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Hands cutting dark grapes from the vine at harvest
Grape guide · Hvar south slopeBy the hvar.com team · Updated September 2026

Plavac mali, Hvar’s red

Croatia’s great native red grows best on the island’s sheer south coast, on limestone terraces so steep that the harvest is still done by hand. Where it grows, what it tastes like, how it is related to Zinfandel, and the Hvar cellars that make it.

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No. 01

Plavac mali at a glance

the short version
ColourRed
ParentsCrljenak kaštelanski (Zinfandel) × dobričić from Šolta
ConfirmedDNA testing at UC Davis, 1998
Name“Small blue”, for its small, dark berries
Best Hvar sitesSouth slope: Milna, Sveta Nedjelja, Jagodna, Zavala, Ivan Dolac
AlcoholUsually 13 to 16%, sometimes up to 17%
CharacterDry, full-bodied, high in tannin
Made by17 of the 17 cellars in our list, see below

Plavac mali is grown all along the Dalmatian coast and islands, but a handful of places make its reputation: Dingač and Postup on the Pelješac peninsula, and on Hvar the south slope between Milna and Ivan Dolac. It is the island’s main red and the grape most visitors come to taste.

For the island’s other grapes, from bogdanuša to darnekuša, see Hvar wine, grape by grape.

Old vines on stony soil above the sea on the south coast of Hvar
No. 02

Where it grows on Hvar

The classic plavac vineyards run along the south coast from Milna through Sveta Nedjelja and Jagodna to Zavala and Ivan Dolac. Terraces are cut into bare limestone on gradients of 40% and more, with a thin layer of soil over the rock and the sea directly below.

The vines struggle, and that is the point. At Zlatan Otok, whose Hvar vineyards cover this stretch, a vine gives at most around 0.7 kg of grapes. The heat, the stone and the constant air from the sea concentrate everything that ends up in the glass.

Ivan Dolac is a name you will see on several labels. It is a place, not a brand: the south-coast vineyards whose plavac is bottled by PZ Svirče, Vujnović and others. Plavac is also planted elsewhere on the island, but the steep south slope is where its top wines come from.

South slope vineyards aerial
No. 03

What it tastes like

Young plavac mali is deep purple-red; with age it moves to a dark ruby. On the nose and palate, look for dried figs, carob, dark cherries, blueberry, sage and pepper. Wines aged in oak add chocolate and vanilla.

It is a big wine: high in tannin and often high in alcohol, the grapes also ripen unevenly, which adds to the concentration. A little residual sugar is a traditional Dalmatian style, though most modern Hvar plavac is fully dry.

Serve it a little below room temperature, around 16 to 18 °C, and give the bigger wines time in the glass.

Red wine grape clusters on the vine
No. 04

The styles you will see

Young / unoakedFresh fruit, softer tannin; the everyday bottle
BarriqueAged in small oak barrels; chocolate, vanilla, more structure
SelectionsTop barrels or best sites, sold as “Grand Select” and similar
Named sitesIvan Dolac and other south-slope positions
OrganicA growing number of cellars, e.g. the “Eko” lines

At Zlatan Otok alone the plavac range runs from Plavac Hvar through Barrique and Grand Select to Exclusive. See their wines.

Red wine drawn from barrel
No. 05

What to eat with it

Plavac mali wants food with weight. On Hvar that means grilled fish, red meat and lamb, game, pršut (Dalmatian cured ham) and cheese.

For where to eat, see our Hvar restaurants.

Red wine with cheese and grapes
No. 06

Who makes it on Hvar

17 cellars

Every cellar in our list that makes plavac mali and receives visitors. For the whites and the rarer native grapes, see all 17 wineries.

Sveta Nedjelja · food · tours · rooms

Zlatan Otok

Founded in 1986 by the Plenković family. Tastings and cellar-door sales, a marina restaurant with a wine cellar below sea level, and rooms in summer.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip, Bogdanuša.

→Jagodna, Sveta Nedjelja · food

Matijević

Family cellar on some of the steepest terraces on the Adriatic, harvested entirely by hand. Tastings by appointment only, with an optional platter.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip, Bogdanuša.

→Bojanić Bad, near Jagodna · tours

Toni Bojanić

A small south-coast producer. Tastings and sales at the cellar and at a spot among the vines in Jagodna.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip, Bogdanuša, Prč.

→Vlaka, Sveti Klement · food

Colnago

Nikola Colnago’s wine bar on the Pakleni Islands: tastings with cheese, olives and a small menu, a short walk from the buoys in Vlaka bay.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip.

→Jelsa · food · tours

Tomić

Andro Tomić’s winery above Mina bay, with a Roman-style tasting cellar. Tastings from €30 for six wines, plus food pairings and themed evenings.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip, Bogdanuša.

