Our Story

History

The history of Kraljevski Vinogradi, an impressive 300,000-vine vineyard and one of the largest in Dalmatia, is exciting and unique in Europe, with a tradition of grape cultivation in the area spanning almost nine centuries. It all began with a land grant from Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV to the Benedictine Monastery of St. Mary in Zadar. This grant included a large area of land on the hillsides above Petrčane near Zadar.

The monastery was founded by Abbess Čika (Chicca), a unique, significant, and influential person of her time in Zadar and beyond. She built a new monastery on the foundations of an old church. Being a noblewoman from an influential family, and even of royal blood, King Petar Krešimir IV granted her the land on Christmas Day in 1066. For centuries, vineyards were cultivated there in Petrčane.

The Benedictine nuns of Zadar, guardians of Zadar's priceless gold and silver, diligently cared for their vineyards until the mid-20th century when the government, through so-called agricultural reforms, confiscated their property. The Republic of Croatia returned the estate to them only in 2009, but without the vineyards, without the vines or fertile soil, and with a lot of rocks, shrubs, and overgrown vegetation.

Now

In 2011, wine enthusiasts and current owners planted 25 hectares of new vineyards on the site of the old ones. Heavy machinery crushed all the rocks on the ground to the size of a walnut, on which young vines were later planted. This soil preparation proved to be a good move, because on such a base, in extreme conditions and on this specific terroir, on a gentle and constantly sun-drenched southern slope, the vines yield less grapes, but of excellent quality.

Based on the historical fact that these vineyards were created by a land grant from one of the most significant Croatian kings, the new vineyard site was given its present name, **KRALJEVSKI VINOGRADI**, and continued the 870-year-old tradition of viticulture.