennia, especially during the last half of the previous century, when Albania was a repressively-run communist country whose winegrowers had to turn over their grapes to state factories churning out volumes of quality-challenged wine.

After communism collapsed and the free market economy took hold in the early 1990s, thousands of vineyards were abandoned or converted for other agricultural uses by new landowners with bitter memories of the old regime’s dictates.

Since then, however, an ever-increasing number of forward-thinking oenologists and growers have honed the potential for serious quality winemaking and are taking it to impressive heights. Some have even fine-tuned their expertise by working at wineries abroad, such as in Italy and France, or with foreign winemaking consultants visiting Albania.

The basis for this excellence is, of course, provided by nature. With Albania’s western coastline caressed by the Adriatic and Ionian seas, and its northern, eastern and southern borders hugging Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Greece, the country boasts an ideal blend of mediterranean and continental climatic conditions that vineyards love.

Especially sun-drenched ones hosting soils from sand, loess and loam to alluvial and limestone, and at altitudes from 150 to 1, 000 metres above sea level (parts of Albania are quite hilly and host the Albanian alps as well).

These harbour indigenous and regional grape varietals such as Shesh i Zi (black Shesh), Shesh i Bardhë (white Shesh), Kallmet, Debine i Bardhë, Vlosh, Pulës (or Puls; Pulsi) and Serina, which thrive alongside international favourites like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Riesling.

According to Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, recent wine production has reached 2.6 million litres (65% bottled; 35% bulk) in the country’s three main wine regions, North, Central and South. Most (80%) of this is consumed at home, with the remaining 20% exported mainly to Montenegro, Kosovo, Switzerland and Germany.

However, figures for total vineyard hectarage, now estimated at between 6,000 and 10,000 ha, and registered quality wineries, presently 76, are incomplete. A thorough tally is due in 2023 as part of a new national wine law set to align with European Union wine regulations; Albania is now in accession negotiations with the EU.

‘There is a major transition happening with Albanian wine today,’ says agriculture minister Frida Krifca. ‘There is growth. There are investments in new wineries and vineyards. And there’s also a younger generation coming up to continue their family tradition into the future. There is real passion in this development!’

Dashamir Elezi, president of the Albanian Sommeliers Association and one of the country’s strongest advocates of the burgeoning wine sector, adds: ‘Ten years ago, you could barely find Albanian wines on restaurant wine lists even right here in Albania. There were only a few quality producers then, but no one believed their wines could possibly be good; mainly French and Italian wines were ordered. Now that has changed. Today, there are quality Albanian wines from several producers included on the wine lists because consumers are seeking them out, demanding them. The quality and reputation are shifting all across the country.’

Central region

Albania’s most widely planted wine grapes, white Shesh i Bardhë (pronounced shesh-ee-bard-uh) and red Shesh i Zi (shesh-ee-zee) are in the Central region, with approximately 4,000 ha planted in the Kavajë and Durrës districts, which host the Adriatic Sea as their western borders.

One of the leading producers of these wines – and of Albania’s quality wine movement – is Kantina Belba (kantina means winery) in the town of Kavajë, 40 km from Tirana, the Albanian capital.

The estate was founded by winemaker Fatbardh Belba and his brother, Saimir, in 2006, after Fatbardh spent 10 years working at the Cantina La Casella and Il Conventino wineries in Montepulciano, Italy. This experience inspired him to produce wine back home, where his father and grandfather had made raki, the popular national distillate, from Shesh grapes.

Now, together with Fatbardh’s 23-year-old son, Klaid, the Belbas dedicate nearly half of their 17 vineyard ha to these varieties. It isn’t known if the white and black Sheshes are related, but they reveal a true Mediterranean sense of place in Belba’s sustainability-oriented Golemas vineyard site, which sprawls amidst a landscape abundant with wild herbs like oregano and thyme, olive and pomegranate trees, birds, grasshoppers and the occasional praying mantis.

‘The dry, clear air, the gentle climate and the 250 sunny days per year are good for these grapes,’ says Fatbardh Belba.

‘The winds from the Adriatic and the north help keep them clean and disease-resistant, especially as they have “rrallosh”, or loose clusters. Also, they express the mineral character of the terroir.’

Belba adds that his Shesh i Bardhë wines, which show typical citrus, pear and herbal tones, are matured in stainless steel tanks and can age up to six years, thanks to the grape’s prominent acidity. His Shesh i Zi, mainly aged in used barriques, is best when harvested mid-to-late October to achieve a good sugar level, moderate acidity and ripe cherry flavours. Alcohol levels tend to be robust, usually reaching between 13.5% and 14.5%.

Other quality Central region wineries producing Shesh include: Bardha, Skënderbeu, Bello and Kokomani

South region

In Berat – a UNESCO World Heritage Site city as well as a wine district – an array of centuries-old indigenous varieties thrive, such as the white Pulës and Debine e Bardhë, and the red Serina and Debine e Zezë. Some of these have a history almost as colourful as the grapes themselves. During Albania’s nearly 500 years as part of the Ottoman Empire – which ended in 1912 – Serina and Pulës were often planted next to oak trees for the vines to grow up the tree trunks.

‘The oak leaves were supposed to emit a protective odour to help keep the grapes safe and healthy,’ says 32-year-old winemaker Levent Nurellari of Kantina Nurellari. ‘But the climbing vines were also a discreet way for people to grow grapes for making raki in those days. Alcohol was forbidden during Ottoman rule, so people made raki from grapes hidden up a tree!’

Today, Levent and his father, Fatos, who founded the Nurellari winery in 1996, grow Serina and Pulës – called Pulsi here – in their 16.5 ha of vineyards (which also feature Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) via the Guyot training system; no more oak trees.

Serina is vinified either as a fresh and fruity rosé or as a premium full-bodied red wine from grapes dried for several weeks before barrique ageing for a year (see tasting notes below). The Pulsi, noted for its vibrant acidity, is equally versatile; it can be vinified dry and matured in stainless steel, or as luscious, barrel-aged sweet wines.

