Prigorje-Bilogora

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Vineyards in the PDO Prigorje-Bilogora are predominantly located on gently to steeply sloping slopes with an east-to-southwest aspect, at elevations of 150 to 400 m above sea level, on the hillsides of Medvednica, Kalnik, and Bilogora.
• The principal pedological component of the soils on the rolling terrain of Bilogora derives from Pliocene sands and clays, followed by Pleistocene loess deposits.
• On the south-eastern calcareous foothills of Medvednica and Kalnik, Miocene deposits of limestone, clay, and fine-grained sands are found, which favoured the development of arable farming, fruit growing, and viticulture.
• The climate of this area is moderately continental, with a mean annual temperature of 11.2 °C and a mean temperature of 17.8 °C during the growing season.
• The sum of effective temperatures during the growing season from April to October ranges from 1,250 to 1,450 °C, and annual precipitation amounts to approximately 830 mm, of which more than 55% falls during the growing season.
• Due to the terrain and the pattern of land ownership, vineyard plots in this region are small and therefore unsuitable for mechanised cultivation.
• In soils with an impermeable layer (pseudogley), deep ripping (rigolanje) is carried out prior to vineyard planting.

• The Greek geographer and historian Strabo, in his work 'Geography', mentions vineyards in Upper Posavina, confirming that the vine was cultivated in this area even before the arrival of the Romans, during the Celtic and Illyrian periods.
• Following the establishment of the Zagreb bishopric and the issuing of the Golden Bull of Béla IV in 1242, vineyards on the southern slopes of Medvednica are mentioned, along with the obligation of the settlers of Gradec to supply the king with barrels of wine when he travelled to the Littoral.

• The white wines of this area are crystal clear, showing various shades of yellow-green, medium in alcohol, with moderate acidity, good extract, and discrete to pronounced fruity, floral, and spicy aromas.
• The indigenous variety Kraljevina, characteristic of Prigorje and the Zelina area, yields fresh, easy-drinking, and lively wines of lower alcohol, around 11% vol., with somewhat more pronounced acidity, and is most commonly produced in a dry style.

• The average sum of effective temperatures during the growing season of 1,250 to 1,450 °C allows the ripening of second- and third-epoch varieties in the Prigorje-Bilogora region.
• The continental climate, with high daytime and lower night-time temperatures in the period leading up to harvest, favours the production of fresh, easy-drinking wines with good acidity levels and composition, as well as pronounced primary fruity and floral aromas.

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-A1657
• Official trade body site — Bregovita Hrvatska