Dalmatia (Pelješac, Hvar, Korčula)

Pošip: Korčula's golden, dry, full-bodied signature white.

Grown around Čara and Smokvica on Korčula and now also on Pelješac and Hvar. Ripe apricot, fig, citrus and herbs with balanced acidity; best with grilled fish and shellfish.

Grown around Čara and Smokvica on Korčula and now also on Pelješac and Hvar. Ripe apricot, fig, citrus and herbs with balanced acidity; best with grilled fish and shellfish.

Pošip: Korčula's golden, dry white with apricot and fig.

Native to Korčula and now also grown on Pelješac and Hvar. Ripe fruit and herbs with balanced acidity, full in body. It takes oak and lees well, so styles range from fresh to rich.

Native to Korčula and now also grown on Pelješac and Hvar. Ripe fruit and herbs with balanced acidity, full in body. It takes oak and lees well, so styles range from fresh to rich.

Grilled fish or shellfish: pour a cold Pošip.

Pošip's ripe fruit and balancing acidity suit the day's catch off the grill. Choose a fresh style for lighter fish and a lees-aged one for richer shellfish.

Pošip's ripe fruit and balancing acidity suit the day's catch off the grill. Choose a fresh style for lighter fish and a lees-aged one for richer shellfish.

Dingač: Dalmatia's most famous red, a dark, heavy Plavac Mali.

Grown on very steep slopes in a small protected zone on Pelješac. Expect dried fruit, plum, chocolate and spice with high alcohol and firm tannin. It is the most renowned and most expensive coastal red, so pour it with grilled meat.

Grown on very steep slopes in a small protected zone on Pelješac. Expect dried fruit, plum, chocolate and spice with high alcohol and firm tannin. It is the most renowned and most expensive coastal red, so pour it with grilled meat.

Plavac Mali: Dalmatia's big, dark red; the site name tells you how serious it is.

Little blue grapes that make dark, tannic, high-alcohol red with cherry, pepper and carob. A cross of Zinfandel and a rare island grape. On Pelješac, Dingač and Postup are the top sites; a plain 'Plavac' is the easier version.

Little blue grapes that make dark, tannic, high-alcohol red with cherry, pepper and carob. A cross of Zinfandel and a rare island grape. On Pelješac, Dingač and Postup are the top sites; a plain 'Plavac' is the easier version.

Grilled meat: Plavac Mali, the coast's red.

Dalmatian grills suit Plavac Mali's tannin and dark fruit. A plain Plavac works for everyday meat; step up to Postup or Dingač for something rich.

Dalmatian grills suit Plavac Mali's tannin and dark fruit. A plain Plavac works for everyday meat; step up to Postup or Dingač for something rich.

A fringe find: Križ orange wine from Pelješac.

A skin-contact wine from a Pelješac winery, rare in red-wine country. Ask what is available.

A skin-contact wine from a Pelješac winery, rare in red-wine country. Ask what is available.

Check before you go — details here may have changed.

Grk: Lumbarda's rare, salty white with a bitter finish.

Grown in sand around Lumbarda on Korčula. Oily texture, herbs, citrus and apple, with a slightly bitter finish. Serve cold with fresh Adriatic seafood.

Grown in sand around Lumbarda on Korčula. Oily texture, herbs, citrus and apple, with a slightly bitter finish. Serve cold with fresh Adriatic seafood.

Pošip and Grk are sometimes aged on their lees for texture.

Intrada Sur Lie (Pošip) and Defora (Grk) are the examples. Lees contact gives rounder, richer, more textured whites, and the fresh versions sit alongside as the lighter alternative.

Intrada Sur Lie (Pošip) and Defora (Grk) are the examples. Lees contact gives rounder, richer, more textured whites, and the fresh versions sit alongside as the lighter alternative.

Krajančić: the Korčula family to know for Pošip.

Luka Krajančić makes a Pošip line from fresh to rich, a good way to see how the grape changes with ageing.