In the Korcë district to the southeast, at Kantina Korça 2000, winemaker Elisabeta Lëmi – one of Albania’s few female oenologists – produces Serina, Mavrud (also widely grown in Bulgaria) and a barrique-aged ‘Menea’ label Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend as part of the winery’s red roster.

Its high-altitude white varieties, Debine e Bardhë and Riesling, sourced from vineyards nearly 900m high and harbouring limestone, marble and granite in the soils, are particularly exciting. Despite roasting daytime heat (often 40°C even in late summer), the cool evening temperatures preserve the characteristic fresh acidity of the two varieties.

The 2022 vintage is already pointing to outstanding Debine e Bardhë fruit. A recent tank sample has shown gorgeous ripe citrus/grapefruit flavours and sleek, lengthy salinity framed by firm minerality. Elisabeta’s 28-year-old son, Menelaos, also an oenologist, is slated to lend his hands to this vintage.

Other wineries to look out for in Albania’s South region: Çobo (producing a traditional method sparkling wine, Shendeverë, from Pulës grapes), Bejko and Max Mavrud

North region

In the Lezhë district, there’s a saying that ‘it’s difficult to find someone with neat hair’. This refers to the constant winds swirling through the hilly area just 14km from the Adriatic coast. But they happen to be ideal for the showcase grape in the vineyards: Kallmet.

This sensitive, thin-skinned red variety, also known as Kadarka in Hungary and Gamza in Bulgaria, is susceptible to fungal infection, so the dry climate and cleaning winds along with the alluvial soils of Lezhë are ideal for nurturing healthy grapes.

‘The dryness is so beneficial, that we spray the vineyards only two or three times per year,’ says Gjoke Gjini, who runs his family-owned Kantina Kallmeti.

Founded in 2006, the winery produces 80,000 bottles of Kallmet in three versions: an easy-drinking ‘classic’ style; a full, barrique-aged ‘Prestigj’ and an Amarone-style ‘Privilegj’ from rack-dried grapes.

Kallmet is grown also in the Shkodër and Malësi e Madhe district.

Other quality producers here include: Arbëri, Mrizi i Zanave and UkaWine.

With its impressive roster of indigenous grapes and ever-growing winemaking talent, Albania is finally taking its turn to be recognised as an impressive Balkan wine country by wine lovers and professionals both at home and abroad.

While most other Balkan countries have been enjoying an acclaimed wine renaissance over the last several years – Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia are excellent examples – Albania has remained fairly hidden from wine stage view. Until now.

Slowly but surely, its wines are making their way to tables in Europe and the United States first and foremost because of their distinctive expressions, but just as importantly because of food pairability and relative price affordability.

However, just as its Balkan neighbours have shown, Albania still has a long way to go in terms of gaining a foothold with a broader audience. And even then, it will always be – just like most of its neighbours – what also lends to its beautiful uniqueness: a niche wine country.

Darrel Joseph’s top 10 Albanian wine recommendations

Wines are listed by colour and style in score order

Related articles

Europe in 12 top winery experiences

Cycling in Geneva: The countryside wine hunt

Georgia: Top three destinations for wine lovers

When it comes to holidays, you usually have to choose your camp. Sun and beach or lush vineyard landscapes? But Crete blurs the dichotomy. This ray-drenched, breeze-tickled Greek isle, hovering above the north of Africa, has the lot.

Sands lapped by warm blue surf, and hills striped in vines. Lazy lounger days under reliable blue skies and calm nights sipping wine made just down the road. And, a winery with rooms. Boutari’s Scalani Hills, just southeast of the island’s gateway city Heraklion.

In comparison to the Greek Cycladic island of Santorini – which made its name internationally with indigenous variety Assyrtiko – the wines of Crete fly somewhat under the radar. (In fact, Boutari, founded in Naoussa in 1879, has had a Santorini winery since the 1980s.)

But there is serious vinous history on Crete. One of the world’s oldest grape presses, dating to about 1,600BC, was unearthed at Minoan complex Vathypetro – just a 15-minute drive from Scalani Hills.

These days, island producers such as Alexakis, Stilianou and Michalakis are making eclectic wines from white grapes such as Vilana and Thrapsathiri, and red ones like Mandilaria. Among the established names, Boutari blends Greek favourites with well-known international varietals such as Chardonnay and Syrah.

Sleep among the vines

Of all the wineries with plots in the Archanes region near Heraklion, Boutari’s Scalani Hills outpost has an enticing USP. It boasts a clutch of charming, contemporary rooms. Three suites open to prime views over 7ha of knobbly old olive trees and vines.

The two-person suites are named after star local grape varieties: Liatiko, Malvasia and Kotsifali (a particular Archanes specialty). Set in a centuries-old former cottage, they are dressed in soothing neutral decor.

A private terrace is your setting for devouring a breakfast of Cretan favourites (think sticky grape jams and moreish must biscuits). Plus there are as many Boutari wines as you care to drink. That is, if you haven’t already had your fill sipping through flights in the winery’s glass-lined tasting area.

Kotsifali, the two-storey maisonette, has a particularly wow-factor fireplace set under its soaring white wood-panelled ceiling. While cosy Liatiko looks out over a shady pergola. Ideally, you’d come as a crew of six, and take all three suites for the ultimate, private Greek vinous hideaway.

This isn’t a sprawling resort, so you shouldn’t expect loads of amenities. For that, the beachfront hotels of Crete’s north coast have more to offer. Rather, you’re here to bask in the rural tranquillity of it all. Kick back with a book while draining a bottle of easy-drinking, cherried Kotsifali and Mantilaria red. When bellies rumble, tuck into platters of dolmades, nutty Cretan graviera cheese and estate-grown olives.

Out and about

There is sightseeing, too. The ancient ruined Palace of Knossos – the mythical home of the half-man, half-bull Minotaur – is less than 10km away. There are hiking trails up soaring Mount Juktas and the haunting Minoan cemetery at Phourni. Heraklion, the capital of Crete, is there if you fancy seeking out an urban buzz.

