More than 400 autochthonous varieties of wine grapes are grown on this area. Some, such as Plavac Mali, Zelenac and Vranac are basically unknown in the rest of the world but produce fine wine in most of the Adriatic and Balkan nations.

There would appear to be an immense potential for greater development of wine tourism in the region, which with time could become a boon to its new market- based economies.

The Adriatic area and Balkan Peninsula has for millennia been the cultural connection between Central Europe and Asia Minor. Because of its fortunate position and generally mild climate, it has been a focal point for technology and valuable crops traveling between the continents.

Vitis vinifera, the predominant European wine grape, is likely the most important crop to find a home there. Local residents were among the earliest to cultivate it, nearly 6,000 years ago. Today, the hundreds of varieties of wine produced by people living in the dozen countries on the peninsula help to define their various identities, ethnicities and religions. A nation’s wine may be one of the best identifying characteristics of its culture. It is impossible to overstate the importance of wine to the region, which, if considered as a whole, would be the fifth-largest wine producing area in the world.

Most Adriatic and Balkan states have shared their indigenous varieties across borders. Grape varieties such as Plavac Mali, Zelenac and Vranac are grown in most of the Adriatic and Balkan countries. While each country has its own favorite grape varieties, the overlap in what is grown is extensive.

The history of each Adriatic and Balkan nation’s wine industry has contributed enormously to the present-day status of its wine production and to its wine potential for future wine tourism.

Wine production on the Adriatic countries and Balkan Peninsula dates back to the archaic era of early Greece, but in most Balkan regions, its development was interrupted in the 16th century by Ottoman Suzerainty. Not until sometime during the 19th century did wine again become a major export in those nations, but by the end of the century, the peninsula’s vineyards had been decimated by the deadly vine pest, Phylloxera.

Over the past 30 years, the region has witnessed a revival of viticulture by forward-looking entrepreneurs who have invested in the quality of the wine product and the hospitality of the agritourism sector, aiming for excellence.

Emanuela Panke, President European Federation Iter Vitis