A Behind-the-Scenes Tour and a Tasting of Indigenous Hrvatsko Zagorje Grape Varieties

We recently welcomed a group of journalists and wine enthusiasts to Vitus Winery as part of the diWine project. It was an opportunity to show them first-hand what we usually write and talk about: how wines from indigenous Hrvatsko Zagorje grape varieties are made in Sveti Križ Začretje and why we decided to embark on their revitalisation in the first place.

What Is diWine and Why Is It Important to Us?

diWine is a Zagreb-based wine studio and educational platform dedicated to presenting Croatia’s wine regions. This spring, they launched a series of workshops entitled Zagorje in a Glass. Over the course of four sessions, participants are introduced to 14 wineries from Zagorje, taste their wines and sparkling wines, and gain a broader understanding of the region—its terroir, grape varieties and the people who shape it.

The visit to our winery formed part of that broader context. Journalists writing about Zagorje need to see where the wine comes from—not only the glass in front of them, but also the cellar, the barrels, the vineyards and the people behind each label.

Who Guided Our Guests Through the Story?

Three speakers took part throughout the day, each presenting a different part of the story.

Professor Edi Maletić, PhD, from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Zagreb, presented the broader framework of the project to revitalise indigenous grape varieties from Zagorje. His presentation addressed a central question: why varieties such as Belina starohrvatska, Svetokriška belina, Dišeća ranina, Modra kosovina and Volovina crvena matter, and what it means to bring them back from archival records into actual vineyards and bottles.

Darko Bratković, director and owner of Vitus Winery, spoke about our vision and the direction in which we are developing the winery as a destination. It is not only about producing wine, but also about presenting Zagorje through the qualities that make it distinctive.

Mladen Kantoci, our oenologist and head of the agronomy department, led the technical part of the discussion, covering the production process, the choice of technologies and the specific decisions made in the cellar that shape each wine.

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Production Facility at Vitus vinery

We took our guests through our production facility, which has a capacity of 100,000 litres. They saw every stage of the process, from receiving the grapes to maturation, including the room where Modra kosovina is ageing in barrique barrels. It is one of the varieties we are systematically bringing back into production.

A conversation in the cellar is always different from one held around a table. It is easier to explain why we chose a particular style, the technical implications of working with indigenous varieties for which very little oenological literature exists, and the patience required by a process in which much of the knowledge has to be built anew.

Tasting the Albuelis sparkling wine and the Rest of Our Wine Range

Accompanied by a selection of food, our guests tasted Albuelis, our traditional-method sparkling wine made from Belina starohrvatska and Dišeća ranina. It is the only sparkling wine on the market produced exclusively from indigenous Hrvatsko Zagorje grape varieties.

For us, Albuelis is more than a single product; it is proof of concept. It shows that revitalised grape varieties can also rise to the demands of the most technically challenging wine categories.

Alongside Albuelis, we tasted the still wines from our range. Each has its own story and its own place within the broader project of returning the grape varieties of Zagorje to everyday winemaking and wine culture.

Why Visits Like This Matter to Us

For years, Zagorje has often been presented to the public through familiar images: a picturesque region of rolling hills and long-standing traditions. That description is not inaccurate, but it is incomplete.

What makes the region relevant in the world of wine in 2026 are its local grape varieties, distinctive winemaking stories and the work of people who have spent years cultivating the same land.