But you may just want to hang ultra-local and explore the surrounding Archanes wine region, with its aromatic reds hewn from limey-clay soil. Meanwhile the neighbouring village of Peza, cooled by sea breezes, has high altitudes and delicate white wines ready to discover.

And of course – as we’ve said, thanks to the magic of Crete – the island’s nearest beaches are just 15 minutes away. So after you’ve exhausted tasting options in the surrounding area, you can simply flop on golden sands at a secret cove. And feel smug for getting two holidays in one.

For more information visit scalareaestate.gr

Related articles

• Greek odyssey: Olly Smith’s pick of the regions and wines
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: The Yeatman, Porto, Portugal
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco

Caroline Gilby MW, Isa Bal MS and Darrel Joseph tasted 151 wines, with 8 Outstanding and 67 Highly recommended.

Adriatic whites panel tasting scores

151 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 8

Highly recommended 67

Recommended 72

Commended 4

Fair 0

Poor 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release white wines from Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro or Bosnia-Herzegovina, single varietals or blends using any grapes, but preferably including a large proportion of indigenous varieties

The eastern shore of the Adriatic sea is better known for its tourism than for wine, but results from this tasting showed that it’s home to many wines to spark wine lovers’ interest. Croatia, with some 1,800km of Adriatic coastline, submitted most wines, but there was also a good showing from Slovenia (47km of coast) and a handful from Bosnia & Herzegovina (just 20km of seashore).

This was an impressive, and often exciting, two-day tasting, with very few poor wines. As Isa Bal MS pointed out: ‘I found the quality to be of a very high standard,’ highlighting, ‘some excellent Malvasia from Croatia and some very well-made, pyrazine-free examples of Sauvignon Blanc from Slovenia.’

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from the Adriatic whites panel tasting

Local grapes dominated the entries and provided many of the top-scoring wines. Malvasia Istriana (Malvazija Istarska is the local spelling) was the superstar, showing its potential in several styles. It has gone from ordinary workhorse to something quite special in the last two decades. It makes great bright, fruity, appealing wines when vinified cool in steel, though even these simpler versions can keep remarkably well. Among the 2021 wines, the main reservation was that, though quality was generally very good, the wines were all quite similar.

Malvasia is also capable of greatness in a whole range of styles, from classic oak fermentation to skin contact, orange and natural wines aged in other vessels such as clay amphora, larger casks and even acacia wood. Bal noted ‘some very competent winemaking using skin contact and natural yeast’.

Other local grapes also showed well, not least the incredibly rare Grk – grown on a handful of hectares on the island of Korčula – as did Korčula’s other special white grape, Pošip. There’s real intensity and great texture, underscored by a sea-salt mineral freshness in these unique local grapes. Darrel Joseph noted that ‘most of these wines are gorgeous exotica, treasures of where they are so at home’.

See all 151 wines from the Adriatic whites panel tasting

There were only a few examples submitted to the tasting of the flagship Rebula grape (Ribolla Gialla) from western Slovenia – though these did show its quality and versatility.

Bosnia & Herzegovina’s flagship Zilavka was praised by Joseph: ‘Zilavka has really been coming into its own in recent years,’ he said. ‘The variety’s wonderful Mediterranean herb and citrus characteristics and its gently elegant acidity shine through in the wines with such focus, clarity and freshness. Even better, Zilavka’s diversity is so enticing. It’s not just about young and fresh steel-aged wines; it does so well also as barrel-matured and – joyously – even as a natural, amber-style wine with age. Such exciting potential!’

Yet it’s not just about local grapes here, and you’ll find several excellent examples of international varieties that can also showcase the terroir. Pinot Gris was particularly strong, with several high-scoring wines showing an intensity and balance that wouldn’t be out of place in Alsace or Collio. There were also some excellent Chardonnays, and Sauvignons in a unique regional style between the aromatic fruitiness of New World and the mineral intensity of the Loire.

All in all, this tasting was evidence of a dynamic, if less well-known part of the wine world that is well worth exploring.

Top scoring Adriatic whites

The judges

Caroline Gilby MW is an awarded wine writer, author and speaker, with a passion for the wines of the Balkans, central & eastern Europe and the Black Sea. She is joint DWWA Regional Chair for North, Central & Eastern Europe.

Isa Bal MS is a consultant Master Sommelier. Winner of the prestigious Sommelier Award 2022 from Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland, he was also winner of the Best Sommelier of Europe competition in 2008, and was head sommelier for The Fat Duck Group for more than 12 years.

Darrel Joseph has been writing about the wines of central and eastern Europe since 1995, now also covering Croatia, Serbia and all other Balkan wine countries. He is a regular wine judge, educator and speaker, and is joint DWWA Regional Chair for North, Central & Eastern Europe.

Related articles

• Wines of the Balkans – five things to know
• Decanter’s dream destination: One&Only Portonovi, Herceg Novi, Montenegro
• Balkan intrigue: regional spotlight plus 12 great reds worth seeking out

Once a proud independent republic (1358-1808), Dubrovnik’s wealth was based on shipping and its freedom on diplomacy. Enclosed within sturdy medieval walls, the pedestrian-only old town (now a Unesco World Heritage site), is a huddle of paved alleys, Baroque churches, cloistered courtyards and noble palazzi, many hosting cafes and restaurants at ground level.

Beyond its walls lie the lands that once supplied the prosperous city-state with olive oil and wine. While here for a weekend, you might visit the two nearest wine regions, Konavle (home to the white Malvasija Dubrovačka – not to be confused with Malvazija Istarska) and Pelješac (renowned for producing some of Croatia’s best reds, from the indigenous Plavac Mali grape).

Friday

The flight from the UK to Dubrovnik takes around 3 hours, depending where you fly from. Upon arrival, head directly for the stylish Hotel Excelsior (double B&B from €279). Built into the hillside above the coast, it is a grand villa dating from 1913, with sublime views over the water to Dubrovnik’s medieval fortifications. Renovated in 2017, it offers contemporary interiors with plenty of extras – a lush spa with an indoor pool, a bathing area with steps down to the sea, three restaurants and two bars. And unlike most Dubrovnik hotels, it stays open all year.

