Croatia Wine Tours & Tastings
Croatia has more than a hundred native grapes and four wine countries inside one: Istria’s Malvazija and Teran, Dalmatia’s Plavac Mali and island whites, the sparkling hills around Zagreb, and Slavonia’s Graševina in the east. This page maps Croatian wine by region and compares the top-rated wine tours across the country, with links to the pages that go deeper on each area.
The regions: Istria for Malvazija and Teran; Dalmatia for Plavac Mali, Pošip and Grk; Zagreb’s Plešivica for sparkling; Slavonia and Ilok for Graševina and Traminac.
Where tours run: from Rovinj and Pula, Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik and Zagreb; Slavonia is a self-drive region.
Timing: harvest is September; May and October are the tasting months; St Martin’s Day on 11 November opens the new wine everywhere.
Croatian wine by region
Croatia’s wine map is two coasts and a plain. The Adriatic coast, Istria in the north and Dalmatia in the south, grows the grapes the country is known for; the continental north around Zagreb makes sparkling and light whites; and Slavonia, the flat east toward the Danube, grows Graševina in volume and Traminac at Ilok, where the cellars date from 1232. Tours reach the coast and Zagreb easily; Slavonia is a drive.
Istria
Malvazija istarska, the dry white, and Teran, the dark red, from the hills of Buje, Momjan and Brtonigla, with Momjan Muscat for dessert. Tours from Rovinj, Poreč and Pula combine cellars with truffles and olive oil. See Istria wine tours.
Dalmatia
Plavac Mali on the sea-facing slopes of Pelješac, Hvar and Brač; Pošip and Grk on Korčula; Babić at Primošten; Crljenak, the original Zinfandel, at Kaštela near Split. Tours from Split and Dubrovnik. See Dalmatia wine tours, Pelješac and Hvar.
Zagreb, Plešivica and Zagorje
Plešivica, thirty minutes west of Zagreb, makes traditional-method sparkling wine that Croatians consider their best; Zagorje’s castles and hills to the north grow light whites. Half-day tours from the capital. See Zagreb.
Slavonia and Ilok
Graševina, the workhorse white of the east, reaches its best around Kutjevo, whose cellar was dug by Cistercians in 1232; Ilok, on the Danube, makes Traminac that was served at Elizabeth II’s coronation. Few tours run here; it is a region for a car and a few days.
Kvarner and the islands
Krk’s Žlahtina, a light white, and Vis’s Vugava are island grapes worth a detour; both appear on tasting lists in Rijeka and Split.
How we choose
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FAQ about Croatia Wine Tours & Tastings
Frequently asked questions
Why Croatia for wine?
Because it grows grapes nobody else has, in places that are beautiful to drink in, at prices that have not caught up with the quality.
What is Croatia’s most famous wine?
Dingač, a Plavac Mali from the Pelješac peninsula; Malvazija from Istria is the most widely drunk white.
Which region is best for a wine tour?
Istria for variety and value, with truffles and olive oil in the same day; Pelješac from Dubrovnik for the most famous reds.
Is Croatian wine good?
Yes, and improving fast; the native grapes are the reason to taste it, and the prices are well below Italy’s.
When is the Croatian wine harvest?
September, earlier on the coast than inland; St Martin’s Day on 11 November celebrates the new wine.
Can I do wine tours in Croatia without a car?
Yes in Istria, Dalmatia and Zagreb, where tours collect from the cities; Slavonia needs a car.