Toast Of Croatia

Just outside of capital Zagreb, Plešivica offers wine travellers authentic off-the-beaten-track hospitality, say CHARINE TAN and MATTHEW HORKEY

- Charine Tan And Matthew Horkey

OFTEN, THE FIRST place that comes to mind when speaking of Croatian wine are the coasts of Dalmatia and Istria, where tourist traffic soars to new heights year after year. What’s lesser known is the fastest-rising star on the Croatian wine scene, situated merely 30km southwest of Zagreb, Croatia’s capital.

The A1 motorway, Croatia’s longest expressway, approaches the pastoral Plešivica on a flat plain, but once you make a turn and head north, the road starts to wind its way up into the hills. The abrupt change in elevation swiftly leads to panoramic views of the flatlands. Tiny villages are linked by one-lane roads and the steep hills are adorned with scattered patches of vineyards. Life begins to move at a slower pace, making Plešivica seem a world apart from the nearby city.

Plešivica’s 30-odd family-run wineries have small holdings of vineyards, each varying from one to eight hectares. Though small in scale, what’s commendable is how expeditiously some of these wineries have reinvented their viticultural practices in the race towards the success they hold today.