Evening

From the Excelsior, it’s just a 5-minute walk to Ploče Gate, one of two monumental entrances to the old town. Stroll down the marble-paved Stradun street, to Proto, founded in 1886 and still widely regarded as Dubrovnik’s best fish restaurant (Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson ate here in 1936). Opt for the six-course degustation menu (750kn/ €100), with wine-pairing (265kn/€35) – you’ll be treated to refined classics made from the freshest Adriatic seafood, such as fish tartare, fettuccine pasta with scampi and truffles and grilled fish fillet. During the meal, the sommelier will introduce you to fresh and fruity white Malvasija Dubrovačka (with fragrances of orange blossom), robust red Plavac Mali (with hints of pine and carob) and Prošek (a sweet dessert wine, made from grapes that have been left to dry before being pressed).

Close the evening with fizz and maybe some live jazz at Fratellos Prosecco Bar, on a raised terrace above the sea, just outside the old town. Although Croatia is not known for sparkling wine, the Plešivica region (southwest of Zagreb) has started making some rather successful spumantes. So take the opportunity to skip the Italian Prosecco, and try instead a Croatian sparkling wine from the award-winning Jagunić winery.

Saturday

Morning

Begin the day with breakfast on the Excelsior’s sunny waterside terrace – fresh fruit, Eggs Benedict and oven-warm croissants. Then set out to explore Dubrovnik. For first-time visitors, the must-do experience has to be walking a full circuit of the city walls – high up in the ramparts, you have magnificent views over the terracotta rooftops of the old town and out to sea. Although the walls date from the 13th century, they were later reinforced with robust towers and bastions, and armed with cannons.

Afterwards, take a look in the 15th-century Rector’s Palace, home to the Cultural History Museum, to see how local nobility once lived amid period antiques, gilt-framed family portraits and even sedan chairs. Historic documents in the city archive show that they were enjoying Malvasija Dubrovačka as early as 1383 – a wine ‘to be appreciated rather than devoured’. It was also considered medicinal.

Afternoon

This afternoon there are two options, depending on how active you feel. If you want a few hours relaxing, have lunch at Trattoria Carmen in a peaceful side alley in the old town. The menu changes daily, depending on what the owner-chef finds at the morning market, but look out for their octopus specialities – irresistible octopus rissoles, or octopus salad (a Dalmatian summer classic) – and ask your waiter for advice on wine pairing. Then spend the afternoon back at the Excelsior either swimming and sunbathing by the sea or indulging in massage and beauty treatments at the spa.

Alternatively, you might drive down to Konavle, a fertile green valley, planted with vineyards and olive groves, and studded with elegant cypresses. This is the homeland of Malvasija Dubrovačka, a grape variety that was saved from extinction by local winemakers in the 1990s when there were less than half-a-dozen vines remaining. Now, thanks to careful nurturing, this local variety has been revived to some 92,000 vines.

Have lunch at Kameni Dvori, an old stone farmhouse where everything they serve is homemade. Choose a platter of pršut (cured ham, similar to Italian prosciutto), cheeses, smoked meats and olives, or something more substantial, and be sure to taste their Malvasija Dubrovačka. They also offer cooking classes, should you wish to try your hand in the old-fashioned kitchen.

Then head to the Crvik winery in nearby Komaji. In a modern tasting room overlooking vineyards, you can sample Crvik’s Tezoro (meaning ‘treasure’) made from Malvasija Dubrovačka, and their Blasius (named after Dubrovnik’s patron saint), an orange wine, made from the same grape, using the centuries-old maceration method. And don’t miss Crvik’s most esteemed wine, the red Vilin Ples (meaning ‘fairy dance’), a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Plavac – the 2017 vintage won a Decanter World Wine Awards Gold Medal in 2021. Although Vilin Ples 2017 is sold out, you might purchase a bottle of Vilin Ples 2018 (150kn/€20).

Evening

If you opted for a relaxed afternoon, the time has come to dress for the evening and hop on the shuttle boat from Dubrovnik’s old port to Cavtat (journey time 45 min). Sailing down the coast, you’ll pass rocky cliffs and sheltered pebble coves. Upon arrival, walk around Cavtat’s harbour to Hotel Supetar (a heritage hotel, renovated in 2022) for wine tasting at the Wine Bar (17:00-23:00). Their Discover South Dalmatian Wines flight introduces white Malvasija Dubrovačka, white Pošip from Korčula, and robust red Dingač from Pelješac. Follow this with dinner at their restaurant (12:00-15:00 and 18:00-23:00) where the Konavle Highlights menu (750kn/€100) complete with wine pairing (300kn/€40) includes a delicious risotto with clams, samphire and sea urchin; pasta with wild hare; and stuffed quail. Return to Dubrovnik by boat, or taxi.

If you spent the afternoon out in Konavle, you might prefer to dine back in Dubrovnik. For something rather different, head for Azur in the old town. The owner-cook Darko Perojević (who is from Dubrovnik but spent several years in China) combines local ingredients with oriental aromas to create his own CroAsian fusion dishes, such as spicy salmon donburi and monkfish with black curry sauce. But what to drink with zesty seafood? ‘Azur’s house wine is a young white Graševina by Galić from Kutjevo in North Croatia’, said Darko, ‘I chose this because it’s very light and goes well with most of our dishes on a hot summer day’.

Sunday

Morning

After breakfast at the hotel, drive northwest up the coast to Ston (journey time 1hr). With its twin settlements, Ston and Mali Ston, connected by 14th-century walls, this is literally the gateway to Pelješac peninsular.

Head for the Miloš winery (website under construction) in Ponikve, near Ston. With organic vineyards on steep terraced slopes above the turquoise waters of Prapratno bay, the Miloš family specialises in the indigenous Plavac Mali grape.

‘We make a selection of natural wines from the Plavac Mali variety, and we age our reds in Slavonian oak barrels,’ said Ivan Miloš. ‘Our premium wine, Stagnum, is released for sale only after ten years of ageing.’ Be sure to sample their dry full-bodied Miloš Rosé, their standard red Miloš Plavac and their premium red Stagnum. If you’d like to buy a bottle to bring home, the Miloš Plavac 2018 is 90kn/€12, while the Stagnum 2012 is 460kn/€61.

