Gastronomy

Vrbnička Žlahtina

Krk’s tourism owes its success largely to the island’s incredible culinary offer and the hospitality of local people. Make a toast with a glass of Vrbnik Žlahtina, and be sure to take some homemade brandy and dried figs as a farewell souvenir to remind you of the Golden Island.

Vrbnička žlahtina is a quality dry white wine produced from an autochthonous variety, the white žlahtina.

This variety is specific as it is only grown vineyards in Krk and more precisely in the fields of Vrbnik Apart from the community of Vrbnik, there are few other wine producers in Vrbnik. Today, Vrbnik and Žlahtina are synonymous as this is the only place they are cultivated.

This variety came to the island of Krk in the 1880s and to the Vrbnik field during the period between the two world wars. The wine name, Žlahtina, comes from the general Slavic adjective žlahten meaning noble.

This wine is a pale yellow or straw yellow colour and has a mild bouquet and pleasant characteristic taste.The freshness which can only be achieved in a colder climate, is characteristic of the northern part of the Adriatic to which this grapevine has adjusted, but the vineyards can also be found in the northern part of the island of Krk. In fact, there are mainly white wine varieties grown on the northern parts of the island: with žlahtina (Vrbnik) you can also find Istrian Malvazija, Draganela, Opačevina and other.

The žlahtina is particularly recognisable for its specific young bouquet. All the principal characteristics of this variety are conserved in the wine itself with its pleasant and lively taste which has 11% alcohol.

It is ideal served with sheep’s milk cheese, all kinds of fish and sea specialities and white meat dishes.