Can Dalmatian grapes now thrive in continental Croatia? Experts weigh in

As climate change continues to reshape agriculture across Europe, even traditional wine regions are seeing major shifts.

Warmer temperatures are slowly moving the boundaries of what can grow further north – and in Croatia, that includes grapes once thought exclusive to coastal regions.

As Agroklub reports, Professor Edi Maletić from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb confirms that change is underway.

While olive-growing in continental Croatia is still largely experimental, vineyards are already popping up in new areas like Slunj, central Bosnia and higher elevations where they’ve never been seen before.

The most significant trend? More late-ripening grape varieties are being planted in inland regions, something previously quite rare.

Maletić points to the example of Riesling in Germany – once known for its light, acidic profile, it’s now producing wines with higher alcohol and lower acidity due to climate changes.

But does it make sense to move traditionally Mediterranean grapes inland?

There have already been small-scale attempts. Dalmatian varieties like Pošip and Tribidrag (also known as Crljenak kaštelanski or Zinfandel) are being tested in Slavonia and Baranja.

According to Maletić, while these grapes might grow well, the wines would taste different – raising questions about quality and authenticity.

Some winemakers are already experimenting. The Krauthaker winery in Kutjevo and Gerštmajer winery in Zmajevac have both planted Tribidrag. Gerštmajer, for instance, has grown the grape for over a decade and currently produces around 200 litres of wine from 380 vines.

“At first, it didn’t seem promising,” says Ivan Gerštmajer Zelember, president of the Baranja Winemakers Association. “But in the past few years, it’s improved significantly.”

His father originally received the vines from Hvar, during a research collaboration with professors Maletić and Ivan Pejić. They wanted to see how Zinfandel would perform in a continental climate. Baranja and Hvar share similar sunshine levels, but differ in rainfall and soil.

And that’s the catch – soil matters.

Mediterranean varieties flourish in red soil and karst terrain. That’s something continental Croatia simply doesn’t have, says Gerštmajer. Despite rising temperatures and longer dry spells, he doubts Dalmatian varieties will ever truly thrive in the north.

Most experts agree: stick to native continental varieties. Grapes like Graševina, Frankovka, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Kadarka are well-suited for inland conditions and should remain the focus.

“Dalmatian grapes should stay in Dalmatia, where they shine,” Gerštmajer says.

“We can experiment and study, but let each region focus on what it does best – white wines in Baranja and the continent, red wines in Dalmatia and Istria.”