Dalmatia Wine Tours & Tastings
Dalmatian wine is Plavac Mali and the sea: a red grape grown on slopes that face the water from Split to Dubrovnik and on every island between, plus a set of native whites, Pošip, Grk, Bogdanuša, Debit, Babić, that the rest of the world has barely heard of. This page maps the wine areas of Dalmatia and compares the top-rated wine tours across them: Kaštela near Split, Hvar, Korčula, Pelješac, Konavle, and the dry-stone terraces of Primošten.
The areas: Kaštela and Split (Crljenak, the original Zinfandel), Hvar, Korčula, Pelješac (Dingač, Postup), Konavle from Dubrovnik, Primošten’s Babić, and the Zadar hinterland.
The grapes: Plavac Mali, Babić and Crljenak for reds; Pošip, Grk, Bogdanuša, Debit, Maraština and Vugava for whites; prošek for dessert.
Choose a base: Split for Kaštela and the islands, Dubrovnik for Pelješac and Konavle.
Dalmatia’s wine areas, from north to south
Dalmatia is the coast from Zadar to Dubrovnik and the islands off it, and its wine follows one rule: Plavac Mali where the slopes face the sea, native whites on the plains and the islands. The tours listed here run from four bases, Zadar, Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik, and the sections below say which base reaches which wine.
Zadar and Šibenik: Babić and the hinterland
Primošten, between Zadar and Split, grows Babić on dry-stone terraces so dense they were nominated for UNESCO; the reds are dark and tannic and the view is the reason to go. The Zadar hinterland around Benkovac makes Plavina, Debit and Maraština from bigger estates. Tours run from Zadar and Šibenik, often with Krka’s waterfalls in the same day. See Zadar.
Split and Kaštela: where Zinfandel began
Twenty minutes from Split, the Kaštela vineyards grow Crljenak Kaštelanski, the vine DNA testing matched to Zinfandel in 2001, beside Plavac Mali and Pošip. The most accessible wine day in Dalmatia. See Split wine tours.
Hvar, Brač and Vis: the islands
Hvar’s southern slopes make serious Plavac and its Greek plain grows Bogdanuša; Brač makes Plavac and Pošip among its stone quarries; Vis, furthest out, grows Vugava, a white found only there. All are boat days from Split. See Hvar wine tours.
Pelješac and Korčula
Pelješac’s Dingač and Postup are the peninsula’s protected Plavac crus and the reds Croatia names first; Korčula, a fifteen-minute ferry away, is the white-wine island with Pošip and Grk. Both are day trips from Dubrovnik. See Pelješac and Korčula wine tours.
Konavle
The valley south of Dubrovnik makes Malvasija Dubrovačka, a white rescued from a handful of vines, and Plavac, at family wineries twenty minutes from the old town. See Dubrovnik wine tours.
When to go
September for harvest; May, June and October for tastings in comfort; the islands are best from June to September when the boats run often.
Read next: Croatia food & wine road trip: Istria to Dalmatia
How we choose
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FAQ about Dalmatia Wine Tours & Tastings
Frequently asked questions
Why Dalmatia for wine?
Because it has more native grapes than most countries, its best vineyards hang over the Adriatic, and the wineries are family cellars that pour for visitors at prices Italy left behind.
What is the main grape of Dalmatia?
Plavac Mali, a red related to Zinfandel, grown on sea-facing slopes from Split to Dubrovnik and on the islands.
Where is the best wine tour in Dalmatia?
Pelješac from Dubrovnik for the most famous reds and the Ston oysters; Kaštela from Split for the Zinfandel story and the shortest drive; Hvar for the islands.
Split or Dubrovnik as a wine base?
Split for Kaštela, Hvar and Brač; Dubrovnik for Pelješac, Korčula and Konavle. Wine-focused travellers often do both.
What white wines does Dalmatia make?
Pošip and Grk on Korčula, Bogdanuša on Hvar, Vugava on Vis, Debit and Maraština near Zadar, Malvasija in Konavle.
Is prošek the same as prosecco?
No; prošek is a sweet Dalmatian dessert wine made from dried grapes, and the name dispute with Italy is about the word, not the wine.