Proceed to Mali Ston, where the Šare family offers boat tours of their oyster beds, and demonstrates how these prized molluscs are cultivated. Conditions in Mali Ston bay are optimal, as seawater and freshwater (from the nearby River Neretva) combine here. You’ll get to taste fresh oysters, pulled straight from the sea, served raw with a squeeze of lemon and a glass of Pošip white wine. Afterwards, have lunch at the Bota Šare – try another Dalmatian classic, black risotto, made from cuttlefish ink. The flavours are pungent enough to pair with a local red Plavac Mali.

Afternoon

Returning to Dubrovnik, you might like to nip into KAWA, a hip concept store near the Excelsior, to buy gifts to bring home. Besides quirky kitchenware and accessories by Croatian designers, they stock a selection of rare wines, including several names you’ll recognise. And if you can’t fit everything in your suitcase, never mind – you’re bound to be returning to Dubrovnik sometime soon.

Most wineries that are open for tours and tasting prefer you to contact them first to agree on an exact time for your visit. Having a car is recommended – the Hotel Exceslior can help arrange this, either with or without a driver.

Related articles

• American whiskey becomes most valuable auction sale of its kind
• Croatia: 14 award-winning wines worth seeking out
• Split to Dubrovnik: Croatia wine tour

Where is it?

The Balkans or the Balkan Peninsula refers to the region that stretches from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea, with the Mediterranean and Aegean seas to the south. Its northern boundary is usually defined by the Danube and Sava rivers, and it’s named after the Balkan Mountains in central Bulgaria. The name was first used in the early 19th century, and it remains somewhat controversial so some of the countries here prefer ‘southeast Europe’.

The geopolitical Balkan region is usually considered to comprise Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey. The self-declared republic of Kosovo should also be mentioned, now recognised as a country by 117 other nations.

The region is a fascinating meeting place of cultures, with Orthodox, Catholic and Islamic influences overlapping. It’s also a region with amazing history, important archaeological sites and fantastic wildlife.

What is its wine history?

Wine has been present in the region for a very long time and it may even be where wine first arrived in Europe. There are traces of harvesting grapes as early as Neolithic times (dated to between 6000-5650 BC / BCE), so it’s not hard to make the leap to wine, even though evidence of winemaking has not yet been uncovered.

Various cultures across the region including the Varna, Vinča and Cucuteni-Trypillian all seemed to grow grapes. The earliest specific wine evidence may date to Thracian times according to written records from Greek and Egyptian poets and historians.

It appears wine was more than just a drink, and had an important ceremonial role, as shown by the ornate Thracian drinking vessels that have been uncovered in Bulgaria. This connection with wine is so strong that Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria all claim to be the birthplace of the mythical wine god Dionysus in ancient Thrace.

Evidence of highly-regarded winemaking continued into the Roman period and beyond. Later, much of this region came under rule by the Ottoman Empire, when winemaking was largely suppressed, but survived in monasteries for Christian rituals.

There was a new era towards the end of the 19th century when winemaking developed strongly across the region and many international grape varieties arrived. As in the rest of Europe, the arrival of the phylloxera louse caused widespread devastation in the late 19th century, and many local varieties were lost to cultivation.

What grapes does the region grow?

Depending on the exact definition, the Balkans may cover as much as 666,700km² making it bigger than the Iberian Peninsula. That means it is incredibly diverse and as a result, the region grows a wealth of indigenous, and often unique, varieties. Each country has its own particularly important local grapes, some of which are potential flagships.

Some of the most important include Kallmet, Shesh i Zi and Shesh i Bardhë in Albania while Mavrud, Rubin, various Melniks, Gamza and Dimiat lead the way in Bulgaria.

In Croatia, Graševina is the leading grape (and may have its homeland here), joined by Malvazija Istarska, Plavac Mali, Teran, Babić and Pošip to name but a few.

The inky dark Vranac or Vranec is the superstar in Montenegro and North Macedonia, but it also appears that Kratošija (aka Primitivo/Zinfandel) most likely originated here after all.

Romania has its unique Fetească Neagră, Fetească Albă and Fetească Regală plus Băbească Neagră, while Serbia has Prokupac, Grašac (a historic name for Graševina/Riesling Italico/Welschriesling being revived to rebuild its reputation) and recent arrivals on the scene like Probus and Morava.

Slovenia’s leading local white grape is Rebula, with Laški Rizling (aka Graševina/Welschriesling), Malvazija and Šipon (aka Furmint) important too; Refošk (aka Refosco) and Modra Frankinja lead the red front (the latter is the local name for Blaufränkisch which probably originated on today’s Slovenian territory).

Greece and Turkey have been widely covered elsewhere – but each has its own amazing diversity of unique grapes. It’s also fair to point out that international grapes have been present in most of the Balkans for over a century and can make incredibly good, global standard wines here (many winning Decanter World Wine Awards).

What’s the climate like?

The climate varies from Mediterranean to continental, and from cool alpine to very warm, with long sunshine hours. Mountains, rivers and seas moderate the climate, giving rise to a huge diversity of terroirs to grow grapes.

What are the styles of winemaking?

Winemaking has made enormous strides forward in recent decades, with the best wines now seriously impressive. Communism and socialism had an impact in the 20th century when there was widespread collectivisation of winemaking. But since independence, and especially over the last two decades, there has been a complete revolution, so modern winemaking with up-to-date equipment and know-how is pretty much universal.

Even more recently, winemakers have developed real confidence in the quality of their grapes and their land, so the best wines aren’t overwhelmed with high alcohol, extracted tannins and lots of oak, but offer balance and harmony allowing the grapes and the place to shine.

The region has also become a bit of a niche hotspot for the reinvention of more traditional approaches including orange/amber skin-contact styles, natural wines and pét-nat. Alternative vessels like clay amphorae, large neutral oak and even alternative woods like acacia, mulberry and ash are also finding a place.