Krajančić is a Korčula family, and Luka Krajančić's Pošip is a lesson in how one grape can be made different ways. Fresh Intrada is the young, direct style. Intrada Sur Lie is aged on its lees for more texture and weight. Statut is the third bottling in the line. Pošip is a grape that takes oak well and can age, so the richer bottles reward patience. It comes from the Čara and Smokvica vineyards on Korčula and tastes of apricot, fig, herbs and ripe citrus, golden and strong in alcohol. A second Krajančić, Jakša, makes Pošip under the PZ Nerica label. For a first bottle, take the Fresh Intrada with grilled fish; for a second, try the Sur Lie with shellfish. Tasting the two side by side shows exactly what lees contact adds.

Postup: Dingač's protected neighbour, equally bold Plavac Mali.

Postup is the other famed Pelješac site. Same grape and the same heavy, dark style as Dingač: dried fruit, spice, high alcohol and firm tannin. Ask a producer which of the two they make.

Postup is the other famed Pelješac site. Same grape and the same heavy, dark style as Dingač: dried fruit, spice, high alcohol and firm tannin. Ask a producer which of the two they make.

Miloš: among the best-rated Plavac Mali producers on the coast.

A Pelješac red specialist rated among the best on the coast. Look for his Plavac Mali, ideally from Dingač or Postup.

A Pelješac red specialist rated among the best on the coast. Look for his Plavac Mali, ideally from Dingač or Postup.

Saints Hills: a Dingač producer that also works in Istria.

Listed among the Dingač producers worth trying, with a footprint in both Dalmatia and Istria. Begin with the Dingač.

Listed among the Dingač producers worth trying, with a footprint in both Dalmatia and Istria. Begin with the Dingač.

Bogdanuša: a rare Hvar white from the Stari Grad Plain.

A white grape that originates on Hvar's Stari Grad Plain. Another island variety with few ambassadors; worth asking for when you are on the island.

A white grape that originates on Hvar's Stari Grad Plain. Another island variety with few ambassadors; worth asking for when you are on the island.

Check before you go — details here may have changed.

Križ: an orange natural wine from Pelješac, a rare find.

A Pelješac winery making an orange natural wine, a skin-contact bottle in red-wine country. Ask what is open.

A Pelješac winery making an orange natural wine, a skin-contact bottle in red-wine country. Ask what is open.

A few producers use amphora or skin contact for island whites.

Milina on Korčula is experimenting with amphora, and Križ on Pelješac makes an orange natural wine. Expect more texture and grip than a standard white.

Milina on Korčula is experimenting with amphora, and Križ on Pelješac makes an orange natural wine. Expect more texture and grip than a standard white.

Bire: Korčula's Grk specialist, with a bolder lees-aged version.

Known for Grk and Plavac Mali with sea views. Taste the fresh Grk, then the bolder Defora.

Bire is one of the two names (with Cebalo) most often given for a fresh, clean Grk, which makes it the safest first stop for the grape. The standard Grk shows the variety plainly: citrus, apple, Mediterranean herbs, an oily texture and a slightly bitter finish, since grk means 'bitter'. Defora is the bolder bottling, aged on its lees, with more weight and texture. Tasting the two together shows what this rare, sand-grown white can carry beyond a cold glass of summer seafood wine. The estate also makes Plavac Mali, so one visit covers both of Korčula's colours. The setting is a draw of its own, with sweeping sea views from the winery. The best order is fresh Grk with a plate of seafood first, then Defora with something richer.

Stari Grad Plain: Hvar's ancient UNESCO farmland, still planted with vines.

The plain beside Stari Grad has been farmed for about 2,400 years and is protected by UNESCO. Its dry-stone walls still frame today's vineyards.

