Croatia is like a dream. The untouched coastlines with white sand beaches, the sprawling vineyards blanketing the hillsides, and the Venetian-era architecture all combine to create an atmosphere of otherworldly delight. Add to that a lack of crowds and traffic, affordable lifestyle, friendly people and phenomenal food (oh my word, the food…).
There is plenty to explore on the lovely Dalmatian Coast – the southern part of Croatia and home to one of its most important wine regions. You’ve likely heard of the city of Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” and Split, a fascinating city built around Roman ruins, but today we’re going off the beaten path. We’re visiting the Peljesac Peninsula wine region.
If you love wine at all, whether a connoisseur or just an enthusiast, I always endorse visiting the wine regions of any country you decide to visit. The wines of any place tell you a lot about the people who live and work there, about the history, and can introduce you to a beautiful art form created by generations of local’s love and hard work.
The Peljesac wine region is located roughly between the island of Korcula and the city of Dubrovnik, on a peninsula protruding from the mainland city into the Adriatic sea. The sun-drenched, south-facing, steep vineyards, further warmed by reflections of the sun on the sea create the ideal conditions for growing the hearty, thick-skinned Plavac Mali grape.
Plavac Mali is the most popular grape variety on the Dalmatian Coast, and produces wines with intense concentration, robust flavors and high tannins and alcohol. It has for many years, and to many experienced palates, been confused for the California Zinfandel variety, and it has subsequently been determined through DNA testing that the modern Zinfandel grape is, in fact, an ancient native grape to Croatia, and an ancestor of Plavac Mali.
The cultivation of wines in the region began centuries ago, and according to some historians pre-dates the Romans. But, under Communist rule during Socialist-Era Yugoslavia, vineyards were regulated to eschew quality, and focus rather on mass production.
After a tumultuous fight for independence, and ultimately succession, Croatia and its wine producers began to resurge into prominence. Many former Yugoslavian countries have seen a revitalization in recent decades, and are now beginning to produce beautiful wines as they did centuries ago.
How to Visit Wine Country:
Hire a driver. It is very affordable, and navigating the steep cliffs on your own while trying to enjoy the scenery (not to mention possibly being inebriated from wine tasting) is not ideal.
Also, although many of the locals do speak English very well, we still found many barriers in terminology communication throughout the country, therefore it will help to have a local guide.
We hired a private driver name Niksa, and he was kind, reliable and extremely knowledgeable, albeit a little evasive regarding personal history with the war (the Balkan wars are very recent, and still weigh heavily on those who were involved. Tread lightly when bringing up the subject in this country). I strongly recommend him and his tour services. For more information on booking, contact me at the email address below.
Niksa picked us up in a private sedan after we arrived by ferry to the mainland peninsula from the Medieval island of Korcula. Korcula has a ferry directly from its main town to Orebic, the coastal port on the Peljesac Peninsula.
We thus proceeded on our day long journey through wine country, which turned out to be an absolute pleasure. Not only were the wines outstanding, but also, like many other aspects of Croatia, proved to be an excellent value. Most of the best wines retail at around 20 Euro (or approximately 150 Kuna – Croatia’s currency), and the premium, carefully selected and oak-aged Dingac Reserva wines top out at around 36 Euro.
The first stop on our wine tour was one of the most famous local wineries, Matusko in the village of Potomje.
Matusko is one of several wineries harvesting the protected hillside appellation of Dingac – in which some of the most highly sought-after wines from the Plavac Mali grape are grown. We enjoyed several excellent wines, a tour with a lovely host, and explored the historic cellars beneath the tasting room.
Sadly, as much as we wanted to purchase this wine, at the time of this writing they do not ship to the United States, and there is only so much room in a carry-on suitcase. I was able to squeeze in 3 bottles and check my luggage home, but, leaving these ridiculously affordable, delicious wines without any hope of procuring them again, made us very disappointed indeed!
So, if you do want to purchase these wines, the best way is just to visit the winery! For more information and booking a visit, click here.
After our private tour and tasting, Niksa brought us to the fortified city of Ston, where there is a seemingly endless sea of oyster farms, and we consequently tried in some of the best grilled oysters we’ve ever had (and we eat a lot of oysters!).
Bota Sare in Ston is a wonderful restaurant overlooking the oyster farms and the sea. Try to grab a seat outside on the beautiful promenade and enjoy amazing appetizers, sushi and seafood dishes.
After lunch, we proceeded to visit one more winery – Vinarija Milos (“Milos Vineyards”). The winery has been run by the same family for generations, and we were thrilled to visit and taste more examples of the lovely Plavac Mali wines expressing the terroir of the Peljesac Peninsula.
Milos has an underground cellar which is open for tours, as well as a tasting room open to the public. The owners are usually there, and are more than happy to answer any questions while pouring their beautiful wines and olive oils.
For more information or to set an appointment, click here.
After the winery visits, and as the sun began to set, we ended our day in wine country and headed for the next portion of our trip, the stunning Adriatic city of Dubrovnik.
Most of the regrets we had on this trip were the things we didn’t do. We didn’t bring home enough wine. We didn’t order more grilled oysters from the fortressed city of Ston. We didn’t eat enough, didn’t drink enough. But my husband promises me that, soon, we’ll be back to revisit and remedy.
Questions or comments? Leave me a message below, or reach out directly at travelerandoenophile@gmail.com
Cheers and happy travels!
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