Sparkling wines are increasingly good, most often made by the traditional method. White wines come in all styles from fresh, fruity and delicate, to complex, layered and long-lived. Rosé wines may be anything from almost red to trendy pale pink, depending on the grape. Reds range from refined and graceful to weighty and powerful, and there are even a few spots where sweet wines can be fantastic.

This is such a diverse region that a visit (or several) is the best way to get to know it, and you can be certain of a warm, hospitable welcome. One event to look out for in 2023 is the recently-launched Wine Vision by Open Balkan wine fair, which in 2022 brought together Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania to recognise their open border agreement, and to showcase the diversity and exciting quality of wines of this region.

Related articles

• The Sporades for wine lovers
• Dalmatia, Croatia: Restaurants, hotels and shops
• Balkan intrigue: regional spotlight plus 12 great reds worth seeking out

Growers in the village of Melambes in Crete saw devastating wildfires cause ‘complete damage to 300 acres (121.4 hectares) of old pre-phylloxera vines’ in July, according to an online crowdfunding page created to support viticulture in the area and help those affected.

Although fire burned 90% of the vineyard, it’s hoped some damaged vines can be rescued, said winemaker Iliana Malihin, of her namesake winery and who has spearheaded a community project to revive the site in recent years.

Yet it will take several years to rebuild the vineyard and growers affected have lost their source of income, she said.

Nobody was hurt in the wildfire, but Malihin said the scene was ‘like a nightmare’ as growers and the community battled to save houses, as well as vineyards.

Despite the fire’s impact, it appeared vine roots may have survived: ‘Because most of the vineyards in Melambes are pre-phylloxera vineyards, not grafted, their roots are very deep in the soil,’ Malihin told Decanter.

‘Normally we don’t irrigate, but [now] we irrigate every few days and we have already seen some new leaves, some green leaves, opening from the bottom of the trunk,’ she said, adding that her winery remains intact.

Yiannis Karakasis MW and Christos Fatouros were among those to help publicise the incident, and this month the president of a European winemaker-led group created to promote and protect ungrafted vines has said it will try to help.

Loïc Pasquet, owner of Liber Pater vineyard in Bordeaux and who earlier this year joined with other producers to officially create the ‘Francs de Pied’ association in Monaco, said he planned to fly to Crete.

‘I [will] go to Greece to support our friends in Crete, to see the vineyard and to try with the scientist community we have inside the association [to see] what we can do to help them,’ he told Decanter last week, although he was subsequently forced to delay his flight due to concerns about a new forest fire in the Bordeaux area.

‘I go to take a picture, to take a sample of the soil [and] to try to understand what we can do together to save the vineyard. We will see,’ he said.

Pasquet said he would like to involve the growers in a wider campaign for ‘world heritage’ recognition for ungrafted vines at the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

He said this would help to improve resources available to protect vines. ‘If they have UNESCO protection, they have more money to protect the vineyard,’ he said.

The Francs de Pied group is compiling a list of vineyards in preparation for a UNESCO application. It can be a long process, but Pasquet added, ‘If we don’t start, we [will] never have it.’

Malihin, who has created five wine labels from vineyards in Melambes, Fourfouras and Meronas, said she previously enquired about UNESCO status in Greece but has made little progress with authorities so far.

‘I would like to see the vineyards be part of UNESCO. For Crete it’s a very important place that should be protected,’ she said, adding that it’s rare to find so many old vineyards all in one area.

Malihin said she has been touched by the level of support from winemakers, friends and importers. ‘All of this support is very impressive,’ she said, adding that she wanted to improve fire protection measures in the area alongside efforts to restore the vineyard.

Read more about the situation in Crete on the growers’ Give & Fund page.

Related articles

Winemakers seek UNESCO recognition for ungrafted vines

Do ungrafted vines change the taste of wine? 

The Sporades is the name given to the Greek archipelago of 24 islands situated in the Aegean Sea, south of Thessaloniki and north of its perhaps better-known Cyclades archipelago, with famous islands such as Mykonos and Santorini. Only four of the Sporades islands are inhabited though, these being Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros. With the exception of Skyros, these islands are far greener than you can imagine and a popular destination for foreign tourists, as well as local Greeks due to their unique flora and vegetation.

2022 may be a record year for visitor numbers to Greece, with an estimated 32 million landing on its shores. The Sporades are another reason to visit, with some of the best beaches in Greece and national reserves. Surrounded by pine forests, they are also home to the cheese pie, and of course, the setting for the film Mamma Mia!, letting you relive those Meryl Streep moments.

Locals speak fondly about wine on the islands, though unfortunately phylloxera devastated the industry from 1958 throughout the archipelago. Wine was a crucial part of life, and to the islands, with vines touching the sea and covering the lush green vegetation you have today.

There is limited wine production now, with one modern winery in Skiathos and some local wine production on Skopelos with indigenous Greek varieties still in their infancy. Alonissos produces very little too, but you can find some rustic table wine made locally. Skyros has two established wineries. Almost all wine produced is sold locally.

Skiathos

Landing in Skiathos is a bumpy ride to say the least. It’s the Sporades’ only airport (for Skopelos and Alonissos), being the gateway to the islands and also famed for being one of the shortest and narrowest runways in the world. However, in Greek tradition, landing there is exciting, and it’s an ideal place for plane spotters too, where the planes come almost in touching distance of the road.

This is probably in line with what arrival on the Greek islands is all about: for centuries, the Ancient Greeks battled the infamous north-westerly Meltemi winds, controlling arrival and departure on the island. Philip the II of Macedon used them strategically to prevent southerly fleets of ships from reaching him, such is the power of these winds. However, they also bring a welcome cooling effect when temperatures can easily reach 40°C (104°F).

It’s best to base yourself in Skiathos Old Town, venturing out around the island every day. However, with over 60 sandy, soft, crystal-clear watered beaches to choose from, staying close to one of these may give you a private beach, if only for a short while.

Parissis Winery is the only winery on the island, started in 2019 by Giannis, a hotel owner, electrician and now winemaker. They have planted only Greek indigenous varieties such as Malagousia, Roditis, Assyrtiko for whites, and Xinomavro and Limnio for reds.

