Zagorje – Međimurje

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Soils: Tertiary lacustrine deposits (conglomerates, pješčenjaci, lapori); clay-sandy diluvial alluvium on the hilly 'gorice'.
• The pronounced clay content of the soils (water retention) favours viticulture, with annual rainfall of approximately 890 mm, of which >55% falls during the growing season.
• Climate: humid temperate-continental; the collision of Alpine and continental air masses drives day-to-night temperature differentials that favour fresh, high-acid wines.
• The sum of effective temperatures during the growing season is 1,250–1,450 °C, enabling the ripening of third-epoch varieties (Graševina, Rhine Riesling, Moslavac, etc.).

• The Romans introduced the vine to the slopes of Zagorje; vineyard restoration followed only after the Ottoman withdrawal (13th–14th centuries).
• The Wine Parliament in Vienna on 4 September 1894; viticultural cooperatives were founded at that time to support vineyard restoration in the aftermath of phylloxera.

• White wines: crystal clear, yellow-green to yellow in colour, medium in alcohol, moderate to high acidity, with discreet to pronounced fruity, floral, and spicy aromas.
• Predikatna vina: dense, viscous, intensely golden-yellow, with noble-rot aromas; richer in acidity and livelier than Predikat wines from eastern Croatia.

• The collision of continental and Alpine climates amplifies day-to-night temperature differentials → fresh, approachable wines with higher malic acid content.
• Clay-sandy diluvial alluvium on the 'gorice' + 890 mm of rainfall (>55% during the growing season) ensures adequate soil water retention for viticulture.
• Tertiary sediments (conglomerates, pješčenjaci, lapori) → the blending of soils across individual micro-sites produces a distinctive profile that is reflected in the organoleptic character of the wines.
• The sum of effective temperatures of 1,250–1,450 °C (April–October) enables the ripening of third-epoch varieties: Graševina, Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and others.
• Soil heterogeneity combined with the Alpine-continental climate → preserved primary varietal aromas and an acid-extract fullness characteristic of each individual micro-site.
• Greater diurnal temperature variation gives red wines a rich acid composition well suited to malolactic fermentation, which contributes to harmony and body.
• Predikatna vina (Sauvignon, Pinot, Moslavac) are richer in acidity and livelier than Predikat wines from eastern Croatia, owing to the cooler climatic influence.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-HR-A1662
• Official trade body site — Društvo vinogradara i vinara Međimurja “Hortus Croatiae” Štrigova