Plavac Mali (), a cross between Crljenak Kaštelanski ( ancestral Zinfandel) and Dobričić grapes, is the primary red

wine grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

grown along the

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

n coast of

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

. The name refers to the small blue grapes that the vines produce: in Croatian ''plavo'' means blue; ''mali'' means small. Plavac Mali is known for producing rich, flavorful wines that are high in both

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

(typically 13% but up to 17%) and

grape tannins Procyanidins are members of the proanthocyanidin (or condensed tannins) class of flavonoids. They are oligomeric compounds, formed from catechin and epicatechin molecules. They yield cyanidin when depolymerized under oxidative conditions. See t ...

. Common flavors and aromas include carob, figs, sage, dark cherries, pepper, and spices. Croatian wines from this grape include the reds from Dingač and Postup vineyards on the Pelješac peninsula,

Hvar Hvar (; Chakavian: ''Hvor'' or ''For''; ; ; ) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis (island), Vis and Korčula. Approximately long, with a high east–west ridge of M ...

island,

Brač Brač is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, with an area of , making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is separated from the mainland by the Brač Channel, which is wide.Vis island,

Komarna Komarna is a village in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, in the municipality of Slivno, Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Slivno. It is the largest village in the municipality and located near the village of Klek, Croatia, Klek. The village is south of the N ...

vineyards,

Konavle Konavle () is a municipality and a small Dalmatian subregion located southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The region is administratively part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the center of the municipality is Cavtat. Demographics The total muni ...

and the rosé Opol (a vinification style). The wines from Plavac Mali can be created as dry, semi-dry or sweet. Most common are dry wines, although wines with a little bit of residual sugar are a traditional expression of Plavac Mali. If not grown in ideal conditions, Plavac Mali is notorious among winegrowers for its uneven ripening properties - a

grape cluster In viticulture, the grape cluster (also bunch of grapes) is a fertilized inflorescence of the grapevine, the primary part of this plant used for food (grape leaves are also used in some culinary traditions). The size of the grape bunch greatly va ...

with both green berries and raisins. If left to ripen fully, the tannins and sugars increase, but the acids drop. This is why Plavac Mali is a challenge for the winemakers.

History

In the 1980s, Plavac Mali was incorrectly thought to be an ancestor of Zinfandel. In 1998, while researching the origins of Zinfandel through DNA fingerprinting, Dr.

Carole Meredith Carole P. Meredith is an American grape geneticist and was a professor at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, Department of Viticulture and Enology of University of California, Davis. Career Before she retired in 2003, Meredith ...

UC Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...

with the urging from Mike Grgich (a well-known winemaker in

Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Napa County, California. The area was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on February 27, 1981, after a 1978 petition submitted by the Napa Valley Vin ...

originally from Croatia) and researchers from the

University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb (, ) is a public university, public research university in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the largest Croatian university and one of the oldest continuously operating universities in Europe. The University of Zagreb and the Unive ...

discovered that Zinfandel is actually one parent of Plavac Mali.Meredith, Carole
"Looking for Zinfandel in Croatia"
, ''Zinfandel Express'', January 2002. The other parent is an ancient variety known as Dobričić from the island of

Šolta Šolta (; ; ) is an island in Croatia. It is situated in the Adriatic Sea in the central Dalmatian archipelago. Geography Šolta is located west of the island of Brač, south of Split (city), Split (separated by Split Channel) and east of the D ...

which, much like Crljenak Kaštelanski is not commonly found on its own.

References

External links

"Explaining Plavac Mali"
''Hudin.com'', January 14, 2011
"Plavac Mali, most widespread red grape variety indigenous to Croatia"
''Absolute Croatia'', November 16, 2022 {{wines Grape varieties of Croatia Dalmatian grape varieties Red wine grape varieties Vis (island)