Dalmatinska zagora

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The PDO 'Dalmatinska zagora' lies within a landscape of pronounced karst with no permanent watercourses, relatively low elevations, small valleys, and fields oriented in an east–west direction.
• The lithological substrate on which the soils have developed is predominantly limestone and, to a lesser extent, dolomite; along the margins of the karst fields, soil types include terra rossa (crvenica), brown skeletal and very skeletal soils, eluviated soils, and mineral-organic soils (rendzinas).
• Deep alluvial soils have developed within the karst fields, with textures ranging from clay loam to sandy loam; lime content is highly variable, and the fields frequently require hydraulic engineering works to regulate the water regime.
• The climate is sub-Mediterranean, and Mediterranean in the Imotski and Vrgorac areas, with a mean annual temperature of approximately 13.3 °C and around 1,260 mm of precipitation per year, falling mainly in the cooler part of the year.
• The sub-region Dalmatinska zagora lies in the hinterland of the Kozjak, Mosor, and Biokovo mountain ranges, which separate it from the sea, so maritime influence is considerably less than in the coastal sub-regions; suitable viticultural sites are found on the slopes of the Svilaja and Promina mountains and in the Petrovo, Imotski, Sinj, and Vrlika fields.

• The first industrial wineries in Dalmatia were built in 1948 in the Dalmatinska zagora area, in Benkovac and Imotski, marking a break with a long-standing traditional and conservative approach to vine growing and wine production.
• Following Croatian independence, further qualitative progress was made as cement tanks were replaced by stainless steel, and grapes began to be processed using the most modern equipment, including pneumatic presses, temperature-controlled fermentation, and microfiltration.

• The white wines of Dalmatinska zagora are crystal clear, with pale shades of yellow to golden yellow, generally medium in alcohol, and with delicate, neutral aromas.
• The red wines are clear, predominantly blue-red to ruby red in colour, harmonious, approachable, full-bodied, with rich aromas and well-balanced tannin ripeness.

• The geological composition of the soils, with their skeletal fraction and the extensive rocky surfaces surrounding the karst fields, produces higher daytime and lower night-time temperatures than in the coastal areas; this promotes good sugar accumulation while also preserving acidity in the grapes during the late stages of ripening, which is why the wines of Dalmatinska zagora are somewhat fresher and higher in acidity than wines from other Mediterranean-climate areas.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Croatia

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-HR-A1648
• Official trade body site — Udruženje Vino Dalmacije