Excavations and findings prove that viticulture was already practiced in Croatia along the Adriatic coast 2,500 years ago, presumably by Thracians and Greeks, which the Romans later continued. Approximately 21,500 hectares are distributed among some 17,000 winegrowers, proof that plenty of wine is still produced here for local enjoyment. However, a notable figure among them is Mike Grgic, a scion of a Dalmatian winegrowing family who founded Chateau Montelena in California. And this winery, in turn, wrote wine history at the legendary "Judgement of Paris" in 1976. Mike Grgic has been running a winery on the Peljesac peninsula since 1996. Croatia's viticulture is divided into two sections, inland regions with a continental climate, hot summers, and cold winters, which mainly produce white wines, and coastal regions such as the Istrian peninsula and Dalmatia, where predominantly red wines are produced. The best-known red wine here is probably Dingac. Under the name Grasevina, the Welschriesling - as it is known in Austria - is also cultivated. The best-known red wine variety, however, is the Plavac Mali, of which the parent Crlenjak Kastelanski is identical to the Primitivo in southern Italy and the Californian Zinfandel. In addition to Plavac Mali and Welschriesling, international varieties such as Chardonnay or Merlot also play an essential role. In addition, numerous autochthonous grape varieties still grow here, although sometimes in such small quantities that the wine is seldomly exported. The total annual production is about 800,000 hectolitres.