The vineyards are located at some of the highest points on the island, giving a welcome freshness to the wines, however, the Meltemi winds can also cool off the heat at some of their coastal vineyard plots too.

They produce five different wines: three whites, a rosé, and an easy drinking red for summer. Most of the island’s top restaurants stock them, so if you don’t manage to leave the beach, it is very easy to find at your local taverna.

Skopelos

On Skopelos, the island of Mamma Mia! so verdant in pine forests, plum trees and olive groves, finding a little gap on this lush green idyl is nigh on impossible, even for vines. The main town is the best place, again, to be based, where it comes alive at night.

Skopelos is not as well-equipped as Skiathos when it comes to sandy beaches; it’s far more hilly, almost rocky, but it’s that challenge that makes it possibly more rewarding and the waters may be even clearer because of it. Vines used to perch on cliff edges into the sea as was the beauty and charm of viticulture on the island, just as Tantalus in Greek mythology was always in a pool of water under fruit trees. The same experience can be had on the beaches here, just with vines replaced with pine trees.

There is local wine on the island, with vineyards located in the centre, but no official winery. Plenty of great restaurants offer impressive Greek wine lists, with top names to choose from, but if you are keen on trying local wine, Molos Restaurant and Taverna is the spot. Excellent food, and the wines, local to Skopelos, include a red Agiorgitiko/Limnio, a white Roditis/Athiri and a rosé that’s a touch off-dry, made from Chardonnay and Merlot.

Alonissos

When you get to Alonissos, you arrive in Patitiri, the main port and capital of the island. Patitiri means wine press, a testament to Alonissos’ importance in wine production for centuries, until the dreaded phylloxera hit. The island was draped in vines, just as today it is with pine forests. Finding local wine is difficult though, and there’s only one person that’s giving it a go as a hobby. He’s Fabrizio Tosconi, an Italian experimenting with some of the local indigenous varieties on the island.

Skyros

Skyros, the least-visited island of the Sporades, is the largest and southernmost of the group. Administered from the large island of Euboea, it feels separate, almost isolated from the rest of the Sporades.

There are two wineries worth visiting, but with booking advised. Paneris Winery (paneriswinery@gmail.com) in the north of the island, near the airport. They make a range of white, red and rosé wines using indigenous Greek varieties. Stamatis Nicolau Winery (+30 2222 092210) is further south, but it’s possible to try their wines in the ‘Chora’ (Skyros Town) very easily.

My perfect day in the Sporades

It’s difficult to choose just one island, each one is so special, offering something unique, but the fact that you have some of the best beaches in all of Greece makes Skiathos hard to beat.

Morning

I’d stay in town, in the Chora, overlooking the bay at Hotel Villa Orsa, then opt for a quick breakfast at one of the many ‘fournos’ (bakeries) around town, grabbing a freshly baked spanakopita. I’d then jump in my hire car and visit the Monastery of Evangelistria and wander around the museum, which showcases an impressive display of vestments and is also where the first Greek flag was created in 1807. It’s an impressive monastery, where they also make their own wine, which is worth trying for the novelty.

Afternoon

From there I’d meander through the pine-forested cliffs to reach Parissis Winery, the road still unpaved, to have a glass in their recently-built winery, overlooking probably the best view of Skiathos island. From there, I’d take it slow, Greek island style, and head to a couple of beaches at the other corner of the island. I’d try Koukounaries, set in a nature reserve, with sand so soft it feels like powder. If it’s too busy, I’d move to Banana beach just next door, with sand just as soft, but without the huge crowds.

Evening

For dinner, I’d try one of the Psaro tavernas, specialising in fish, along the seafront promenade in Skiathos Town. Bakaliko (+30 2427 022669) serves excellent fresh fish, and also stocks wines from Parissis winery. If the queues are too long, another great choice is Paraxenos in Skiathos Town, also serving wine from Parissis.

Your Sporades address book

Restaurants

Agnadio, Skiathos Town, Skiathos

+30 2427 022016

Just outside of Skiathos Town, dine out enjoying the memorable panorama. The food is very Greek, showcasing classic dishes done well.

Bakaliko, Skiathos Town, Skiathos

+30 2427 022669

This is a simple, Greek Psaro taverna at its best, with some of the freshest fish you can imagine. Tuna or swordfish may be available too as the waters around Alonissos make it possible to catch these deepwater fish. Always check what’s on display.

Mouries (MOYPIEZ), Skopelos Town, Skopelos

+30 2424 023305

This is a simple family-owned taverna, located close to the port. What’s special here is that it is only open from 6.30pm every evening, serving psiméno sto foúrno, oven baked dishes such as moussaka, pastitsio, gemista (stuffed peppers), dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and Imam Bayildi (stuffed aubergine with meat).

To Perivoli, Skopelos Town, Skopelos

+30 2424 023758

Located on a cobblestoned street just away from the Gyros square, To Perivoli has a pretty setting in a courtyard, nestled under grapevines. It offers excellent Greek specialities, and local dishes using koromila (Skopelos plums). A thing to mention is the wine list, pretty extensive with some great Greek producers. If you see the local plum cake on the menu, take it, it’s sublime.

Agnanti, Glossa, Skopelos

Arguably the best restaurant on the island, family owned for four generations and with seasonal ingredients sourced from their garden. Fresh fish or meat dishes with local plums, the choice is yours, washed down with a great wine list, including Charles Heidsieck Champagne as well as some stunning Greek labels such as Estate Argyros, Ktima Gerovassiliou, Alpha Estate and magnums of Tear of the Pine.

Accommodation

Aletri Hotel, Alonissos

First class suites near Alonissos Old Town. A superb location to explore, but there’s a stunning view too from your infinity pool.

Atrium Hotel, Paralia Agia Paraskevi, Skiathos

This is a cut above. A four star family-owned hotel with a large pool overlooking Skiathos bay, spacious rooms and excellent service so you can switch off completely.

