When one thinks of wine from the former Yugoslavia, one is typically drawn towards Slovenia and Croatia, and increasingly Serbia and North Macedonia. That is until one uncorks a bottle of wine from Herzegovina, a geographical region in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose winemakers are fermenting a new source of pride and optimism.

Herzegovina is tapping into a new dynamic in the wine world; a growing preference for indigenous varieties with a unique story to tell. Where once upon a time winemakers turned their hands to familiar international sorts – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot, to name but a few – they are today encouraged to delve into the annals of history to offer something authentically local. There is value to be had in nurturing native varieties; not to fulfil bulk orders, but to make wines that sit comfortably on the lists of Michelin starred restaurants.

And as more winemakers have returned to the land’s roots, so the potential of local varieties is better understood.

For Bariša Škegro, co-owner of the family winery Škegro from Radišić near Ljubuški, “we are lucky to have three indigenous varieties [Blatina, Trnjak, and Žilavka] that are the stars of Herzegovina”. These native grapes – which are seldom found elsewhere – give the region a unique story to tell, a glimpse into the history and heritage of a region that remain relatively unknown on the global wine scene.

Herzegovina is blessed with lands conducive to producing elegant wines. The dominant limestone allows for excellent drainage and deep roots, resulting in healthier and more complex grapes. It also provides a distinctive minerality and refreshing acidity to the wines, the latter a key for balance and aging potential, especially given Herzegovina’s Mediterranean climate.

“We are going back to our roots, to how our grandparents planted”, Bariša explains, stressing the family legacies from which nearly every contemporary winemaker now draws. These old vineyards harbour the heritage and habits of the past, with their hangovers for the present. “We find tobacco in the vineyards”, Bariša diverges, “it is in the DNA of these lands”; referring to a crop that was once widely traded. “I want to put tobacco on the labels of our Grand Cru”, he enthuses with a firm nod to the past.

The white grape variety Žilavka – a synonym for which is ‘Mostarska’, given that it likely originated in the Mostar region – arguably has the potential to do for the country’s wine reputation what Malvazija has for Croatia, Grüner Veltliner for Austria, and Furmint for Hungary. It gives wines that are fuller in body but with fresh acidity and often a slightly nutty flavour.

Herzegovina’s signature red variety is Blatina, unique because of its female-only flowers, meaning that it requires the presence of other grape varieties to pollinate successfully. However, it is the little-known Trnjak – one of the main pollinators of Blatina – that is Herzegovina’s secret jewel. Previously blended with Blatina, it is today demonstrating its ability to stand alone, producing dense and complex wines with ripe red fruit and spices.

This sense of vast, yet unexplored, potential is keenly felt by Vlatko Nuić, son of the owner of Vinogradi Nuić, whose vineyards are located in Crnopod, between Medjugorje and Ljubuški. “In Herzegovina, it was only in the last five to six years that the knowledge, research, and technology of wine production began to be significantly explored”, Vlatko contends, adding that, “for this reason, I think that the full potential of these varieties will be explored only in the next ten years or so”.

For Vlatko, there are various dimensions to explore to fully understand the characteristics and expressions of Blatina, Trnjak, and Žilavka; notably, their aging ability and the various styles of wine they can produce. Different types of oak, new and old, in various sizes, impart distinct traits upon the wine; though experimentation is constrained as always by the whims of the harvest. Bariša even makes an orange wine from Žilavka; clean and fresh, in stark contrast to many orange wines from natural wine producers.

For Bariša, the evolution of Herzegovinian wine needs to be driven by refinement, arguing that “we need to invest in good vineyard positions, not make large quantities, and focus on high-quality wines”. New financing will inevitably help, but as Bariša cautions, “we also need brains!”. Vlatko argues that “winemakers should try to apply knowledge of production and cultivation from around the world to our varieties and our climate – and, of course, do different experiments every year!”. This is a shared and mutually beneficial vision for the future; one open to new ideas and inspirations.

To persuade people to stay and support the harvest, Bariša pays above the market price. “There are people in Herzegovina [not in the wine business] driving Lamborghini’s who could be paying their workers better and driving Porsches”, he jokes. It is a vision embodied with a clear sense of social responsibility; of building a community around the vineyard that ensures the longevity of a heritage that has already faced the turbulence of war.

But building the brand of Herzegovinian wine is an equally demanding and arguably more important task, with each vineyard having to do its own marketing which is often labour intensive and expensive. “Our wines are on the wine list of the Fat Duck – Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant – but it is difficult to get our wines into other restaurants”, Bariša tells me, adding that it often involves a stroke of good fortune such as meeting the right sommelier and compelling them with your offering. Vlatko believes that winemakers “should work together towards that goal [of promoting the image of Herzegovina through fairs and competitions] through associations and other organisations, because one winemaker does not make a wine region!”.

Each year there are new players, with many family producers trying their hand at commercialising their production. Vineyards such as Brkić, Andrija, Milas, Aćimović, Anđelić, Tvrdoš, Vukoje deserve more than honourable mentions. Daorson Winery, meanwhile, is the only winemaking cooperative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing together vineyards owners on the Dubrava plateau between the towns of Stolac and Čapljina; a prime example about how quality can depend as much on cooperation as competition.

Experimentation in wine can be painstakingly slow. Each vintage poses new challenges and limitations. No winemaker is self-sufficient. Each relies upon the experiences of others to enhance their own knowledge. As a community emerges, so the entire wine industry benefits. It is a virtuous and reinforcing cycle.

Those who previously made wine as a hobby or habit are motivated to formalise production; to bring their produce to market; to articulate the values and identity which have long served as an invisible guiding hand. A generation of young winemakers, inspired by their peers, some with newly acquired wealth, are investing in the land and new equipment. Modern wineries, indistinguishable from their Tuscan counterparts, are attracting those tourists who slip over the border from Croatia or have discovered Bosnia and Herzegovina in its own right.

With each passing year, the Herzegovinian trinity of Blatina, Trnjak, and Žilavka is putting the region firmly on the world wine map. They deserve to be tasted and admired beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whilst enticing domestic consumers closer to home. As Vlatko reminds me, “it is necessary to visit Herzegovina to better understand where these wines are made!”. The winemakers of Herzegovina are ready and waiting to share their story.