Vugava - The Mysterious Wine of Vis

Vugava is an indigenous white grape variety from the island of Vis, known for its rich aromatic profile and pronounced fruitiness. Wine produced from Vugava is characterised by a golden-yellow colour, the aroma of ripe fruit such as apricots, peaches, and honey, and a full, rounded taste with mild acidity. It is traditionally grown in vineyards around Komiža and Vis, and due to its resistance to drought and sun exposure, it is ideal for Mediterranean conditions. Although often consumed as a fresh wine, Vugava also has the aging potential, which gives it additional complexity. It is considered one of the most important oenological treasures of Dalmatia.

Since, according to all available data, it is not grown anywhere else in the world, it is considered a Croatian indigenous variety. In addition, it has been cultivated on Vis for a long time, and many associate it with the first mention of our wines in the document "Feast of Scholars" by the Greek historian and geographer Agathias. This would mean that it was brought during the Greek colonisation of the Adriatic from the 4th to the 6th century BC, or that it was created during their rule. It is widespread on the island of Vis, and to a lesser extent on neighbouring islands and the coast.

The authors of the Green Book of Croatian Autochthonous Grape Varieties describe vugava, bugava, ugava or viškulja as the qualitative potential of the variety. Marko Vojković, owner of the Vislander winery with his wife Marina and sister Sanda, gathered around 40 oenologists, sommeliers, wine merchants and journalists at the Bon Appetit restaurant in Zagreb. He offered a tasting of seven wines from Vis from the 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 vintages in three quality lines: Classic, Premium and Antique.

Photos: Julio Frangen