The experts of the Enosophia winery in cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, at one of their oldest locations - Srednjak, on five hectares of the new vineyard, planted 25,000 Frankovka seedlings selected from their old plantation known for its top quality grapes. The tradition of growing Frankovka in the Feričanci vineyards goes back to the Austro-Hungarian era, and interesting stories come from the Mihalović Manor, where Franz Liszt composed some of his best compositions while drinking Feričanci Frankovka.
In Feričanci, frankovka gives excellent results and deserves a serious scientific approach to the selection of its positive features. "The project is extremely important for the future of Feričanci and the entire Croatian viticulture. In cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Zagreb, in 2022 we started marking the elite vines in our oldest Frankovka vineyard from 1973. We monitored its ampelographic characteristics throughout one season and conducted health testing - ELISA test, to make sure that the vines are not infected with viruses. After the winter pruning, we delivered the seedlings to the nursery, and after a year of production this spring, we planted the first seedlings of our Frankovka. We are currently nearing the end of the first phase of the mass clonal selection process," says Lucija Kovačević, chief oenologist of the Enosophia winery.
Project manager, head of the Institute for Viticulture and Winemaking, associate professor Ph.D. Darko Preiner points out that the goal of the selection is to single out Frankovka clones that will have superior characteristics suitable for growing in the area of Feričanci. It is a demanding and long-term process, and the first results are expected in ten years.
„With the exceptional quality of Frankovka in all categories, we have already confirmed that we are the best climate for this variety in Croatia, and we will now scientifically support this. In our cellar in Feričanci, excellent frankovkas are produced in all categories - from fluffy sparkling wines, drinkable rosés, light and fruity Dika to complex Miraz and unique predicate wines, and I am referring to our award-winning ice vintage frankovkas, which we are the only ones to produce in Croatia", says Martin Kovačević , director of the Enosophia winery.
Photos: Enosophia
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