English
Skaramuča is a family-owned winery on the Pelješac peninsula in Dalmatia and one of the best-known producers of Dingač and Plavac Mali. For generations, the family has been producing distinctive Croatian wines from the steep, sun-drenched slopes overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Alongside its powerful red wines, Skaramuča also produces fresh white wines from varieties such as Pošip.
The Skaramuča family has been growing grapes for around a century, with the fourth generation now continuing the tradition. During the Yugoslav period, the family supplied its grapes to the Dingač cooperative. Following Croatian independence, Skaramuča began producing wine independently in 1992 and developed into one of the most recognisable wineries on Pelješac.
The winery is located on the long, narrow Pelješac peninsula in southern Dalmatia. Here, sunshine, stone, sea and steep slopes shape both the landscape and the character of the wines. The indigenous Plavac Mali grape is particularly at home here and forms the basis of Skaramuča's best-known red wines.
The most famous part of the Skaramuča story is Dingač. Dingač is not a grape variety, but a special wine-growing area on the southern side of Pelješac. Here, Plavac Mali grows on extremely steep, rocky slopes directly above the Adriatic Sea. Dingač was granted protected status as early as 1961, making it one of Croatia's oldest protected wine-growing areas.
Skaramuča has around 20 hectares of vineyards in Dingač. Conditions are extreme, with abundant sunshine, little water and poor, rocky soils. The grapes receive direct sunlight as well as additional warmth and light reflected by the sea and pale rocks. This allows them to ripen intensely and develop remarkable concentration.
The slopes are so steep that mechanisation is barely possible, meaning much of the work has to be carried out by hand. Yields are low, but this contributes to grapes with exceptional flavour and concentration. Skaramuča uses this Plavac Mali to produce wines including Dingač and Dingač Reserva: powerful, ripe reds that represent the classic style of southern Dalmatia.
Although Skaramuča is best known for its red wines, its range demonstrates that Dalmatian wine has much more to offer than power and ripe fruit. Plavac Mali provides the common thread, ranging from approachable Plavac to the concentrated wines of Dingač.
For its white wines, Skaramuča works with varieties including Pošip, an indigenous Croatian grape closely associated with the nearby island of Korčula. The Pošip grapes are harvested there before being transported to Pelješac for winemaking.
Skaramuča also produces Aria, a fresh white blend combining Pošip with Rukatac. Alongside its powerful Dalmatian reds, the winery therefore reveals a lighter, fresher and more aromatic side of southern Croatia.
At Croatianwine.online you can discover a selection of wines from Skaramuča in Dalmatia. Explore fresh Pošip and Aria, characterful Plavac Mali and the powerful wines from the famous Dingač vineyards. A wonderful introduction to the distinctive terroir of Pelješac and some of the most characteristic grapes and wine styles of southern Croatia.
