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Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          An hour and a half by ferry from Split, the capital of Dalmatia, lies Hvar island. Called Pharos by the Greeks that occupied the island since the 4th century BC, Hvar is the longest of all Croatian islands, a narrow strip of land stretching for 42 miles. In the last few years it has become a popular touristic destination and is now famous for its lavender (of which we didn't actually see any), and its Plavac mali wines.     While not a household name in the United States, the wines of Zlatan Plenković have gotten extremely well known in wine circles and haven't stopped receiving international awards and recognition. Based in the little village of Sveta Nedelja on the Southeastern coast of the island, Zlatan Plenković's first release was just a few years ago in 1999 and he has only been producing since 1996. In that time, his wines have gotten to be in such high demand that they sell out of all their reds three months after bottling.     Zlatan Plenković is very unfortunately not in the best of health these days (although that isn't stopping him from enjoying life), his sons taking up the reigns of the business with great aplomb. We chatted with his younger son, Nikola who was a great host. He told us about some of the experimentation that they're doing in conjunction with the main Agronomical Institute in Zagreb where they are trying to grow Zinfandel, Primitivo, and Plavac Mali side by side in their vineyards. Why would they do this? Simply for the fact that these are grapes that are all closely related and in fact Zinfandel is the parent of the other two. So, they are curious to see how the grape will grow after a 150 year holiday in California. We were curious what they were going to do with the grapes after harvesting and testing and with a bit of prying, Nikola said that they would most likely bottle them, but he wasn't sure. So, as crazy as it sounds, there might be a Croatian Zinfandel and a Croatian Primitivo to buy at some point in the near future, although the release is most likely going to be so small that it will be hard to find anywhere.     Next, we talk about the wines of Zlatan Plenković's winery in Part 2 in our coverage of his winery.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          One of the last wineries we visited on the island of Korčula was that of Stpian Cebalo in Lumbarda. This is on the far southeast side of the island and is a place where tourists usually just go for the beaches. But it is here where Stipan has two hectares of land and is one of the few producers of the white wine, Grk. The man knows what he is doing and has a family tradition of wine making that dates back an amazing 500 years!     Grk is a well-balanced white that doesn't really push you one way or the other, but makes for pleasant drinking and is considerably different from Pošip, the other main white of Korčula. His 2005 'vrhunsko' or high quality Grk has nice fruit aromas to the top and bottom of the nose. It is a bit dry, but not terribly so and has a nice finish. Stipan does not age this in oak at all and told us that he preferred not to have the oaky aromas to the wine, which seemed to be a good plan to us in the end as they would most likely muddy things up. We also tried his Plavac which has a touch of cinnamon to the nose which makes it a bit different than the other Plavacs we've tasted previously. It is 13% alcohol and that makes it rather strong for this region, yet it has a light body to it, making for easy drinking. The finish had some sweet, dry bread textures that were also quite pleasant.     Producing 6,000 liters a year certainly doesn't make Cebalo one of the heavy-hitters of Korčula like Čara or Blato, but he is making good wines in his little spot on the island, on his terms, from just his grapes.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          Driving up the Pelješac peninsula from the Croatian mainland, Miloš is one of the first wineries one comes across. It is located in the little village of Ponikve just a few kilometers north of the walled town of Ston with its beautiful fortress.     Although the Miloš family has been making wine for over 100 years, like most families in the countries of the former Yugoslavia they had to sell their grapes to the state-owned cooperatives. So it was only in the beginning of the 1990's that Miloš became a private business, and is now producing about 50,000 liters of wine annually. Today Frano Miloš has managed to make the family winery into one of the most successful in the Pelješac region, and frequently receives large tour groups in their new tasting room and century-old family cellar.     Miloš produces a broad range of wines in each of the quality categories existing in Croatia (table, quality, high quality and special). Since we couldn't try them all, we decided to taste their most popular varietal, the Plavac. It was a vintage from 2004 with a 12.6% of alcohol, a nice nose with a touch of aged leather and a well-balanced body. While dry, it was very well balanced and drinkable, especially for summer.     