→Jelsa · food

Duboković

Ivo Duboković’s candlelit family cellar, 15,000 to 20,000 litres a year from native grapes. Tastings by appointment, with snacks and olive oils.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Darnekuša, Bogdanuša, Maraština, Kuč, Prč.

→Vrboska · food

Carić

Ivo and Ivana Carić’s tasting konoba by the second bridge in Vrboska: one of the widest line-ups of native Hvar grapes, with cheese and chocolate pairings.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Bogdanuša, Kuč, Maraština, Darnekuša, Pošip.

→Vrboska · food

Pinjata

The Gabelić family’s konoba behind the fortress church. Tastings with pršut, cheese and salted fish; peka to order a day ahead.
Grapes: Bogdanuša, Prč, Plavac mali.

→Vrboska · food

Nikola Matković

A family estate since 1980: plavac mali and barrique plavac, bogdanuša, pošip, a rosé and a dessert wine, plus home-made brandies and art-and-wine workshops.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Bogdanuša, Pošip.

→Svirče

PZ Svirče

The growers’ cooperative behind Ivan Dolac, an organic plavac mali from the south coast. Tastings by arrangement; seasonal shops in Jelsa and Stari Grad.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip, Bogdanuša.

→Vrbanj

Plančić

A winemaking family since 1919, working with native Hvar grapes. Tastings can be booked online.
Grapes: Bogdanuša, Prč, Darnekuša, Plavac mali.

→Vrbanj · food

Pavičić

Brothers Luka and Milko Pavičić, with vineyards on the Stari Grad Plain. Tastings by appointment in the family house, with cheese, oil and bread.
Grapes: Bogdanuša, Pošip, Plavac mali, Prč.

→Vrisnik · food

Ventus

Certified organic wines from two local families, first made in 2019. Tasting room in a restored stone house, with cheese, cured meat and salted fish.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip, Prč, Maraština.

→Vrisnik

Ahearne Vino

Founded by Master of Wine Jo Ahearne, first vintage 2014. Tastings by reservation.
Grapes: Pošip, Plavac mali, Bogdanuša, Kuč, Darnekuša.

→Selca kod Starog Grada · food · tours

Lacman

Natural wines made without chemicals or filtration, from grapes bought from local growers. Tastings and dinners on the terrace; booking advised.
Grapes: Pošip, Bogdanuša, Maraština, Prč, Plavac mali, Darnekuša.

→Sućuraj

Vujnović

A family recorded as winemakers in Sućuraj since the 18th century, working with organic methods. Tasting room on the harbour.
Grapes: Plavac mali, Pošip, Prč.

→Hvar Town · food

Luviji

A candlelit family cellar in the old town. Tastings of four to six wines with a platter; closed on Sundays.
Grapes: Pošip, Plavac mali.

→
No. 07

Plavac mali and Zinfandel

For years plavac mali was thought to be the ancestor of California’s Zinfandel. In 1998 DNA work led by Carole Meredith at UC Davis showed it the other way round: Zinfandel, the old Dalmatian vine crljenak kaštelanski, also called tribidrag, is a parent of plavac mali. The other parent is dobričić, from the island of Šolta.

So they are family, not twins. Some Hvar producers make both; Zlatan Otok bottles a crljenak alongside its plavac.

Dark grapes old vine stony soil
No. 08

Plavac mali, common questions

What does plavac mali taste like?

Dark, full-bodied and tannic, with dried figs, carob, dark cherries, sage and pepper. Oak-aged versions add chocolate and vanilla.

Is plavac mali the same as Zinfandel?

No. Zinfandel (crljenak kaštelanski) is one of its two parents; the other is dobričić from the island of Šolta. This was shown by DNA testing at UC Davis in 1998.

Where is the best plavac mali on Hvar?

On the south slope between Milna, Sveta Nedjelja, Jagodna, Zavala and Ivan Dolac, where vines grow on limestone terraces with gradients of 40% and more.

How strong is plavac mali?

Usually 13 to 16% alcohol, and sometimes as high as 17%.

Which Hvar wineries make plavac mali?

Nearly all of them. Among the cellars you can visit: Zlatan Otok, Matijević and Toni Bojanić on the south slope, Tomić and Duboković in Jelsa, Carić and Pinjata in Vrboska, and PZ Svirče, whose Ivan Dolac is named after its south-coast vineyards.

What food goes with plavac mali?

Grilled fish, red meat and lamb, game, pršut and cheese.

Taste it on the slope

Book a tasting on the south coast, or see every Hvar cellar and the grapes it makes.

Hvar wineries →All Hvar grapes