Kutjevo Winery – The story behind the Sold Out Graševina
As many wine enthusiasts knows, Graševina is one of the most important and widely planted grape variety in Croatia. No serious list of best Croatian wines would be complete, without, at least several wines made from Graševina. Graševina is an amazing variety that can produce grand and versatile wines and it can give excellent sparkling wines, light and refreshing still wines, mature and more structured wines, then late harvests and selective harvests with noble rot, sweet dessert wines and finally some of the finest archival wines whose lifespan is measured in decades.
Many continental winemakers have realized that Graševina offers unmatched potential in terms of desired stylistics. Although, each style has its own consumption, the most sought-after examples are dry Graševina wines with nice, refreshing acidity and citrusy aromas, green apple and vineyard pear, chamomile, or grassy flavors, wine intended for consumption and everyday enjoyment.
As a more ambitious variant, a more mature type of Graševina from the later harvest is often made, when the wine acquires a deeper yellow-gold color, and aromas move from primary fruity and herbal to those of floral, botrytic, and ripe fruit. Usually, such Graševina is the premium edition of wineries that come on the market later than the basic ones and can be kept in archives for a longer time. The third type is those aged in wooden barrels of different volumes, which additionally took on spicy, vanilla, and nutty notes, followed by perhaps the most prized type, predicates, i.e. sweet dessert wines obtained by drying grapes on vines. The highlight is considered to be the ice harvest and the later harvest of dried grape berries.
Tradition and terroir that makes the difference
If you decide to experience different styles in one place, you will be pointed out to seek, visit and taste the Graševina from its spiritual home, a small town situated in Slavonia, called Kutjevo. Kutjevo wine region is undoubtedly one of Croatia’s greatest wine regions. Today, it is often heard that terroir is defined by soil composition and climatic conditions, with the distinction between general climatic conditions, microclimatic conditions, and microclimatic conditions. However, terroir is also the culture of people who grow grapes and produce wine. Their customs and intentions in wine production can also be considered part of the terroir. In that terms, Kutjevo is the oldest terroir in Croatia with a history of cellaring and well-organized wine production that dates back to 1232. Kutjevo wine region is authentic, with a great tradition of wine production, well-adapted varieties, and exceptional old terroirs on locations such as Vinkomir, Hrnjevac, and Vetovo, and Graševina is deeply rooted in the tradition of the whole region.
Graševina Vrhunska – a true brand
For decades, excellent awards from international wine tastings and continuous quality affect the growth in demand for Kutjevo winery`s brand – Graševina Vrhunska. As many as 358.500 bottles were sold out this year, out of which 267.500 bottles were exported to more than 25 countries all over the world. KUTJEVO winery is the biggest Croatian wine exporter as well and holds more than 50% of total Croatian wine export.
One of the most sought-after bottles of white wine on the market, Graševina high quality, is among the most awarded wines of Kutjevo winery and a true wine brand. It is fresh and harmonious, yellow-green crystal clear in color, with dominant floral and fruity aromas. The taste is dominated by green apples with hints of citrus and floral notes of chamomile. Graševina Vrhunska is a kind of introduction to the story of the winery and is a wine that is appreciated and recognized by both customers and world-renowned reviewers.
While the new harvest of Graševina Vrhunska is soon coming to the market, let’s enjoy the Graševina de Gotho vintage 2019, last year`s Decanter platinum-awarded wine!
