From Istrian Malvazija and Kvarner Žlahtina to Dalmatian Plavac Mali, northern Pušipel and the great Graševina and Traminac vineyards of Slavonia and the Danube. RVRF turns Croatia's extraordinary regional diversity into one coherent private journey.
The best programmes are remembered as a sequence of moments rather than a checklist of wineries. These are our own photographs from journeys we have organised and hosted: travelling together, entering cellars, meeting producers, sharing local food, tasting at the table and moving through the Croatian landscape between each encounter.
Croatia's official viticultural framework spans four broad wine regions and 18 EU-protected wine designations. For the traveller, the story is even richer: islands, limestone coasts, Istrian hills, northern vineyards and the Danube plains each have their own grapes, food and rhythm.
Signature grapes: Malvazija Istarska, Teran, Muškat momjanski.
Producers to know: Kozlović, Benvenuti, Fakin, Coronica, Matošević, Bastiàn, Bruno Ferenac, Cattunar, Degrassi and Tomaz. In 2026, Bastiàn and Bruno Ferenac both reached DWWA Platinum.
Signature grapes: Žlahtina and the revived Sansigot, alongside coastal varieties.
Producers to know: Katunar Estate, Ivan Katunar, Šipun, Pavlomir, Gospoja, Vina Mandić and PZ Vrbnik. Kvarner producers collected 14 DWWA medals in 2026.
Signature grapes: Babić, Debit, Maraština, Pošip, Plavac Mali and Tribidrag.
Producers to know: Ante Sladić, Testament, Baraka, Rizman, Korta Katarina, Grgić Vina, Saints Hills and Markus. Dingač and the steep Pelješac slopes remain essential Plavac Mali territory.
Signature grapes: Plavac Mali, Pošip, Grk, Bogdanuša and Vugava.
Producers to know: Tomić, Zlatan Otok / Plenković, Plančić, Lipanović, Bire, Zure, Stina, Vislander and Marijan. Marijan's Plaža Plavac 2021 from Hvar was Croatia's DWWA 2026 Best in Show at 97 points; Zure's Elysion 2016 earned Platinum.
This is deliberately a gastronomy-led chapter rather than an invented wine region: Lički krumpir, Lički škripavac, Lička janjetina, Goranski medun, game, mountain herbs and forest flavours connect the Adriatic with continental Croatia.
Signature styles: Pušipel, Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot, sparkling and sweet wines.
Producers to know: Štampar, Cmrečnjak, Dvanajščak-Kozol, St. Jerome, Tomac and Korak. Plešivica adds one of Croatia's most compelling sparkling-wine and cool-climate chapters.
Signature grapes: Graševina, Traminac, Frankovka and powerful reds.
Producers to know: Iločki Podrumi, Kutjevo, Krauthaker, Enjingi, Belje and Enosophia. Iločki Podrumi's 2023 Traminac selection was one of Croatia's five DWWA Platinum wines in 2026.
Awards referenced from Decanter World Wine Awards 2026. Award marks/logos are not reproduced.
Croatia's gastronomic identity is protected through PDO/ZOI, PGI/ZOZP and TSG/ZTS schemes. We use these products as anchors for regional programmes — not as a checklist, but as a way to connect landscape, producers and the table.
In addition, Samoborski bermet is registered as a protected aromatised wine-based product. Official register status referenced to the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2026.
A five-day island programme and a ten-day national wine journey should not feel the same. We build around the group: private cellar access, food pairings, transfers, boats, accommodation, culture, landscape and enough time to understand each place.
Our previous programmes have included Lipanović on Vis, Andro Tomić, Plenković and Plančić on Hvar, and Bire in Lumbarda on Korčula — examples of what a carefully coordinated island route can look like.
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