Wine Around Zagreb: A Route Through the City and Beyond

All it takes is getting into the car, leaving the city behind and heading for the rolling hills that have safeguarded one of continental Croatia's most beautiful wine stories for centuries. In less than an hour, the urban rhythm gives way to vineyards, fresh air, exceptional wines and hosts who turn every tasting into an experience worth remembering.

Around Zagreb, you will find sparkling wines that impress from the first sip, indigenous grape varieties that tell the story of their place, characterful family wineries and restaurants that will make you want to stretch a day trip well into the evening. Wine is never rushed here. Every glass comes with views of green hills, something homemade to eat and conversations that tend to last longer than planned.

Plešivica, Zelina and Hrvatsko Zagorje each have a distinct personality. One will win you over with superb sparkling wines, another with the indigenous Kraljevina grape, and the third with its blend of wine, food, castles and unspoilt countryside. That variety makes this route ideal for a spontaneous weekend, a romantic escape or a day out with friends.

The best part? There is no wrong order. One weekend you can raise a glass of sparkling wine in Plešivica, the next explore the cellars of Zelina, and the one after that linger over lunch among the vineyards of Zagorje. Each trip brings a new wine, a new view and a new story. Forget checklists. This wine route is an invitation to slow down, follow the moment and enjoy every kilometre. The first glass often leads to a second, then some local cheese, another conversation with the winemaker and the inevitable thought: "We have to come back."

 

Plešivica: Croatia's Home of Sparkling Wine and Breathtaking Views

If one place has transformed Croatia's wine scene in recent years, it is Plešivica. Set between Jastrebarsko and Samobor, this picturesque wine region has become synonymous with exceptional sparkling wines, elegant whites and producers whose labels now attract even the most discerning wine lovers.

Yet Plešivica is about far more than excellent wine. Every winding road seems to lead to another viewpoint, every vineyard holds a family story, and every terrace invites you to sit down, order a glass and take in the landscape. Time moves differently here, and a visit planned for an hour can easily become a full-day escape.

Alongside the traditional-method sparkling wines for which the region is best known, Plešivica produces excellent Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot varieties. Many winemakers have taken things further with amphora-aged wines, extended skin contact and labels that bring together tradition and a contemporary approach. As a result, every cellar offers a new surprise and every tasting reveals another side of the region.

To experience Plešivica at its best, resist the temptation to visit too many wineries in one day. Two or three carefully chosen stops are enough to get to know the area without rushing. Between tastings, pause at a viewpoint, walk through the vineyards or settle in for a long lunch built around local ingredients.

The people are one of the main reasons guests keep returning. Plešivica's winemakers are generous with stories about their vineyards, vintages and family traditions, so tastings often turn into relaxed gatherings over local cheese, cured meats and a glass poured with a smile.

Plešivica is not a destination to tick off a list. It is somewhere you will want to revisit in every season - for the sparkling wine, the scenery and the feeling that life here moves a little more slowly and a great deal more beautifully.

 

Wineries Worth Visiting

• Korak - one of the leading names on Croatia's wine scene, celebrated for its sparkling wines and Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Tomac - pioneers of biodynamic viticulture and amphora wines, and an essential stop for lovers of natural wine.
• Šember - a cult Plešivica producer and one of the pioneers of modern Croatian sparkling wine, with labels now closely associated with the region.
• Jagunić - known not only for excellent sparkling wines but also for extended skin-contact wines that reveal a different side of Plešivica.
• Kolarić - a leading Croatian producer of Pinot Gris, the variety that has become the winery's signature.
• Kurtalj - recognised for elegant, precise wines that faithfully express Plešivica's terroir.

 

Zelina: Where Kraljevina Tells Its Own Story

While Plešivica has become one of the stars of Croatian wine, Sveti Ivan Zelina reveals its charms more gradually. There is little fanfare and no sense of hurry. Instead, you will find vineyard-covered hills, family wineries where every visitor is treated as a welcome guest and traditions handed down from one generation to the next.

The Zelina wine-growing area is home to Kraljevina, an indigenous grape that is best understood here, among the vineyards where it originated. Light, fresh and elegant, with delicate fruit and floral notes, Kraljevina is made for long lunches, home cooking and warm spring or summer evenings on a terrace.

In recent years, a growing number of producers have shown how much the grape can offer when treated with care. Once regarded as a simple everyday wine, Kraljevina is taking on a new identity and increasingly appealing to drinkers in search of something authentic and distinctive.

Zelina is not only about Kraljevina. Its gentle Prigorje slopes also produce excellent Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay and sparkling wines. A new generation of winemakers is successfully combining a rich local tradition with a modern approach to production, creating wines that remain true to their origins while feeling entirely contemporary.

There is no need to rush here either. Book a tasting, take a seat, listen to your hosts and let each glass reveal another part of the region's character. A tasting can easily turn into lunch with homemade specialities, while a short planned visit may become the loveliest surprise of the weekend.

