7 Reasons Why You Should Not Drink Croatian Wine!

You will realize you are not the wine connoisseur you thought you were. When you try Croatian wine for the first time, you will realize that you had no idea about a well-hidden gem. You will ask yourself how it is possible that such good wines have managed to stay undiscovered by you and start questioning your own wine expertise. (Then you’ll try some more Croatian wine to get to know it better, of course!).

1. You will want to visit Croatia

After you taste some Croatian wine, you will be swept off your feet, no doubt – even Gary Vaynerchuk, the man behind WineLibrary, was impressed by Croatian wine. And then you will catch yourself wanting to explore the small country that can be the home of such diversity.

2. You will have to drink a lot

If you’re tasting Croatian wine in Croatia, be prepared to drink a lot. Croatians are very friendly, proud of their wine (which is, of course, some of the best in the world), and they always love to have a glass or two, even with complete strangers.

Before you start drinking wine, they will offer you some rakija (plum brandy). Then, you will be expected to have at least two glasses of wine so as not to offend the host, and maybe even four or five if you are having a meal.

When you announce that you are about to leave, the host will talk you into having at least one more glass ‘for the road.’

3. You will be amazed by the diversity

Just as Croatia has a continental and a seaside part, so does its cuisine and wine culture. In Croatia, you can find yourself eating a wiener schnitzel and drinking Riesling one moment, then driving a couple hours and eating astonishingly fresh fish and drinking a merlot the next– all totally authentic and local!

4. You might have to mix wine with water

Croatians love wine and have some really exquisite wines, but that doesn’t stop them from mixing wine with water – still or sparkling – or even, alas, cola! In the continental part of Croatia, you could be offered a ‘gemišt’ – a mix of white wine and sparkling water – and on the seaside, you will have to try a ‘bevanda’- red wine mixed with plain water.

5. You won’t be able to pronounce it

You might recognize Riesling, Merlot, Sauvignon, or pinot written or pronounced in Croatian, but you will break your tongue trying to pronounce Grk, Graševina or Žlahtina. Try to prepare or catch up with our how to pronounce Croatian wines guide!

6. You will want to discover Croatian cuisine

Trying Croatian wine will surely make you curious to try Croatian food, and then you will find yourself knocked off your feet by top quality, fresh, and locally caught fish and seafood, some of the world’s finest cheeses and cold cuts (prosciutto sounds familiar?), and not to mention sophisticated and tasteful authentic desserts. You will eat and you will drink and then you will want to eat and drink some more!

7. You will be eager to share your Croatian wine experience with your friends 😉

We are more than assured that this step is a must for every wine lover when done with tasting Croatian wines! 🙂 If you’re a wine enthusiast, you’re in for a treat with Croatian wine.

The unique taste and quality of Croatian wine are something that every wine lover should experience at least once. You’ll be delighted to share your newfound knowledge and appreciation for Croatian wine with your friends. Give it a try and discover a new favorite!