Croatia: Geography

Croatia is a very diverse country between the latitudes of 46 ° and 42 °N with an unusually wide range of climatic influences. The biggest divide in terms of climate is between the two inland continental areas of Istočna kontinentalna Hrvatska, the eastern zone, and the western zone Zapadna kontinentalna Hrvatska, and the coastal zone Primorska Hrvatska. In 2012 according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics there were 29,237 ha/72,246 acres of vineyard producing 1.29 million hl/34 million gal, of which 59% is produced in inland Croatia and 41% is grown in the coastal zone. More recently the country has been divided into four large (and more understandable) wine regions: the inland areas of Croatian Uplands and Slavonia and Croatian Danube, along with two coastal areas of Istria and Kvarner and Dalmatia. These are divided into 12 subregions and 61 wine districts. Wine categories include premium quality wines called Vrhunsko Vino, quality wines or Kvalitetno Vino, and table wines known as Stolno Vino. The first two categories are classified as pdo in EU terminology. Croatia claims to grow around 200 different grape varieties with around 40 of these identified as indigenous.