📍 Slavonia and Croatian Danube

Slavonia and the Croatian Danube is a wine region in eastern Croatia, in the continental part of the country, between the Sava, Drava and Danube rivers. It includes Slavonia and the Croatian Danube, that is, the surroundings of Ilok, Erdut and Baranja. The climate is temperate continental, with cold winters and warm summers.

The main grape is the white Graševina (called Welschriesling or Italian Riesling in other countries). It has light acidity and makes fresh dry wines. Traminac (Gewürztraminer), Riesling and Pinot Blanc are also grown, and among reds Frankovka and Zweigelt.

Slavonia is known for its timber: Slavonian oak is used for barrels in many countries of the world, including Italy and France. One of the oldest wine centres is Kutjevo, where Cistercian monks planted vineyards as early as the 13th century.

The region is part of Croatian winemaking and differs from Dalmatia and Istria: here whites predominate and it is cooler. Hungary, Serbia and Bosnia lie nearby. Graševina suits river fish, pork and local dishes such as fish paprikash. The name Slavonia and Croatian Danube on a label shows that the grapes grew in this very area, which makes it easy to look for similar wines.