We also tried one of their whites, Nadahnuće, which was a very good 50%-50% blend of Pošip and Maraština grapes. Both of these grapes came through surprisingly well and didn't trounce one another, making for a very complimentary blend. Although it had a somewhat light and fruity nose, it was quite a strong white.     Closing up our tasting, we tried one of their high-end whites, the Stagnum from 2004 made up of Plavac Mali grapes. While stronger than the Plavac and with an alcohol percentage of nearly 15%, it had quite a smooth finish and was very even tempered.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          Another interesting small wine producer that we found on the Pelješac peninsula was Bartulović, in the little village of Prizdrina near Potomje. We met Mario Bartulović, the manager of the winery located in his beautiful 500-year-old family house. His father Teo started producing in 1989 after having spent some time in Italy. They had to play a bit of catch up initially due to the long pause in production and until 1996 they were using a 220-year-old grape press.     With a small production of around 20,000 liters a year, Bartulović produces three red wines, a white, a rosé and a few bottles of a very exclusive dessert wine, a Prošek. One of their reds, the Puncta, is a limited vintage biodynamic wine, made of Plavac Mali grapes grown on an ecologically tested vineyard, free of artificial supplements and chemicals.     We tasted the white Rukatac from 2005, with 12.5% alcohol, made of a local varietal that is also known as Maraština in the Konavle region. It had a very light nose but a bit of a sharp taste at the beginning, although it became smoother after getting a bit of air. We also tasted the Bartul red also from 2005, which is made of a blend of Plavac Mali grapes from 9 different vineyards. With a dark ruby red color and a thick, meaty nose, Bartul is a dry, full-bodied wine, with a bit of a cinnamon and licorice flavors and a spicy finish. It goes well with dark meat, especially venison, and naturally, Dalmatian smoked ham--pršut.     Mario Bartulović, like other young wine makers in Croatia, has brought a lot of new ideas to the family winery and an entrepreneurial spirit to raise the profile of his wines. In contrast to the older generation of Croatian wine makers, craftsmen following a centuries old tradition who didn't feel the need to promote their wines because their high quality spoke for itself, the younger generation taking over are equally concerned with the reputation of their wines and in promoting them outside of their region. Thus, Mario Bartulović ordered a modern, sleek, re-design of the labels of his wines, started tailor-made wine tours of the Pelješac peninsula called "Meet the Peninsula", and he has opened a restaurant in his winery which offers home-cooked Dalmatian specialties paired with his wines.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          While there is a great deal of large-scale wine production going on in Potomoje on the Pelješac peninsula, there are also a number of small producers who are crafting excellent wines on their own terms. They're not easy to find and if you were to ask us where they were, we'd most likely have to point you to the first place we asked a person who knew a person who knew a person that eventually led to the homes and cellars of Kiridžija and Matković. Both of them are tucked away in homes where you'd never suspect that some fantastic wine making was taking place.     We started with Kiridžija. He has been making wine for the last 12 years, which is right in line with most of the region, as that was the time when the former Yugoslavia fell apart and they were able to start producing on their own again. In his 300 year-old home, he produces small quantities of both Plavac and Dingač. Let us reiterate that these are actually the same grape, but grown in very different regions of the peninsula. His 2004 Plavac at 12.6% alcohol retails for about $5 and has a nice, rich nose that had mint, berry, and tobacco aromas. The body was very pleasing as well with a buttery finish that really reigns in the sharp, dry tones that can be common in lesser Plavac vintages. The 2006 Dingač, with a rather hefty 16.4% alcohol, is so deep and flavorful that it is dangerous. Aged in Hungarian oak, the body is succulent and you really want to keep it on your palate as long as you can. Over the oak there also emerges some nicely subtle, sweet berry flavors.     For now, Kiridžija is enjoying his wine and exports part of his very small production to a very lucky Switzerland. As for what the future holds, that is a bit more uncertain because, like a great many wine makers in this region, he has two children who aren't going to pick up the craft and one who is too young to start, but might down the road, only time will tell. Whatever the case ends up being, we hope that these wines will continue to be made.     