Hvar is one of the ancient homelands of viniculture in Croatia, with the first vines planted in this sunny region by the Greeks over 2.400 years ago. Today, this site is known as Stari Grad Plain and has been enlisted as UNESCO cultural heritage. As you might imagine, over centuries, the tradition has been perfected and experiencing the wines is a must when on Hvar.
Our tour visits the two of the most prominent local producers. Andro Tomić, one of the most famous Croatian winemakers, sets a grandiose tone at his Bastjana winery, modelled after the basement of the Diocletian’s palace. His wines continue to dazzle connoisseurs all over world and the French magazine La Revue du vin de France raved that his wines were “…a benchmark for the future millennium!” The second tasting is your chance to meet the leading Croatian “garage” winemaker Ivo Duboković and experience his ”2.718 hours of sun in the bottle”. Duboković’s Medvid wines are the Rolls Royce of garage wines – ”must have” expensive vintages, now served only in the finest restaurants, hotels, and specialized wine shops in Croatia.
And for the perfect ending to a perfect day—enjoy a wonderful home-made lunch in an olive grove near picturesque Vrisnik.
Plavac mali in Hvar
The longest island in Croatia, Hvar, features dynamic wine-growing landscapes around its central mountain ridge: in the north, the slopes descend into hills, and in the south to cliffs, before descending sharply into the sea. Today, however, the bird’s eye views of Hvar remind of a labyrinth, thanks to the centuries-long, persistent efforts of the islanders to expand arable land by terraces and mounds, many of these actually turned into vineyards. Hvar is blessed by the largest number of sun hours in the Adriatic, so it goes without saying that Dalmatia’s own, late-harvest, warmth-loving Plavac mali grape, enjoys a bit of a personal paradise here. Between Hvar’s steep south, hilly north, to sandy terrains and really old vines, this is the island where Plavac mali shows all its faces, and their utmost beautiful tastes.
For more information, and to book this tour, please contact [email protected]
