Croatian Wine - Geography and Climate

Geography and Climate

Croatia is a Mediterranean country, lying to the east of Italy, across the Adriatic Sea. Towards the north lie the Alps, and to the north-east the country forms the western end of the great Pannonian Plain.

The interior of Croatia has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers with enough rain for this to be a major agricultural area. Wine-growing is concentrated in the hilly areas bordering on the Pannonian Plain.

The Dalmatian Coast is typically Mediterranean in climate, although the Dinaric Alps mountain range creates pockets of alpine climate at higher altitudes. The coastline of the Adriatic Sea is ideal for grape cultivation with its hot, humid summers and mild winters. Further down the coast, and on the islands, grapes are grown on the karst hillside, sometimes steep slopes with little rainfall. Some of the best-known wine-production areas are on the Dalmatian islands. Located along hillsides and slopes, wine regions along the coast receive many hours of sunlight, ideal for grape production.

Croatia is also home to the Slavonian oak forest, producing the oak casks favoured by many winemakers in Europe for aging their finest wines.

The average inland temperature is between 0 and 2 °C in January, and between 19 and 23 °C in August. Average coastal temperatures range from 6–11 °C in January to 21–27 °C in August. Sea temperature averages 12 °C in winter and 25 °C in summer.