Hvar's vineyards lie on the Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO-protected landscape that has been farmed for about 2,400 years, still marked by dry-stone walls that date back generations. Greek settlers also began wine growing on Vis, Hvar and Korčula some 2,500 years ago, and the ancient writer Athenaeus praised the wines of the three islands. The plain is also where the white grape Bogdanuša originates, and Prč, another rare white, is indigenous to the island. For a visitor it means Hvar is as much a living landscape as a wine region: a drive across the plain takes in vineyards, olive groves and old field walls, and the wines taste better for knowing it.

Prošek: Dalmatia's traditional sweet wine from dried grapes.

A sweet dessert wine, red or white, made from dried grapes. It has nothing to do with sparkling Prosecco, though the name has been disputed with Italy, so ask for the local dessert wine.

Prošek is the traditional sweet wine of Dalmatia, made from dried grapes and in either red or white, with colours from dark yellow with old-gold shades to reddish brown. Hvar's Tomić makes one, and Stina on Brač is listed with Prošek among its wines. The name has been a long-running trade dispute: Italian trade bodies argued it sounds too much like Prosecco, which is sparkling and unrelated, and Croatia has argued it is a centuries-old tradition. A replacement term, Vino Dalmato, has been floated. The current label rules are worth checking before you buy, because bottles may be sold under different wording. Serve it small, at the end of a meal, rather than as an apéritif. It is a rich wine, closer to Vin Santo than to Prosecco.

Dingač and Postup: the steep south slopes that define Dalmatian red.

Dingač and Postup are named Plavac Mali sites on Pelješac's very steep slopes. Dingač was the first Croatian wine protected internationally, and Postup followed it.

Both names are places, and a stranger can easily mistake Dingač for a grape. They sit on very steep, sun-facing Pelješac slopes where Plavac Mali ripens fully, and Dingač carries its own protected zone, the first Croatian wine protected internationally, with Postup next to it. The wines are heavy: dried fruit, plum jam, chocolate and spice, high alcohol and bold tannin. In weight they sit closer to an Amarone than to a Chianti, so serve them at cellar temperature and with grilled meat rather than as an apéritif. Dingač is described as the most renowned and most expensive coastal red, deep ruby in colour. A good way to understand the difference is to put a plain 'Plavac' and a Dingač from the same producer side by side.

Grgić: Mike Grgich's Pelješac winery, with Plavac Mali and Pošip.

A Napa Valley winemaker who returned to Croatia to make quality Plavac Mali on Pelješac. Taste the Plavac Mali and the Pošip together.

Miljenko 'Mike' Grgich is the Croatian-born winemaker who built his reputation in Napa Valley and returned home to make quality Plavac Mali on Pelješac, which became Grgić Vina. He is also part of Plavac Mali's story: he argued that Zinfandel descended from Plavac Mali, and he pushed the research that disproved it. DNA work in the late 1990s showed Zinfandel (Crljenak Kaštelanski) is actually one of Plavac Mali's parents. The estate makes red and white: the Plavac Mali is the calling card and the Pošip is the white to taste alongside. Seeing the two together is the best short introduction to Pelješac, a red-wine peninsula that also makes crisp whites. The wine is also a good choice for anyone who knows California Zinfandel and wants to meet its Croatian relative.

Plavac Mali ripens unevenly, so the picking decision shapes the wine.

In weaker sites a single bunch can hold green berries and raisins at once. Full ripeness lifts tannin and sugar but lowers acidity, which is the winemaker's dilemma.

Plavac Mali is a tricky grape. In less-than-ideal conditions it ripens unevenly, and one bunch can carry both hard green berries and raisined ones. Pushing for full ripeness raises tannin and sugar but lowers acidity, so the wine heads toward high alcohol and low freshness. That is why site matters so much: on the right slope the fruit ripens evenly and the wine reads as dark cherry, pepper and carob; in hotter conditions it tends toward liquorice, black pepper and clove. It also explains the gap between a plain 'Plavac' and a Dingač or Postup. When you taste a bottle, look for whether the acidity still holds the weight. If it does, the producer got the picking right.

Crljenak Kaštelanski: the Zinfandel of Dalmatia, almost gone.

