Plavac Mali

Croatia is Plavac Mali's likely homeland: VIVC records Croatia as the country or region of origin of the variety, under the prime name Plavac Mali Crni and variety number 9549. One parent is known, and Jancis Robinson's grape guide names it in one line: "Zinfandel is a parent." The second parent is unknown, and the passport gives no full pedigree. The passport does flag offspring, and WineWiki's VIVC-derived lineage data links one child, Babić, along with two half-siblings, Grk and Vranac.

• VIVC prime name: Plavac Mali Crni; VIVC variety number 9549; country of origin: Croatia
• Origin status: likely, resting on a single source
• Parents: Zinfandel, crossed with an unknown second parent
• Offspring in WineWiki's lineage data: Babić
• Half-siblings in WineWiki's lineage data: Grk and Vranac

Wine on the Croatian coast has deep roots: there is strong evidence that the Greeks cultivated vines in the region, followed by the Romans. Dalmatia boomed while phylloxera ravaged France, then went into a great decline when the pest reached Dalmatian shores. Genetic research at UC Davis established a parent-offspring link between Zinfandel and Plavac Mali, and DNA testing in 2000 found that Tribidrag, also known as Crljenak Kaštelanski, is the same variety as Primitivo in Italy and Zinfandel in the US.

• Strong evidence points to Greek, then Roman, vine growing on the Croatian coast
• Dalmatia boomed while phylloxera ravaged France, then declined when the pest arrived
• UC Davis genetic research established a parent-offspring link between Zinfandel and Plavac Mali
• DNA testing in 2000 matched Tribidrag (Crljenak Kaštelanski) to Primitivo and Zinfandel

Dalmatia's native grapes grow in stony, unforgiving karst soils that plunge into the Adriatic. On the Pelješac Peninsula, a steep-sided spit of land that is home to Dingač and Postup, vines cling to steep rocky cliffs and bake in the summer sun. Dingač is a steep slope with a southwest orientation that tumbles down to the water, while Postup, about 10 kilometers up the coast, has a much more southern orientation. Plavac Mali also grows on the island of Vis and in Komarna.

• Stony karst soils plunge into the Adriatic across Dalmatia
• Pelješac vines cling to steep rocky cliffs in the full summer sun
• Dingač faces southwest; Postup, about 10 km up the coast, faces more to the south
• Further Plavac Mali sites include the island of Vis and Komarna

Plavac Mali makes dense, heady, tannic wines, and it is generally quite fruit forward. On Pelješac, the wine is usually very alcoholic and powerful, and sometimes semi-sweet; in Dingač, alcohol can reach 16%, though this is slowly changing as winemakers take a gentler approach. Saints Hills, whose reds are all Plavac wines, describes the variety as giving small yields. The estate's own tasting note for its Dingač finds cherry, blackberry and blueberry on the nose, and plums, dark chocolate and carob on the palate. Decanter's note on Korta Katarina's 2015 Plavac Mali, from Postup and Dingač fruit, finds cherries and blackberries.

• Dense, heady and tannic, and generally fruit forward
• Pelješac wines: usually very alcoholic and powerful, sometimes semi-sweet
• Dingač alcohol can reach 16%
• Cherry and blackberry appear in tasting notes for Saints Hills Dingač and Korta Katarina Plavac Mali

Red production is dominant in Dalmatia, with Plavac Mali the main grape. Dalmatia has several PDO appellations recognized at state level; they show provenance rather than guaranteeing quality. Dingač, on the Pelješac Peninsula, was the first appellation recognized in Croatia, and all of its red wines are made from Plavac Mali. Postup, also on Pelješac, is planted to Plavac Mali as well; it is less famous than Dingač but still well regarded. GuildSomm's list of Dalmatian producers to look for includes Saints Hills, Stina and Zlatan Otok, and Korta Katarina makes Plavac Mali on the Pelješac Peninsula.

• Dingač: the first appellation recognized in Croatia; all of its red wines are Plavac Mali
• Postup: about 10 km up the coast from Dingač, also planted to Plavac Mali
• Dalmatian PDOs show provenance, not a guarantee of quality
• Plavac Mali areas include Pelješac, Vis and Komarna

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=9549 ; https://www.saintshills.com/ Reference sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/plavac-mali ; https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/articles/b/miquel_hudin/posts/the-wines-of-the-croatian-coast ; https://www.decanter.com/wine-travel/europe/split-to-dubrovnik-croatia-wine-tour-374108/ ; https://www.decanter.com/premium/dalmatia-rising-a-wine-renaissance-on-the-croatian-coast-547837/ ; https://www.decanter.com/features/original-zinfandel-249639/ Last verified 2026-10-20