I love to look at Red Wine – The Comprehensive Guide to the 50 Essential Varieties & Styles to find reds that are unknown to me. Today, we’re going to explore Teran, a grape that’s native to Croatia.
The Origins of Teran
The grape originates in Istria, Croatia. But it turns out that this grape also grows in northeast Italy and southwestern Slovenia. It’s the soil in Croatia that make the grapes from this country extra special.
According to Bruno Trapan, owner and winemaker of Trapan Winery, “Teran is special to me because it is a very wild grape, a very wild wine, but, if you learn how to control it, it gives big but smooth and elegant wines. It’s a smooth crimminal! I also have tasted Terans from Italy and Slovenia, and the biggest difference is in the soil, the terroir. Istrian versions are generally more full bodied becayse they come from red soil, which is rich in minerals.”
About the Grape
“Teran is a dark thick-skinned grape that grows in large clusters of densely packed berries and ripens late in the growing season, producing wines with character, potency and strength.”
The grape isn’t age worthy, so many vintners combine it with other grapes to improve the wine’s age worthiness.
The wine is fruit-forward, with pleasant tannins and fresh acidity in the finish. You’re likely to smell and taste fresh cherries, red raspberry, blackberry ad sometimes green pepper.
Have you tried Teran? Was it a “smooth criminal,” as Trapan said? Was it fruit-forward? I would love to know more about this grape. I’m hoping I can taste it sometime soon.
Cheers!