Then there is Petar Matković, whose family started making wine in 1536. He is from the 14th generation of wine makers! Sure, there have been some starts and stops in there due to such things as Communism, but the tradition continued regardless. Currently, they sell a great deal of their grapes to the local cooperative, but they also keep a small portion to produce 3,000 bottles of Dingač and 15,000 bottles of Plavac. Currently, they pick from 30,000 vines, but have planted some new vines in the Dingač region that they'll start harvesting soon.     We tasted the 2004 Dingač which had a great, soft nose of tobacco aromas and a smooth finish. It was a bit light on fruit aromas and flavors, which is most likely attributed to the oak flavors taking over from the six months it spent in French oak. We then also tried the 2004 Plavac which had quite a bit more fruit than the Dingač, yet had more of the deep, frothy nose that we've become accustomed to in the the Dingač. But overall, a very quiet, subtle, and easy to drink Plavac.     While they are producing rather different wines, these two producers are craftsmen and we included them in the same article, because their approach is the same: small production, based on a love of the grape.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          Pavo Miličić had a long career working on the sea. He eventually made his way up the ranks to being a captain and worked in the cruise industry for some time. Despite traveling the world, winemaking was in his blood though. Like many in the Pelješac region, his family were growing wine previous to WWII when they stopped due to the new Communist regime not allowing any private wine production.     Twenty years ago, Pavo started to try his hand at the grape again. Time passed and what started as a hobby quickly grew in to a company that produces about 300,000 bottles a year now. The production level of his winery has gotten so large that a year ago he formally quit his seafaring job to focus solely on his wines and built a new, larger facility that could produce upwards of 500,000 bottles. For all appearances, he seems to be handling the transition in stride and showed us around despite being deep in the middle of construction.     We tasted everything straight from the barrels as many of his wines are still in the process of aging for the new year. His 2006 Plavac has a very good tobacco nose with a hint of berries. You can really taste and smell the oak in it, but at the same time, it's quite deep and flavorful. The 2006 was a step deeper than the Plavac with even more tobacco and a nice smooth finish.     To close out our tastes we had both the 2004 and the 2005 Dingac. The 2004 was just about to be bottled and has aged excellently. The nose is nice and earthy. The body has undertones of chocolate and pepper to it. Pavo says that he's going to age it a bit more in the bottle and once it goes on sale, we're sure it will be a hit. The 2005 is also bound to be popular and seems to be aging itself in to a very complex wine. While it's far from being bottled, there are some lovely cinnamon and spice aromas in the nose. The body and smooth and light from start to finish and just as you're getting the last taste of it, a great tickle of pepper hits your palate. Tying all this together are smooth and luxurious butter tones that really mark the wine as a future winner.     Pavo is headed in some great directions with his wines and it will he'll be an interesting Croat to follow in the years to come.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          To distinguish themselves from their very close neighbor, the Dingač winery, Matuško has been putting two donkeys on their label to make them distinct from the one donkey that Dingač uses. The differences aren't label-deep though, as Matuško is a much smaller winery, producing 500,000 bottles a year that are sourced mainly from their own vines that are nine hectares in size.          Their winery is very friendly and set up to receive tour groups who can get a tasting of all 11 wines that they produce. Additionally, there is a downstairs tasting room with old farming implements and salutes to the donkeys that are no longer needed to carry the grapes over the mountain from the Dingač vineyards now that the Dingač Tunnel exists. We were told by our host that while we may see donkeys in the region still, they are strictly for the purposes of tourists and then their lives are much easier now.     We selected several wines for tasting from their lineup and started with the 2006 Rukatac. This is light white wine, which is also called Maraština in areas such as Konavle, further south from Pelješac. It is a bit different from the typical Maraština though in that it's a bit less fruity. The nose is still light and there is a slight 'waffle' quality to it which is quite pleasing.     