This past weekend I was invited to Šolta for a fam trip ofour new Olive oil of Šolta tour. The plan is to include much more than just olive oil since Šolta is a true paradise of traditional tastes!

With great lunch at the Olynthia mill, I had a chance of tasting a famous local Dobričić wine! It became even better when we actually visited the fields of Mr. Tomislav Purtić and his Dobričić vineyard in the heart of the island!

We came just in time of harvest. The vineyard we visited is only a 3 year old one and the taste of the grape was not as sweet as it will become in the later years. The Purtić family plants a new vineyard every year and they also have several old ones. few years back, Dobričić was in danger of disappearing since only the old vineyards (over 40 years) were left but almost no one was picking them…

Dobričić is one of the most important grapes in Dalmatia! Famous for it’s rich ruby color, it has now been proven that it is authentic Dalmatian variety and a “grandfather” of much more famous Plavac mali.

Escaping the Mongol hordes on March 18th 1242., Hungarian emperor Bela IV came to Trogir and was most likely offered a selection of best local wines. We know for a fact that the Hungarian ruler was quite fond of wines since he was always accompanied by a Royal magister pincernarum who was in charge of wines and cellars. So, it is very likely that dobričić was served at that day as well.
Leaving Dalmatia, Bela IV, gave lots of land and vineyards to the city of Trogir thanking them for their support and several “wars” broke out between Split and Trogir for that land.

The expansion of Dobričić starts with the collapse of French vineyards in the 19th century. Dobričić was in high demand since it had a very rich color and many wines of lesser quality were improved by adding dobričić wine (the practice still continues!)
Dobričić was then planted on the nearby islands and was known under different names:

On Hvar it was known as čihovac, šoltanac and okručanac

On Brač it was plavac šoltanski, plavac veliki and slatinjanac

In the Kaštela and Trogir area, it was known as šiljak and crljenak slatinski.

Just before the WWII, dobričić was grown all over Šolta and as many as 1000 tons of wine were produced. Everything started slowing down after those times and only 30 tons of wine have been made in 1987 and much less today.

Now, thanks to the efforts of several local families, more and more of this great wine is being produced!

Wine tours and olive tours in Croatia
Travel in Croatia

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