PLAVAC MALI is the most popular and economically important red wine grape variety in Croatia and as such produces top quality Croatian wines. PLAVAC MALI is a grape variety of extraordinary potential, a variety that can produce excellent red wines, the best of which achieve an ideal marriage of the excellent grape characteristics and the climate in which PLAVAC MALI is grown. However, in spite of its great popularity and increased demand in recent years, PLAVAC MALI is grown exclusively in Middle and South Dalmatia, mostly on the peninsula of Peljesac and the islands of Hvar, Brac, Korcula and Vis. An interesting fact is that PLAVAC MALI is a progeny, a “child” of Zinfandel, drawing its roots from this popular American variety whose origins mystified the wine world for decades.

OUR VINEYARD locations are on the peninsula of Peljesac, on steep slopes in the area known as “Dingac”.  Grown at up to 550m (1804 feet) above sea level our plants receive an ample amount of light and warmth. The vineyards are sloped toward the sea, which immediately drops off to a great depth. Those large amounts of sea water need a great amount of heat to warm up, which then gets released into the air in cold periods, preventing sudden changes in temperature and enabling the long growing season for PLAVAC MALI to fully ripen.

With ample insolation which steep slopes receive from the sun, our locations receive additional illumination with sunlight being reflected from the sea surface, which increases the photosynthetic activity, and thus the quality of the grapes.

The Northern ends of our vineyards are bordered by mountain ridges which protect them from cold air surges and strong winds. Thanks to that and the beneficial sea influence, temperatures rarely fall below 0 degrees centigrade even during the coldest periods of the year.

The hilly mountains are a typical relief of our vineyards composed of cretaceous limestone and dolomite, Eocene limestone and marl, created under the influence of strong erosion. The soil is skeletal and is characterized by good porosity and by medium capacity for accumulating moisture, with favourable thermal characteristics. The white collared gravel and stone surfaces absorb the heat which prevents overheating of the soil, so the loss of precious moisture is minimized during the hot vegetative period.

We are a boutique winery with a current production of 10 000 bottles of our premium brand “Dingac” wine. Next year we plan to produce about 20 000 bottles of “Dingac” and keep this production size in the future years. Our winery is located in the rural village of Pijavicino where we also have a barrique cellar. Both of these locations have a great family tradition of wine making as our great grandfather used to produce “Dingac” in the exact same locations back in 1935. We are proud to say that in 1935 we had a bottled product that was exported and drank in Prague. This wine production was the largest in the region of Peljesac at that time. The same production was shut down during the age of World War II and kept to the minimum (for personal consumption) as there was no opportunity to earn sufficient living from it. Today we are determined to revitalize the production and have replanted the old wine growing plots in the “Dingac” area. At this time, we have about 3.5 hectares of vineyards as well as another 60 000m2 of land in our ownership at the same location.