Terroir Plešivice: The secret taste of wines that tell a story

When we talk about great wines, we often talk about place. The French call it terroir. terroir… and in Plešivica, it lives in every vine. Terroir is not just the soil underfoot — it is the microclimate, the vineyard’s position, the wind that dries the morning dew, the sun that caresses the grapes in September, and the hands that know when to stop and when to wait one more day. In the wine shop Amfigóra, we believe wine begins in the earth — and so we bring you the story of Plešivica, a region that imitates no one, instead shaping wines with its own handwriting.

Where the land breathes wine.

Plešivica, located on the south-western slopes above Jastrebarsko, is one of Croatia’s most distinctive and exciting wine regions. Its steep terraces provide ideal sun exposure, while soil rich in limestone and clay ensures excellent drainage and a mineral base. Such conditions give the wines freshness, structure and that hard-to-define quality — personality.

It is no coincidence that Plešivica has become synonymous with Croatian sparkling wines and layered white varieties such as Riesling, Sauvignon and Chardonnay. But beyond offering the potential for serious wines, the region retains a modest, local soul — where every vine has a name, and every harvest a story.

Tradition in every berry

Winemaking in Plešivica is not a trend — it is a heritage. Family vineyards are often passed down from generation to generation, and knowledge is not written down but transmitted orally in cellars and at the vineyard’s edge. Harvest here is a social event, a moment of togetherness and great responsibility. Grapes are picked exclusively by hand, sorted on the vine, and handled with care that is not industrial but almost ritualistic.

At the Amfigóra wine shop we nurture exactly that — good wine does not come from a laboratory, but from an understanding of the soil, the plant life and time. Our labels are not merely a product, but an expression of local identity.