Hrvatsko Podunavlje

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Terraces and gently undulating plateaus at 95 to 230 m above sea level are covered by a thick aeolian loess mantle of Quaternary origin, which has levelled the watershed surfaces and upper slopes of the Slavonian mountains.
• The thickness of the loess cover varies from 17 to 24 m on the Đakovo–Vinkovci and Vukovar plateaus, while in certain locations, such as Baranjska planina and Erdutsko brdo (Dalj planina), it exceeds 100 m.
• The vitisol of the vineyard areas was formed through human activity from several soil types: chernozem (leached and browned), anthropogenic soils on loess, eutric brown typic and lessivé soils on loess, and regosol (syrosem).
• The climate of this area is classified as moderately continental, with a mean annual temperature of approximately 11.2 °C and a mean growing-season temperature of approximately 18.6 °C, while the sum of effective temperatures during the growing season (April–October) amounts to approximately 1,550 °C.
• Annual precipitation in this area ranges from approximately 650 to 690 mm, distributed evenly throughout the year.

• Historical records of viticulture in this area are linked to Emperor Probus, and after the expulsion of the Turks in 1687 the Vienna court granted large estates to feudal lords who organised both grape-growing and winemaking.
• With the appearance of phylloxera in the Hrvatsko Podunavlje area in 1890, a new era began with the planting of American rootstocks and field grafting, accompanied by the replacement of the existing variety selection with higher-quality cultivars.
• The vine training system is medium-height, at 40 to 120 cm, while the predominant training form is single or double Guyot with a low to medium load of 10 to 25 buds per vine.

• The white wines of this area are crystal clear, yellow-green to golden-yellow in colour, medium to high in alcohol, with balanced acidity, good extract, and pronounced fruit, floral, and spice aromas.
• Red wines from Frankovka, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Crni are clear, ruby-red of varying intensity, medium to high in alcohol, with moderate acidity, a well-balanced level of tannin ripeness, and pronounced fruit aromas.

• The continental climate, with marked diurnal temperature variation, favours the retention of acidity during grape ripening, while high daytime temperatures contribute to sugar accumulation in the grapes.
• The climatic and soil characteristics enable the production of fuller-bodied, higher-alcohol wines rich in extract that are well suited to ageing.

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-A1655
• Official trade body site — Graševina Croatica – Udruga vinara Slavonije i hrvatskog Podunavlja