All wine enthusiasts and oenologists prefer well-selected varieties with reputable names and attractive packaging, but we must be honest that presentation is crucial for any quality wine. However, there are exceptions that, upon tasting, we realize that even “mass” wine can be of high quality. This is one of the greatest successes of Dalmacijavino winery and beverage bottling, to bring quality closer to average people through their varieties for wide consumption.
Such a philosophy is expected from Dalmatian winemakers, who traditionally produced wine for everyday drinking, using it as refreshment with a good dinner and during work in the fields. The former assortment of Dalmacijavino confirms this, regardless of all the quality wines on offer, a good bottle of Šjor Bepo, Barba, or Plavac evokes that familiar taste in our mouths, wine that can be enjoyed at noon in the sun and in the evening when going out.
The growth of Dalmacijavino
This company is known to us as a winery, but it was primarily a beverage bottling plant, and its history dates back almost 87 years. Dalmacijavino was founded in 1946 in Split under the name Vinalko. From the beginning, Dalmacijavino had an ambitious character and expanded under its old name throughout Dalmatia.
It is interesting to note that initially Vinalko was primarily engaged in trading and cellar management, collaborating with other companies to supply grapes. The meteoric rise of this company continued, and by merging Dalmatinac, Vinalko, Vrgorka, and Vinarija Drniš, Dalmacijavino reached its peak capacity. This company had beverage bottling plants throughout Dalmatia, product placement stores, cellars in various locations, and hectares of vineyards in the fertile Petrovo Polje near Drniš.
In the early 1970s, the company reached the peak of its development and transformed into an enviable beverage conglomerate. Numerous products entered its assortment, with notable mentions including red wines like Barba, Kaštelet, Plavac, and white wines such as Šjor Bepo, Pošip, and Grk. The production of wines like Šjor Bepo and Barba was intended for mass markets. It’s relatively easy to produce 100-200 liters of very good wine, but it’s extremely difficult to produce 10,000 liters of solid wine per month, the type of wine people enjoy with games like bocce or to complement a good fish dish.
Dalmacijavino pioneered the production of good wines at affordable prices in Croatia and throughout the former Yugoslavia, which remains its trademark to this day. However, this iconic company did not shy away from producing premium varieties for wider markets, as evidenced by their Plavac, Pošip, and Grk wines. While they may not have matched the quality of some premium wineries, they managed to be present on every shelf throughout the year at an acceptable price, thus democratizing famous wine varieties for those with shallower budgets.
However, anyone who makes good wine also loves to make brandy, and the same goes for Dalmacijavino, which over time expanded its range to include numerous alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Vinegar is essential for every good salad and many dishes, and Dalmacijavino was, of course, a leader in the production of this indispensable ingredient in every true kitchen.
Over time, the company specialized in the production of stronger alcoholic beverages such as herbal brandy, plum brandy, vodka, and herbal liqueurs like amaro and pelinkovac, which are still top-notch products today. Interestingly, Dalmacijavino’s pelinkovac was so popular that in hospitality circles, there was a well-known joke that Croatia was divided between Badel’s pelinkovac and Dalmacijavino’s pelinkovac, with the tunnel of St. Roko marking the border. Of course, this little joke nicely illustrates the widespread popularity of Dalmacijavino.
One of the important aspects of Dalmacijavino’s business is their iconic beverage, Pipi. The famous advertisement with the curvy model remains to this day one of the classics of marketing campaigns, and we can freely say one of the main aspects of Pipi’s initial success. Additionally, Pipi once battled giants in the production of non-alcoholic carbonated beverages, such as Fanta, Coke, Orangina, etc., and the fact that the drink is still in production is sufficient evidence of its quality. Since 1980, Dalmacijavino has also served as the official beverage filling company for Coca-Cola, which is truly an impressive testament to Dalmacijavino’s industrial power at the time.
At the beginning of the war in Croatia, Dalmacijavino suffered a significant blow, and over the years, the company lost a good portion of its market share and production capacity. The conglomerate itself had several branches until the 2010s: Dalmacijavino in Rijeka, Zadar, Zagreb, and Ljubljana. A significant portion of this business was focused on real estate and retail chains, which became unprofitable due to the growth and expansion of large retail chains. Over time, all of these branches were closed, leaving only Dalmacijavino d.d. in Split. Unfortunately, the company was burdened by numerous issues from its past, and over time, its original brand was at risk of extinction, even after several attempts at privatization and changes in management.
Dalmacijavino today
After several rounds of transformations and brand sales, the brands of Dalmacijavino have survived to this day. The last owners who bought Dalmacijavino decided to divide the company into two parts. One is Pipi beverages, and the other is Vinoplod Šibenik, so there was a kind of return to the original factory settings. Pipi beverages remained under the ownership of the Zadro family, and they significantly expanded their business in recent years. It is also interesting that they expanded their assortment and now produce Pipi in various flavors and packaging. The business revenue of this company was over 2.6 million euros in 2021, giving us hope and assurance that our iconic carbonated drink will exist for many more years.
The more interesting branch of the former Dalmacijavino is Vinoplod. Vinoplod was the original name of Dalmacijavino, and they actually retained all the iconic alcoholic brands, such as Dalmacijavino pelinkovac and Drniš merlots. This company was bought by Badel, and thus, these two conglomerates merged and created a giant in the Croatian market of alcoholic beverages. Also, Vinoplod has moved towards producing quality wines, which is suitable for such a company and its fertile vineyards in the Drniš field. Today, we can try some exotic things from this winery, such as drinking wines and herbal liqueurs from clay amphorae, which is a unique example for our market and the global market.
This iconic company may not have survived on paper, but it has survived in our hearts and memories through numerous liters of Šjor Bepo and Plavac consumed before matches or outings. The survival of the strongest brands of Dalmacijavino gives us hope that this company will continue to fill its bottles for many more years, and we at Croatian Wineries look forward to this future.