The potential of wines made from red varieties in Kvarner is great.
„The “Queen of Wines of Kvarner„ is certainly Žlahtina, but we must not forget that the great potential of Kvarner, which has only recently come to the fore, lies in Kvarner’s indigenous red varieties, primarily Sansigot, which we can consider the “King of Wines of Kvarner”. Sansigot, or Sušćan Crni, has been successfully revitalized on the island of Krk, where it produces excellent results. This variety is the second most common in Kvarner, after Žlahtina, and due to its resistance, it is increasingly popular among winemakers. Sansigot wines are elegant red wines, medium-bodied and moderately alcoholic, and are very enjoyable and drinkable, which makes them ideal for the warmer part of the year, as well as for pairing with numerous Kvarner specialties. The potential of this variety is also evidenced by the numerous awards received from various competitions, confirming that, with further investment in research and development and support for local winegrowers, Sansigot can become a key figure in the Kvarner wine scene and a synonym for top-quality wines from Kvarner.
In addition to being the homeland of Sansigota, Kvarner, or rather the island of Krk, is also the area where the northernmost plantations of Plavac Mali are located, which here produces characterful and powerful wines, but at the same time very attractive and elegant. At the same time, international red varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, also give very good results in Kvarner, which is not at all surprising considering that the 45th parallel that passes through Kvarner also passes through Bordeaux, the homeland of the aforementioned varieties. The so-called Bordeaux blends are very popular throughout the world due to their extraordinary harmony and complexity, with each variety contributing to the overall organoleptic properties of the wine with its specific characteristics, such as fullness of body, fruitiness, tannin structure and freshness, resulting in complex and balanced wines. Kvarner, as an area with favorable conditions for growing these varieties, promises the production of “Bordeaux blends” that will be extremely competitive in the future.
Sansigot Katunar Estate Winery is an ideal choice for exploring the characteristics of this indigenous variety and getting to know the richness of the Kvarner winemaking heritage. This wine is characterized by an extraordinary concentration of black fruit flavors and spicy notes, with rich and delicate, ripe tannins and a delicious finish of quite intense aromatic persistence rounded off by the softness provided by the wine's aging in wood. The layers of this wine are seductively revealed in the pairing with pasticada or lamb chops, but its great feature is that you can enjoy a glass of this nectar with the seal of the Kvarner region independently of the food, watching the sun set on the horizon, while the scent of the sea intertwined with Mediterranean herbs is felt in the air.
Ines Matic Mateskovic – is a sommelier with a diploma from the Croatian Sommelier Club who entered the world of sommeliering in 2016 out of a passion for wine and with a desire to expand wine culture and style. Over the years, she has organized and led a number of wine workshops and tastings and presented Croatian and foreign wines at relevant wine fairs and conferences, simultaneously improving her knowledge and organoleptic skills. She is a lecturer at Croatian Sommelier Club courses and a columnist for the portal vinskiklub.hr, an ambassador for Italian sparkling wines Bottega in Croatia, and an ambassador for Kvarner Wines.