While Pošip is only grown on Korčula (where Matuško sources their grapes) we decided to see what they did with those grapes. In the 2004 that we tasted, we found the nose to be more delicate than standard Pošip with a crème dessert aspect to it. The body was a bit noisier than other Pošips though and didn't have a clear makeup to it. The finish however, was quite smooth.     When starting on the reds, we tried the 2005 Plavac Mali. The wine is rather light at 12.2% alcohol, but the nose is sweet and very tasty. These characteristics carry through to the body and then the finish that despite being a very dry wine makes for a tasty, smooth finish.     Matuško, like Dingač winery, makes a Dingač wine. Theirs is quite different from the Dingač Winery one, which is a characteristic we commonly found in how different all these Dingač were based on just a slight change to their growing angle on the slope of the mountain. The 2004 vintage that we tried was very good and a very distinct wine. There were peach aromas and even a hint of tomato to the nose. Another aroma in there we couldn't really place a name on other than to say 'chutney'. But overall, everything, from the nose to the body to the finish was vastly different from other Plavac and other Dingač that we'd had. To describe this wine would really not do it justice, as every person will get a different flavor from it.          Overall, Matuško puts out a good selection of wines that are very representative of Potomje where they are located and of the Pelješac region in general.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          There is a bit of confusion surrounding the wine producer, Dingač on the Pelješac Peninsula in Croatia. The issue primarily revolves around the fact that the major wine region in Pelješac is called Dingač and that this is also the name of this company. This in by itself wouldn't be so bad except that several other winemakers in the area also make a wine which is called Dingač, because their wines are made from the high-quality grapes of this region. So, to clear this up once and for all, the wine producer, Dingač, is what's left from the cooperative that was built there in 1982 for wine production in what was then, Yugoslavia, and the one that features a donkey logo in its wine labels.          The cooperative had been actively producing wines before then, since about 1960. Today, they still function in a similar fashion wherein they buy the grapes from small, local farmers for large-scale wine production to the tune of 1.5 million liters a year. The big difference between now and before the fall of communism is that grape growers now have the choice of whether they want to sell their grapes to the cooperative or not.     In the end, this maybe doesn't clear up the confusion, since one of the wines that the Dingač company produces is also called Dingač, to differentiate it from the other wines they produce from grapes grown in their vineyards not located in the dingač region, such as their Postup or Plavac.     During our visit we tried four of their wines. There was the 2004 Plavac at 11.6% alcohol. It had a very dry body with a dry nose that had a hint of blackberry to it. Then there was the 2004 Pelješac with 11.9% alcohol. It had a similar nose to the Plavac, but the body was lighter with sharp berry tones that were a bit tart.     We then moved on to the "quality" level wines which are the mid-range wines. The 2004 Postup, made from grapes of a region to the north of Dingač, had a lovely mint and licorice nose to it, at 14.2% alcohol. There wre stronger fruits in the body, as well as a great smoothness to it. The finish was quite dry as we've found to be similar in other Postups.     We finished with their namesake, the Dingač. The 2004 has 14.1% alcohol and that extra heat to the wine goes a long way to making it a deeper wine. The nose has similar berry aromas like the other wines we tasted, but also has a good deal of tobacco. The body is very smooth and that texture pulls all the way through the taste and in to the finish. Overall, this wine has a much stronger earthiness to it than a standard Plavac (Dingač is made from Plavac grapes) and there is a leafy quality to the wine that you can both smell and taste.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe          Pelješac is a 65km long peninsula in Southern Dalmatia, about an hour north of Dubrovnik, which produces some of the best wines in Croatia. The majority of them are produced from the red Plavac Mali grapes grown in a thin strip of land of only 2km in the Southwestern side of the peninsula, known as the Dingač region.          