The original Zinfandel and one parent of Plavac Mali. Very rarely grown now, on Hvar and Pelješac.

Crljenak Kaštelanski is the Croatian name for the variety known as Zinfandel in California and Primitivo in Italy. It is also one of the two parents of Plavac Mali, the other being Dobričić, an old variety from the island of Šolta. The link was proved by DNA work in the late 1990s led by Carole Meredith at UC Davis, prompted by Mike Grgich and researchers at the University of Zagreb. Despite its fame abroad, Crljenak Kaštelanski is rarely planted in Croatia today, with a few vines on Hvar and Pelješac. If you see a bottle labelled with the name, treat it as a collector's find, and taste it next to a Plavac Mali to see the family likeness.

Korčula keeps some of Croatia's oldest vines and a Greek wine heritage.

A few pre-phylloxera vines survive on Korčula, and Lumbarda's sand is credited with saving Grk. The island's wine tradition goes back to Greek colonists.

Korčula was a Greek colony, and its ancient Greek name, Korkyra Melaina, meant 'black Korčula'. Wine here is about 2,500 years old, and a medieval statute on the island already set strict rules to protect its vineyards. The few pre-phylloxera vines that survive in Croatia are found on Korčula and Susak. Grk, the rare white of Lumbarda, is said to be the only variety that came through the phylloxera years, thanks to the sandy soil. That history is a good reason to treat Korčula's Pošip and Grk as more than holiday wines: they come from grape lines native to the island, grown on ground that has been farmed for millennia.

Dry, sunny, rocky: limestone karst and long sun hours shape these wines.

Vineyards sit on karst hillsides and steep slopes with little rain and many hours of sun. That gives concentrated, sun-ripe fruit: reds that are dark and high in alcohol, whites that are full and mostly dry.

Vineyards sit on karst hillsides and steep slopes with little rain and many hours of sun. That gives concentrated, sun-ripe fruit: reds that are dark and high in alcohol, whites that are full and mostly dry.

In the glass: Ripe, concentrated fruit; heavy reds; full, dry whites

Islands and slopes mean many small microclimates, so the exact site matters.

Two vineyards on the same island can ripen differently because of slope, exposure and sea breeze. A named village or site on the label is more useful than the island name alone.

Two vineyards on the same island can ripen differently because of slope, exposure and sea breeze. A named village or site on the label is more useful than the island name alone.

In the glass: Style varies between neighbouring vineyards

Lumbarda's sandy soil is why Grk tastes the way it does.

Grk is grown in sand around Lumbarda on Korčula, unusual in a land of limestone. The result is an oily-textured white with herbs, citrus and apple and a faintly bitter finish.

Grk is grown in sand around Lumbarda on Korčula, unusual in a land of limestone. The result is an oily-textured white with herbs, citrus and apple and a faintly bitter finish.

In the glass: Oily texture, saline note and a bitter finish

Dingač and Postup: the steep south slopes that define Dalmatian red.

Dingač and Postup are named Plavac Mali sites on Pelješac's very steep slopes. Dingač was the first Croatian wine protected internationally, and Postup followed it.

Both names are places, and a stranger can easily mistake Dingač for a grape. They sit on very steep, sun-facing Pelješac slopes where Plavac Mali ripens fully, and Dingač carries its own protected zone, the first Croatian wine protected internationally, with Postup next to it. The wines are heavy: dried fruit, plum jam, chocolate and spice, high alcohol and bold tannin. In weight they sit closer to an Amarone than to a Chianti, so serve them at cellar temperature and with grilled meat rather than as an apéritif. Dingač is described as the most renowned and most expensive coastal red, deep ruby in colour. A good way to understand the difference is to put a plain 'Plavac' and a Dingač from the same producer side by side.

In the glass: Dark, heavy, tannic reds with dried-fruit weight

Plavac Mali ripens unevenly, so the picking decision shapes the wine.

