Ponikve wine-growing area in Croatia awarded protected designation of origin

ZAGREB, 15 February (Hina) – Ponikve, a wine-growing site near Ston on the Pelješac peninsula in southern Croatia, has been entered in the EU register of protected designations of origin of wines, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County authorities boasted on Monday.

The county authorities said that the European Commission had entered Ponikve in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications. Ponikve has thus become the 17th protected designation of origin of Croatian wines whose name is registered in the EU.

The aim of labelling products or identifying Ponikve as a locality is in accordance with EU regulations in order to facilitate the recognition of the specifics and characteristics of that wine-growing locality.

The Ponikve protected geographical area is located in the Boljenovići area of Pelješac peninsula within the Central and Southern Dalmatia sub-region.

The entire area nurtures the traditional method of wine-growing in an attractive architectural landscape and scenery.

The recognised wine varieties from this area include Plavac Mali, Maraština and White Pošip.

Ponikve (Photo: edubrovnik.org/Croatian Ministry of Agriculture)

The registration process was launched by the Pelješac Wine Routes association and backed by the Institute for Adriatic Cultures and Karst Reclamation from Split.

In addition to Ponikve, the other wine-growing areas in Croatia that have been awarded protected designations of origin are: Dalmatian hinterland, Dingač, Croatian Istria, Croatian Danube region, Croatian Littoral, Eastern continental Croatia, Moslavina, Plešivica, Pokuplje, Prigorje-Bilogora, Coastal Croatia, Northern Dalmatia, Slavonia, Central and Southern Dalmatia, Zagorje-Međimurje and Western continental Croatia.