By Darrel Joseph
It’s a beautiful pocket of southeastern Europe. A kind of treasure island on the edge of the Mediterranean with impressively rich vineyard terroirs that give birth to fabulously unique wines. Wines that, despite their homeland’s viticultural history that goes back to when the ancient Illyrians inhabited the area more than 2, 000 years ago, are only just beginning to gain international recognition today.
Indeed, the time has come for the wines of Herzegovina, part of the country of Bosnia & Herzegovina and bordered by fellow Balkan countries Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. This vinous enclave, with its rocky karst-dominated continental terroir and sun-kissed Mediterranean climatic influences, has much to show off to a world that has an ever-increasing interest in distinctive quality wines and, equally, the remarkable indigenous grape varieties that spawn them.
Žilavka, Blatina, Trnjak and Vranac are varieties that strongly define Herzegovina’s winemaking identity today. Yes, there are also the ubiquitous international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay found in Herzegovina vineyards, but it is the local and regional personality grapes, the ones that capture the imagination of the growing number of visitors and tourists in Herzegovina every year, and are winning medals at international wine competitions, that are at the core of Herzegovina’s wine sector uniqueness.
And what better to underscore the beauty of these local and regional grape varieties – and the remarkably talented producers and wineries that nurture them from vine to bottle – than through the newly established Herzegovina Wine Route. Comprising 29 wineries, the wine route wends its way for around 200 kilometers between the wine cities of Mostar in the north and Trebinje in the south, and passes through other important wine cities and towns, Čitluk, Ljubuški, Čapljina and Stolac.
These, together with nearly 4, 000 hectares of vineyards, are set amidst a backdrop of nature’s spectacular show – from rocky snow-capped mountains to gushing waterfalls, gently flowing rivers and flora-rich hills and fields that include an abundance of olive and pomegranate trees thriving under the generous sunshine delivered throughout the year.
The wineries on the Herzegovina Wine Route are privately owned and small or moderate in size; this means there is close, personal attention to the winemaking – and to the visitors who come to discover their wines.
The important white grape to discover is Žilavka, the darling of Herzegovina’s grape roster. Light-skinned and with moderate acidity, Žilavka embraces the region’s hot summer temperatures, which sometimes reach well over 40°C, and is usually picked in the mid- or late harvest season. It produces wines that exude flavors of citrus and stone fruit, such as lemon and peach, and with age it can develop some orange and tropical fruit notes, even some herbaceousness and a touch of nuttiness.
“I like Žilavka because it can produce young, fresh easy-drinking wines, but also wines that have more age and complexity,” says Josip Marijanović, of Vinarija Marijanović, in the wine area of Čitluk. “The aged version can be complex, but not heavy, and with more structure and mouthfeel.”
Marijanović matures his easy-drinking Žilavka in stainless steel tanks, coaxing a youthfully fresh and fruity character in the wine. For his more complex Žilavka, the Selekcija, he matures just half of the wine in stainless steel tanks, with the other half aged in new oak barriques; this lends a firmer frame and more depth to the wine and helps express the saline minerality character that Žilavka can present, thanks to the limestone and terra rosa soils of Marijanović’s vineyards, which climb 170 – 220 meters above sea level. Žilavka is known for easily mirroring the terroir in which it grows.
Žilavka is also an ideal grape for different styles of wines, such as a sparkling wine and even a natural “orange” wine. Vinarija Domano, a 40-hectare estate on a fertile plateau called Dubrave, near the wine area of Čapljina, produces a fine sparkling version made in the traditional method (a second fermentation in the bottle). With lots of bubbles, it features a clean and crisp texture, nice stone fruit and brioche/baked dough aromas that could bring a Champagne to mind.
Vinarija Škegro in the Ljubuški wine area has mastered the art of producing an “orange” natural wine with Žilavka grapes. The Krš Orange Žilavka wine, from the Škegro family vineyards with rocky sandstone and marl soils, obtains its orange hue from the grapes that had been soaking on their own skins for several days. With gentle tannins, the wine gives soft flavors of orange, gunpowder and a bit of tea!
For food pairing, Žilavka fits nicely with a variety of fish dishes, lamb and white cheeses – all typically enjoyed in Herzegovina.