Kassandra Bay Resort, Kassandra Bay, Skiathos

A luxurious beachfront resort located in the centre of the island. The view is spectacular, overlooking the islet of Maragos.

Hotel Villa Orsa, Skiathos Town

+30 2427 022300

In Skiathos Town, within walking distance of the centre, it’s a great place to stay if you want to be located in the beating soul of Skiathos in the evenings. Dimitris, the owner, will warmly greet you upon arrival. Make sure you get the rooms at the top, all with a sea view overlooking the old port of Skiathos, with the giant Island of Euboea in the distance.

Evlalia Studios, Skopelos Town, Skopelos

What’s special about this place is how you are in walking distance of Skopelos Town, but far enough away to be by a beach, and have a magnificent view of town. Sea views seem standard. Importantly it’s modern, and very comfortable.

Anemonisia Deluxe Apartments & Maisonettes, Skyros

+30 697 166 7523

A perfect location in Molos, by the sea, overlooking the imposing Skyros Town above. Rooms are clean, spacious and a stone’s throw from the all-important beach.

Wine shops and bars

Ergon, Skiathos

A deli and restaurant within its own right, serving top quality modern Greek dishes, this is a great place to stock up on Greek products, whether you’re a fan of extra virgin olive oil or some great Greek wines.

Vrachos, Skopelos

Not a wine bar, but a cocktail bar, serving a decent glass of wine, albeit that’s the only choice. You come here though to admire the view after climbing 100 steps or so. It’s worth it.

Things to do

Skiathos

The Chora (Skiathos Town) is a must to wander around during the day or night. It is also the location of the house of Greek writer Alexander Papadiamantis, the Monastery of Evangelistria and the impressive scores (64) of beaches, each one better than the next. Must visit are: Koukounaries, Lalaria, Agia Eleni, Aselinos, Tsougrias.

Skopelos

The Chora (Skopelos Town) is super quaint, and built on a hill, making it slightly more demanding than it’s Skiathos cousin. There’s a 13th century Venetian castle and picturesque white houses but the star is the blue-domed Panagitsa of Pyrgos, perched on a cliff edge and visible from all sides. The Chapel of St John is in the north of the island, the Mamma Mia! film location, but so impressive in its own right. Glossa, a small town in the North East of the island, is worth the trip, probably for some of the best food on the island, if not for the panoramic view it beholds. For beaches, as with most Greek islands, you’re spoilt. Agnontas, Panormos, Milia, Stafilos are just a few that have crystal clear waters and imposing pine forests.

Alonissos

The Chora (Alonissos Town), as usual, is a must to visit, walking around the narrow alleyways and ancient houses of Old Alonissos. Patitiri is just below, by the waterfront, but Alonisssos is most treasured for its marine reserve, a protected area for the Mediterranean monk seal. Diving is, of course, hugely popular.

Skyros

The Chora (Skyros Town) is a marvel, just like all of these islands’ towns. Skyros is probably most important though for the endangered Skyrian horses, protected by the Island Horse Trust.

How to get there

The main airport serving the islands is Skiathos airport which is seasonal (April-October). Skiathos has daily ferries connecting the other two islands of Skopelos and Alonissos frequently in the summer months. It is also possible to fly to the Greek mainland and take a ferry from Volos (80km from Skiathos and a 1hr 30min ferry ride) or Thessaloniki (250km from Skiathos and a three-hour ferry ride).

Skyros has daily flights from Athens or less frequent flights from Thessaloniki. There is the occasional international charter flight. Skyros has daily boats from Paralia Kymis Euboea (Evia), and less frequent boats connecting Skyros to its Sporades brothers of Alonissos and Skopelos (6hr and 6.5hr, respectively).

As always, ferry timetables are subject to change, you’ll find useful info here: ferries.greeka.com.

Related articles

• Cyprus travel guide: restaurants, wineries and hotels
• Georgia: Top three destinations for wine lovers
• Restaurants by the sea in Italy: 10 to try

A man and woman carried out the ‘meticulously planned’ theft at the Atrio hotel and restaurant in western Spain back in October.

They made off with a bottle of 1806 Château D’Yquem and a large haul of Domaine de la Romanée Conti after breaking into Atrio’s famous cellar.

That sparked a nine-month international manhunt. Police in Spain teamed up with Interpol and Europol, plus authorities in Romania and the Netherlands, to track a pair of suspects down.

They eventually swooped on a 29-year-old Mexican woman and her Romanian-Dutch accomplice in Croatia this week.

Spain’s Policía Nacional said the couple visited the restaurant three times to scope it out before carrying out the theft.

The woman, described by El Pais as ‘a former beauty queen’, checked into Atrio Hotel using fake Swiss identity documents before the heist.

The couple dined in the restaurant, which has two Michelin stars, before taking a tour of the wine cellar.

Spanish police said the woman later distracted staff by asking for food to be prepared after the kitchen had closed, while her accomplice ransacked the cellar.

‘After using a previously purloined master key to gain access, he emerged with three large rucksacks – one on his back and two in each hand – which held the bottles he had stashed, and which were stuffed with hotel towels to protect the bottles,’ said Policía Nacional in a statement.

The couple scarpered at 5.30am the next day. Atria’s owners alerted the police, and the story hit headlines around the world.

Atria’s distraught co-owner and sommelier José Polo told Decanter he would buy the wine back from the robbers, especially the 1806 Château D’Yquem. ‘More than the bottles of wine, they robbed our dreams,’ said Polo.

The couple fled Spain a few days later, zigzagging across Europe to escape detection. However, they were finally tracked down on the Montenegro-Croatia border this week. Police reported that the man was the subject of two outstanding arrest warrants in Madrid.

‘Following numerous inquiries, in both Spain and other countries, officers managed to identify the two suspects, noting the high degree of professionalism, specialisation and perfect planning that had gone into the theft,’ said Policía Nacional.

The stolen wine has not been recovered and the investigation is ongoing.

Related articles

• British duo charged with duping US wine investors in $99m Ponzi scheme
• Police seize counterfeit Penfolds wines in China
• US: Two men charged over wine investment fraud scheme