Winery Erceg

Erceg Winery

Everyone in Croatia already knows Vrgorac for its famous fruit, Vrgorac strawberry. However, true wine enthusiasts also know that Vrgorac, as a region, is known not only for its fruit but also for its excellent and productive indigenous grape varieties. Trnak, Žilavka, and Zlatarica are just some of the varieties spread across the fields of Vrgorac and the surrounding hills. While we all know that these wines are exceptionally productive, what we also personally discovered at croatianwineries.com is that these varieties are rightfully known for their championship potential. Our journey to the Vrgorac region led us to the Erceg family winery in Podprolog, near Vrgorac, where we acquainted ourselves with indigenous local varieties in a top-quality, homey atmosphere.

About the Host

“We both have other jobs, my husband works as a mechanic at a technical school, and I am a kindergarten teacher,” says Danijela Erceg. Danijela and Ivica Erceg are a married couple who run this family winery in the vicinity of Vrgorac. Alongside their daily jobs, they started this incredible story more than two decades ago. As is customary in these parts, both were exposed to viticulture for household needs from an early age, as almost every household in Dalmatia used to grow grapes for wine. “I wanted to see how our varieties would look when made according to top modern standards,” Ivica tells us. Upon entering the cellar, this becomes evident because besides the excellently arranged stone cellar adorned with pictures by the hostess Danijela, numerous trophies and awards are prominently displayed on barrels. The hosts produce several varieties suitable for the region.

One of these varieties is Trnak, a robust indigenous variety from Vrgorac that has now spread to Herzegovina as well. “Although this is a Dalmatian variety, it has been planted so much in Herzegovina that they now hold Trnak Days, a festival for growers of this variety,” Danijela tells us. We are certainly glad to hear that Trnak is cultivated, but we are especially pleased when we taste indigenous Vrgorac Trnak like the one from the Erceg family, which is rightfully a champion wine. There are two variations of the name for the same variety, Trnak and Trnjak, although the phonetic difference is minimal, the variety itself is identical, and these are just different names.

The wine itself is suitable for all lovers of genuine black Dalmatian wine, standing out with its robust and full flavor. Another indigenous variety we try is Zlatarica, a white grape variety named for its golden and impressive color. This homemade white wine is truly perfect and incredibly drinkable. It’s not surprising, therefore, that this variety is popular among Dalmatian restaurateurs along the coast, especially in the Makarska Riviera, where it can be found in numerous restaurants and taverns.

“Once a guest, passing by chance, tried my Zlatarica; the next day, he returned and took over a hundred bottles for himself, and since then, he’s been a loyal customer,” Ivica recounts one of the many anecdotes about his wine. Indeed, those unfamiliar with the qualities of Vrgorac varieties can often be shocked by the quality and drinkability. Of course, each variety is unique in its own right, but tasting Zlatarica, Žilavka, and Trnak from the Vrgorac region, it’s clear to us why wine enthusiasts recognize this area for its productivity and quality.

Competitions

“Modern varieties have dominated winemaking, and the recognizability of names often outweighs the quality of the wine and the variety itself,” Danijela tells us. “This prompted us to start sending our wines to anonymous competitions, to see what experts say when they don’t see the label or the name of the winery,” we were amazed to hear this from Danijela. Indeed, the Erceg winery has not only sent its wines to world competitions alongside the most prestigious wineries but has also won numerous gold awards and recognitions! Sending your wine for anonymous tasting is both terrifying and exciting for all winemakers. The recognizability of the label and the variety in competitions can often guarantee a more positive assessment by judges and the public, so sending lesser-known indigenous varieties can sometimes be good publicity for the winemaker and the variety.

We are particularly pleased to see the establishment of indigenous Croatian varieties through international competitions. Inspired by the story of the Kaštela Crljenak, we can only imagine how many more gems are hidden in our vineyards, and the Erceg winery illustrates this excellently to us. In addition to wines, this winery offers something more in its assortment. First and foremost, top-notch hospitality and a sense of true homeliness. It’s also worth mentioning genuine homemade meat products such as sausage and prosciutto, as well as salty cheese and homemade bread. All the right ingredients for enjoying with top-quality wines.

However, the host Ivica warns us to try just a little cheese or bread before tasting, so that the intense meat products don’t dull our palate for the carefully crafted colors and depths of flavor. We at croatianwineries.com listened as much as we could, but after the sixth or seventh tasting, we had to try the homemade sausage, and it truly complemented this top-notch culinary experience!

And speaking of tasting, it’s worth mentioning that this family winery offers several types and several vintages of various varieties. Among the reds, some of the wines are Trnak, Syrah, and Merlot, and among the whites, Zlatarica and Žilavka. Each of these products is top-notch, and we’re not the only ones who share that impression. Besides numerous awards and medals testifying to this quality, there is also a great market interest in these wines. “We bottle and label everything to be ready for future competitions!” Ivica tells us, “What we don’t archive, we sell directly at the winery to selected regular customers and restaurants along the Makarska Riviera.”

What interests us is why this winery isn’t more popular? “We’re still waiting for our youngest child to grow up; then we’ll have more time for our passion,” says Danijela. Our hosts have full-time jobs, and in addition, they manage their home estate and thousands of grapevines for their champion wines. It’s incredible where they find time for all this in a day, but we’re extremely glad they do because it guarantees us numerous future enjoyments of this wine. We look forward to new visits and future victories of this champion family winery!