Plavac Mali

Plavac Mali, a hybrid cross between ancestral Zinfandel and Dobričić grapes, is the primary red wine grape grown along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. The name refers to the small blue grapes that the vines produce: in Croatian "plavo" means blue and "plavac" refers to 'what is blue'; "mali" means small. Plavac Mali is known for producing wines that are rich in flavor and high in both alcohol and tannins. Common flavors and aromas include blackberries, pepper, and spices. Croatian wines from this grape include the reds Dingač and Postup, and the rosé Opolo.

History

In the 1980s, Plavac Mali was thought to be an ancestor of Zinfandel. In 1998, while researching the origins of Zinfandel through DNA fingerprinting, Dr. Carole Meredith at UC Davis with researchers from the University of Zagreb discovered that Zinfandel (known as "Crljenak Kaštelanski" in Croatia) is actually one parent of Plavac Mali. [Meredith, Carole, [http://www.zinfandel.org/about_zin/pdf/2002_01_Looking_for_Zin_in_Croatia.pdf "Looking for Zinfandel in Croatia"] , "Zinfandel Express", January 2002.] The other parent is an ancient variety known as Dobričić from the island of Šolta.

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