Another grape at home in the region is the indigenous red Blatina, which needs a bit of effort to nurture. Because it produces only female flowers, Blatina requires pollination from another (self-pollinating) grape variety, which must be planted nearby the Blatina vines. Doing that job in many of the vineyards are varieties such as Žilavka, Trnjak and Alicante Bouschet (Kambuša). The Vinarija Carska Vina, also in the Čitluk area and near the famous Catholic pilgrimage town of Medjugorje, has all of these varieties planted in its 22 hectares of vineyards. In fact, Andrija Vasilj, who runs the winery with his father, Grgo, even blends in a tiny portion of Trnjak and Alicante Bouschet for his Carska Blatina Premium Edition wine. With 9 to 16 months of ageing in barrels (Slavonian oak), this wine exudes plenty of plum and blackberry flavors, and reflects the wine’s full body and firm acidity.
Along with its dark fruit flavors, Blatina can also yield some red fruit notes, such as pomegranate and cherry, plus herbal and spice tones, and even tobacco, and can have some gripping tannins because of the region’s hot summer temperatures. It makes a fine partner with dishes such as traditional Herzegovinian grilled meat dishes with lamb, beef and chicken, roast veal, Ćevapi – the typical grilled sausages – and even dried meats and cheeses.
Trnjak is a rare red regional grape, thriving mainly in Herzegovina as well as next door in Croatia’s Zagora, or Central Dalmatia, region. While Trnjak is often planted next to Blatina in order to pollinate that grape variety, it in fact makes a delicious wine of its own. Thankfully, the variety had been rescued not long ago from near extinction. Vinarija Nuić, a 35-hectare estate in the Ljubuški area, has worked intensely to revive the grape over the last 12 years in the limestone-rich soils of the Nuić vineyards. And now, Josip Nuić, the winery’s owner, focuses on single-varietal Trnjak. The Trnjak Premium Edition shows off the grape’s authentic character via its spontaneous (wild yeast) fermentation and ageing in oak barriques for well over a year. A lush wine with deep, dark aromas and fruit tones – mulberry, blackberry and liquorice, for example – it conveys plenty of concentration and lusciousness, with the high alcohol level, more than 15%, very well integrated.
In the very south of Herzegovina, in Trebinje, wines made from the Vranac variety are dominant. This grape, which tends to be harvested mid- to late season, means, roughly, “black stallion”, implying that it produces strong wines with a full-bodied character, big fruit, bold tannins and confident alcohol. Vranac is actually grown throughout the Balkan countries, especially North Macedonia and Montenegro, but fine examples are vinified in Herzegovina; some top bottlings from around Trebinje come from Vinarija Vukoje, particularly its premium Vranac Rezerva, which spends well over two years in oak barriques and then another year in bottle before being released. The 2016 vintage of this wine wafts with red and black fruit aromas and flavors, including pomegranate and plum, along with notes of cedar, cinnamon and bay leaf; a gorgeous structure with the body, acidity, fruit and tannins in beautiful harmony.
Another excellent Vranac producer is the Vinski podrum manastira Tvrdoš (Tvrdoš Monastery Wine Cellar), part of the 15th century Serbian Orthodox monastery. Tvrdoš’s signature Vranac is aged in large 5, 000-liter oak casks for a year before spending another two years in French barriques. Ultimately, the complexity of Vranac comes out through plenty of sweet plum and black cherry flavors, an undertone of spice, gripping tannins and well-integrated acidity.
A different aspect of Vranac is created by another Trebinje winery, Podrum Andjelić, through its semi-sweet, late harvest version (grapes picked at the end of October). This conveys the depth of lush dark fruit, well integrated sweetness and a big, bold alcohol level of 16 percent.
“This Vranac has such complex aromas and a full body, beautiful sweetness, and the alcohol is high, yet it is so well integrated,” says Milena Andjelić. “It is a special wine.”
Vranac is an excellent food wine and can be paired ideally with a wide range of meats – from sizzling steaks and roast lamb to venison and saucy stews. These grape varieties and the wines that they become – thanks to the synergy between them, their talented and determined winemakers and the exceptional terroir that nature has provided – underscore the pure distinction of the Herzegovina Wine Route. And yet they actually reflect so much more that there is to discover along the route. Because they connect the dozens of centuries of history and culture that define the entire region, serving as a conduit between the peoples, the religions, the foods – entire ways of life – that have shaped what Herzegovina is today. And that can be experienced by visitors firsthand. An adventure in wine – and an adventure in life!
The U.S. government, through USAID’s Turizam project, supports the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the development of the Herzegovina Wine Route, aiming to improve the visibility of this route on the international wine tourism scene and attract a larger number of tourists to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