Hospitality is one of Zelina's greatest strengths. Conversations with winemakers are not a programmed part of the experience but the natural continuation of every tasting. Many guests leave with several bottles - and the firm intention to return.

 

Wineries Worth Visiting

• Puhelek - the best-known name in the Zelina wine region and one of Kraljevina's leading ambassadors, also producing excellent sparkling wines and serious aged cuvées.
• Litterarii - one of the region's most exciting newer stories, with a contemporary approach and wines attracting increasing attention from connoisseurs.
• Kos - a long-established producer whose wines offer a faithful expression of the Zelina region.

 

Hrvatsko Zagorje: Wine, Castles and Irresistible Views

Some places are visited for a single winery or grape variety. Hrvatsko Zagorje is not one of them. Here, the entire landscape forms part of the wine experience. Vineyards ripple across green hills, castles emerge around bends in the road, and every new route opens onto a view that makes you want to stop and stay a little longer.

Zagorje is one of Croatia's oldest wine-growing regions, yet it has been enjoying a genuine revival in recent years. Its cooler continental climate and varied vineyard sites produce wines with elegance, freshness and a clearly defined character. Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot varieties and an increasingly accomplished range of sparkling wines are only part of a scene that grows more exciting with every vintage.

Wine is only one reason the region feels so special. Few places combine gastronomy, culture, nature and relaxation so effortlessly. You can begin the day at a winery, continue with a long vineyard-view lunch, explore a castle or historic manor, and finish in a thermal spa with a glass of local wine.

Zagorje is not a region to be understood in a single afternoon. Every season brings a different mood. The hills turn vivid green in spring, summer draws visitors to vineyard terraces, autumn arrives with the scents of harvest and young must, and winter invites you into warm restaurants where good wine makes the cold easy to forget.

Once again, the people are at the heart of the experience. Hosts will not rush you through a tasting. They will gladly show you around their cellars, share the story of each vintage and suggest the wine best suited to local Zagorje dishes. Those encounters stay with you just as long as the wines themselves.

 

Wineries Worth Visiting

• Bodren - a cult Zagorje winery specialising in sweet and late-harvest wines, and one of Croatia's most highly awarded producers.
• Petrač - a modern family winery whose wines showcase the freshness and elegance of the Zagorje terroir.
• Bolfan Vinski Vrh - pioneers of organic and biodynamic viticulture in Croatia, known for a sustainable approach and wines with a clear identity.

 

A Bonus Detour: Moslavina and Škrlet

After Plešivica, Zelina and Zagorje, those keen to discover another continental Croatian wine region should continue towards Moslavina. This peaceful area is home to one of the country's most intriguing wine stories: Škrlet, an indigenous grape grown almost exclusively here.

Light, fresh and elegant, the wine charms with delicate fruit aromas and pairs beautifully with local dishes. Škrlet has been appearing with increasing frequency on the wine lists of leading restaurants, but the best way to understand it is to taste it where it is grown.

Vinarija Voštinić Klasnić is an essential stop, where a conversation with the hosts and a tasting reveal just how much character this unique variety can possess. Afterwards, continue to Izletište Kezele, one of continental Croatia's best-known food-and-wine destinations, where traditional cooking and Moslavina wines make an irresistible combination.

 

Before You Set Off

A few simple considerations will make the trip far more relaxed. Most wineries welcome visitors by prior arrangement only, so book tastings several days in advance.

Do not try to fit too many wineries into a single day. Two or three carefully chosen stops are enough to experience a region without rushing and leave time for conversations with your hosts, cellar tours and local food.

When planning to taste several wines, arrange a designated driver or transfer in advance so that everyone can enjoy the experience safely.

Most importantly, leave plenty of time for lunch. In these regions, wine and food are inseparable, and traditional inns, family farms and vineyard restaurants are often the reason a day trip lasts until evening.

 

Three Regions, One Unforgettable Weekend

You do not need to travel hundreds of kilometres to experience something special. Simply leave Zagreb and follow the roads through vineyards, rolling hills and places where genuine hospitality remains a way of life.

Plešivica will win you over with exceptional sparkling wines and spectacular views, Zelina with authentic Kraljevina and the warmth of its family wineries, and Hrvatsko Zagorje with its blend of wine, food, castles and nature. Moslavina rounds out the story with Škrlet, a grape that perfectly illustrates how many wine treasures continental Croatia has yet to reveal.

You may set out because someone recommended a winery or a particular wine bottle. Chances are, you will return with much more: memories of the people you met, lunches that turned into hours-long gatherings, breathtaking views and the feeling that you have discovered places you will always be happy to revisit.

Keep your next free weekend open, gather a group of friends or bring someone you would like to treat to a beautiful day, and start exploring. Some of Croatia's loveliest wine stories are waiting just outside Zagreb - close enough for a spontaneous escape, yet distinctive enough to be talked about for a long time and revisited again and again.