Certainly, we can talk about “Hvar’s Plavac,” or “Plavac from Hvar’s Vineyards,” as a distinct quality of wine, even though it’s known that Plavac wine is made from the Plavac Mali grape variety, whose geographical range is much larger.
Certainly, because the quality of wine is determined by the grape variety, the terroir, climate, and the possibilities and conditions of production.
In Hvar’s vineyards, the Plavac variety is regularly accompanied by the Drnekuša variety, which has slightly higher acidity, making Plavac fresher, more drinkable, and suitable for aging. For Plavac Mali, a late-ripening variety with a high demand for warmth, Hvar’s very high number of sunshine hours per year is crucial.
Traditional Plavac production on Hvar is very old and widespread, resulting in wines of recognizable and varying qualities: Plavac from the southern slopes of the island, Plavac from sandy positions, Plavac from the hilly northern part of the island, and Plavac produced from grapes in old vineyards.
High-quality Plavac wines are also produced in Starigrad Plain, characterized by their intense red color and pleasant, fresh, and harmonious taste.
Zlatan Otok wines, part of the Plenković winery in Sveta Nedjelja, lead the way. They are the only Croatian Grand Cru and have won several international awards. However, there are other excellent locally available wines as well. Prices vary significantly, just like the quality.
The “Priča o konobi” (Story of the Tavern) project is one of the author’s efforts to introduce the phenomenon of original, traditional Dalmatian taverns to the Croatian and international public. These taverns are places where wine is made, stored, and enjoyed. The author called the tavern “the cradle of Dalmatia” because many Dalmatian specialties, such as wine, olive oil, prošek (sweet dessert wine), prosciutto, cheese, and above all, Dalmatian a cappella singing (klapa), were born and nurtured in these taverns. One of the goals of his efforts is to create recognition for the tavern and through the story of the tavern, present and bring Croatia and Dalmatia with all their cultural treasures closer to the world.
The source of this story is his family tavern in Vrbanj on Hvar, which has recently been declared a Protected Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia by the Ministry of Culture. It served as the inspiration for his book “KONOBA,” the first book ever published about taverns. The book has been translated into English and Italian and was realized in collaboration with the Ethnographic Museum in Split, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Split-Dalmatia County, the City of Split, and the City of Starigrad.