In weaker sites a single bunch can hold green berries and raisins at once. Full ripeness lifts tannin and sugar but lowers acidity, which is the winemaker's dilemma.

Plavac Mali is a tricky grape. In less-than-ideal conditions it ripens unevenly, and one bunch can carry both hard green berries and raisined ones. Pushing for full ripeness raises tannin and sugar but lowers acidity, so the wine heads toward high alcohol and low freshness. That is why site matters so much: on the right slope the fruit ripens evenly and the wine reads as dark cherry, pepper and carob; in hotter conditions it tends toward liquorice, black pepper and clove. It also explains the gap between a plain 'Plavac' and a Dingač or Postup. When you taste a bottle, look for whether the acidity still holds the weight. If it does, the producer got the picking right.

In the glass: High sugar and tannin, low acidity unless the site and picking are right

Stari Grad Plain: Hvar's ancient UNESCO farmland, still planted with vines.

The plain beside Stari Grad has been farmed for about 2,400 years and is protected by UNESCO. Its dry-stone walls still frame today's vineyards.

Hvar's vineyards lie on the Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO-protected landscape that has been farmed for about 2,400 years, still marked by dry-stone walls that date back generations. Greek settlers also began wine growing on Vis, Hvar and Korčula some 2,500 years ago, and the ancient writer Athenaeus praised the wines of the three islands. The plain is also where the white grape Bogdanuša originates, and Prč, another rare white, is indigenous to the island. For a visitor it means Hvar is as much a living landscape as a wine region: a drive across the plain takes in vineyards, olive groves and old field walls, and the wines taste better for knowing it.

In the glass: Ancient field system; home of rare island white grapes

Korčula keeps some of Croatia's oldest vines and a Greek wine heritage.

A few pre-phylloxera vines survive on Korčula, and Lumbarda's sand is credited with saving Grk. The island's wine tradition goes back to Greek colonists.

Korčula was a Greek colony, and its ancient Greek name, Korkyra Melaina, meant 'black Korčula'. Wine here is about 2,500 years old, and a medieval statute on the island already set strict rules to protect its vineyards. The few pre-phylloxera vines that survive in Croatia are found on Korčula and Susak. Grk, the rare white of Lumbarda, is said to be the only variety that came through the phylloxera years, thanks to the sandy soil. That history is a good reason to treat Korčula's Pošip and Grk as more than holiday wines: they come from grape lines native to the island, grown on ground that has been farmed for millennia.

In the glass: Rare native grapes with a long local track record

Pošip and Grk are sometimes aged on their lees for texture.

Intrada Sur Lie (Pošip) and Defora (Grk) are the examples. Lees contact gives rounder, richer, more textured whites, and the fresh versions sit alongside as the lighter alternative.

Intrada Sur Lie (Pošip) and Defora (Grk) are the examples. Lees contact gives rounder, richer, more textured whites, and the fresh versions sit alongside as the lighter alternative.

In the glass: Rounder, richer, creamier whites

Pošip takes oak well, and the best bottles can age.

A barrel-aged Pošip is golden, spicier and broader than the fresh style, and keeps for years.

A barrel-aged Pošip is golden, spicier and broader than the fresh style, and keeps for years.

In the glass: More weight, spice and ageing potential

Prošek is made from dried grapes, red or white.

Drying concentrates the sugar and flavour. The wine is sweet, dark gold to reddish brown, and drunk in small glasses at the end of a meal.

Drying concentrates the sugar and flavour. The wine is sweet, dark gold to reddish brown, and drunk in small glasses at the end of a meal.

In the glass: Concentrated sweetness; amber to reddish-brown colour

A few producers use amphora or skin contact for island whites.

Milina on Korčula is experimenting with amphora, and Križ on Pelješac makes an orange natural wine. Expect more texture and grip than a standard white.

Milina on Korčula is experimenting with amphora, and Križ on Pelješac makes an orange natural wine. Expect more texture and grip than a standard white.

In the glass: Orange colour, grip and a savoury edge