Dingač comprises the lower half of a steep mountain that runs along the sea by the village of Potomje on the other side of the mountain. For centuries, the people of Potomje and the surrounding villages had to travel on donkeys, horses or mules to tend to the vineyards in the Dingač slope, on the other side of the mountain. They also had to bring their yearly harvest by those same beasts of burden to Potomje, to crush and age the grapes. Naturally, this was a very labor intensive process, so in the early 1970's all the wine growing families in the area decided to pool their money and order the construction of a tunnel through the mountain. This tunnel, which was finished in 1973, made life a lot easier for the Dingač wine growing, although the vineyards in the region still need to be tended by hand due to the inclination and sheer ruggedness of the land.          This is an area that is always sunny, even when in Potomje, on the other side of the mountain, it's snowing as happens every couple of years, and thus it produces high quality grapes with a very deep and distinctive taste. Also, depending on the position of the vineyards on the slope, the inclination, how they face the sun or how close they are to the sea, they can produce grapes with quite a different taste in spite of literally growing next to each other.          In Peješac, everybody's family seems to have been sailors and winegrowers, and thus vineyards cover the whole peninsula. However, only a few of the winegrowers actually produce wine for sale, with most of them selling their grapes to the local cooperatives and making only a small amount for their own family and friends to consume. This is something that most families in Pelješac have been doing for centuries, until communist Yugoslavia was created and they were banned from producing wine even in small amounts for the household. With the end of Yugoslavia nearly two decades ago, wine production is quickly growing in the area again and old vineyards that withered away are coming back to life.     The biggest winery in the area is the Dingač cooperative, which currently produces half a million liters of wine a year. It produces four types of red Plavac Mali wines: Plavac, Pelješac, Postup and, of course, Dingač. Despite these all being from the same grape varietal, the plavac mali, it is only the Dingač that comes from the grapes on the other side of this half a kilometer tunnel through the mountain.

Over a summer, two travelers drink their way through the wines of Mediterranean Europe.          The home of the Miljas family was built in 1897 when the great-grandfather of the family began to produce wines in the Konavle Region at the southern-most tip of Croatia. With the invention of Yugoslavia, their winemaking stopped as they had to feed their grapes in to the general collective for wine production and could not produce it themselves. As Croatia broke away from Yugoslavia, they again began to produce, but only to be forced to abandon their homes when the Yugoslav Army rolled in to the area for a lengthy occupation. While their vines didn't immediately suffer any damage, the fact that they couldn't tend to them caused a great deal of harm to the old vines and they were forced to replant nearly all of their vines. Thankfully, they did not have to contend with landmine removal as a great many winemakers in the area of Slavonia did, which greatly sped up the process of replanting. Today, they are growing again and producing good quality wines from the region.     Like most wineries in Konavle, they were very hard to find and are actually in a small village, which as it turns out is two kilometers from one village, four from another, and maybe eight or maybe seven from another. Suffice to say, we ended up circling for a bit before finding the house where they do their production. Located in the floor of the valley that is Konavle, the vines stretch out in all directions from their home. Some are theirs, some are their neighbors, but one trait you see again and again is that these are mostly all young vines. This might be why in their current production of 16,000 a year, 70% white wines as these come across with great fruity flavors, despite the young age of the vines. The Maraština (also called Rukatac in other areas) was very bright with piquant citrus tones to both the nose and the body. In a competition for the region, it had won the gold medal in its class in 2003.     We also tasted the 2005 Plavac that they make which despite being a bit young, they were still enthusiastic about letting us taste. It will need a bit more time in the barrel though, as the nose hasn't fully worked itself out. The body was quite good and the oak had set up well with it. In another six months, it would be interesting to taste the wine to see how it takes to a bit more oak and glass, as it holds a great deal of promise, because the 2004 from the bottle is a very solid, dry example of the wine that makes for a good drink.     Like many places we've been visiting during this trip, it's very encouraging to see an old family business come back to life and start again with what they do best.     

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