Wines..

The ancient Greeks who founded their colony Korkyra Melaina did not only establish a commercial and cultural center but also planted vines which have since produced wines esteemed all over the world.
The elegant jugs, called Oinohoe, from which the ancient Greeks enjoyed this natural liquid can be found in the museum of Korcula. The Greek writer Athenaios wrote twenty two centuries ago about the high quality wine produced on the Dalmatian island of Vis, Hvar and Korcula. In addition to these artistically designed jugs, the coins which have been excavated with various symbols connected with wine and vine growing are a testimony to the importance of wine for the economic life of the ancient inhabitants of Korcula and other Greek colonies; these coins can be seen in the numismatic collection of the Abbatial Treasury in Korcula, remnants of the centuries-long tradition of producing what was both an intoxicating drink and an important source of economy prosperity. One of the most beautiful stone columns in the Korcula cathedral of sv. Marko bears vine leaves cut into its capital. Wine is thus present not only in secular objects but also in artistic works and religious symbols.

The tradition of vine growing by Romans and later by Slavs has produced numerous objects of artistic value. The stone presses (prese) from which wine was squeezed, the amphoras, from the sunken Roman galleys in the Korcula-Peljesac channel, the vine motifs on the Bogomil tombs, and decorations on religious monuments and household objects testify to the tradition of winemaking in the Korcula and Peljesac region and to the cult of wine produced in this area and its being treated as a sacred liquid. The statute of the town and island of Korcula of 1214 contains strict rules protecting the vineyards.

Climatic and geographic conditions have enabled the growing of high-quality wines on the wine-growingarea of Korcula and Peljesac, and modern wine cellars guarantee the individual farmers not only a standard wine quality but also the purchase of their grapes. The Mediterranean climate, with its rather long, hot and dry summers and mild, short and windy winters with frequent rain as well as abundant sunshine, produces wines rich in dry extract and alcohol. The favorable climate and good soil in Korcula and Peljesac, give the wines a harmonious relation between their ingredients; alcohol, acid, minerals, tannin, colored matter, proteins, vitamins.
The luring call of the Korcula-Peljesac wines could be resisted even by the legendary heroes Antenor and Odysseus on their travels in the distant mythological past. Mythology has passed into history and to the present and the Korcula and Peljesac wines are waiting for their future conquistadors who will come to enjoy, together with the people from their region, this eternal liquid - a compound of sun, soil and effort.

The island of Korčula is renowned above all for the quality of its white, made from its native grapevine varieties.

In the central region of the island grow Pošip and Rukatac, in Lumbarda, on the eastern tip of the island, there are the vineyards of Grk. Among the reds, the most popular is Plavac Mali.

The wines of Korčula are celebrated for their exquisite character, for their complexity, for accentuated varietal aromas and for their high alcohol content – they reflect Mediterranean sunshine, scents and tastes.
They are distinguished for their exceptionally fine acidity - unusual among southern wines - which makes them such a pleasure to drink.

Pošip

Pošip is native to Korčula and something of a world rarity in that we know the exact place of its discovery and the name of the grape grower who discovered it in the late 19th century.

It is one of the first white wines to be protected by Croatian law.

Pošip is traditionally grown in the central area of the island in the villages Smokvica and Čara, and has lately spread to other vineyards in the region.

The wine is of splendid, straw-golden yellow colour. Rich and heavy it leaves a thick trail in the glass, and is pleasant, harmonious and full-bodied on the palate.
Pošip is a perfect companion to all fish, shellfish and white meat dishes. It is best served at a temperature of 12-14 °C. Rukatac

The Dalmatian grapevine variety Maraština, known on Korčula as Rukatac, found an ideal environment on this island more than a thousand years ago.

Celebrated for its excellence it is often used to improve the taste of other wines.

In the past it was mostly prepared as a desert wine, but today it is mostly dry.

The light yellow colour, fullness and harmony of this wine reflect the local environment - Rukatac will not leave you indifferent!

This elegant southern wine is best served with seafood and roasts, cooled to 12ºC.

Grk

The village of Lumbarda is renowned for its Grk, made from the native grape of the same name, which grows well on it's sandy soil.
We do not know whether Grk got its name from its refined tart taste (grk means bitter or tart in Croatian) or from the Greeks who established a settlement on this tip of Korčula back in the 3rd century B.C. and planted the first vineyards here.
A rich ancient wine-growing tradition combined with modern technology and oenology produce a dry wine with quite exceptional characteristics: it is recognised by its lightgreen-yellow colour with golden reflections, its emphatic cultivar aroma and its noble bouquet.
It has a rich, harmonious and well-rounded taste with a long, slightly tart finish. Grk goes best with all sea-food as well as with white meat, but can also be served as an aperitif. It should be served cold at 12-13ºC.

Plavac Mali

Plavac Mali is native to southern Dalmatia and Croatia's most popular and best known red wine.

It is grown on the southern slopes of the island, except in Lumbarda where it is grown not only because it makes a good wine itself, but also in order to help grow the Grk.

Unlike most varieties of vine Grk has only a female flower, so Plavac Mali is grown alongside it as a pollinator.
The wine from Plavac Mali grapes is dark red, even garnet coloured with traces of purple, and has a rich fruity bouquet embedded in a cultivar aroma and a warm, full and refined, well rounded, satisfying acerbic-to-soft taste.
Plavac Mali goes well with fine foods prepared with dark meats, especially game, and also with fish and mature cheeses. It should be served at 18°C.