How to say it: poe-ship
Why it’s important: Pošip grows all over Dalmatia, Croatia’s southern coastal region, and is the most-planted white grape variety here (at 329 hectares). It was discovered on the island of Korčula only in the second half of the 19th century, and by the early 20thcentury it was widely planted. Then, its draw was its aroma, high sugars and abundant yields. Today, Pošip is planted on most of the central and southern Dalmatian islands, but with rising temperatures it is increasingly common in northern Dalmatia as well. Now its yield is controlled, for elegant wines with balanced acidity.
Wine styles: Pošip has seen a recent style update. For much of the 20th century, the taste for highly colored, high-alcohol wines resulted in Pošip that was full bodied and ripely fruity, often with a touch of oxidation. In the early 21st century, tastes began to change. A modern approach in wine making now produces an aromatic wine of more medium body and moderate alcohol, with tropical fruit notes. You can find stainless, sur lie and lightly barrel-aged versions, plus the macerated (amber) style.
How to drink it: Fresh Pošip is served in Dalmatia with seafood salad or fresh oysters; sur-lie styles are for more complex seafood with a little tomato, such as prawns in tomato šalša. Pošip is versatile—try chicken fajitas (fresh style) or crab cakes (sur lie).
Little-known fact: In 1967, Pošip was the first Croatian white grape variety to be given protected status.
Pošip to try: See our tasting for six bottles to try. Others are Degarra, Delmati, Grgić, Krajančić, Krolo and Senjković.