You don’t have to be a travel expert to know that Dubrovnik is one of the best travel destinations in Europe, and this beautiful holiday hotspot has put Croatia firmly on the tourist map. Despite that, it would be wrong to just label Dubrovnik and the surrounding region as simply a summer holiday destination, because there is so much more to this part of the country than meets the eye.
If you are a foodie and love home-grown produce, and especially if you adore wine, then Dubrovnik – Neretva county is the perfect destination to tantalize your tastebuds.
Set between the towering Mount Srd and the glittering Adriatic, Dubrovnik’s Old Town serves as the perfect spot for an afternoon vino in the sun, however the medieval walls of this fairytale city aren’t all the region is about; if you travel outside of the city you’ll find that the Dubrovnik-Neretva county has a number of wine regions including, Pelješac, Konavle, Korčula and Croatia’s newest wine region, Komarna.
The Peljesac Peninsula has long been a wine-lover’s hotspot and for good reason, because it’s here where you’ll find Croatia’s best Plavac Mali being produced in two micro-regions. The most famous location for Plavac Mali is Dingač closely followed by Postup and they both produce exceptionally good wines. So much so that they were the first two protected wine regions in Croatia in the 1960’s. To produce such high-quality grapes there is a price to pay, and that is the vines are planted on steep south facing slopes of Pelješac and working these vineyards is tough. The other star grape variety worth a mention is Pošip, an indigenous white grape variety that is delightful.
To produce such high-quality grapes there is a price to pay, and that is the vines are planted on steep south facing slopes of Pelješac and working these vineyards is tough. The other star grape variety worth a mention is Pošip, an indigenous white grape variety that is delightful.
There are quite a few wineries across Pelješac with some of the best cellars to visit being Korta Katarina who have a great Pošip, Matuško, and Saints Hill Winery. There are countless tours which leave Dubrovnik regularly and will take you on day trips to these wineries, with food tasting and exploring the peninsula thrown into the itinerary. This way you can drink wine to your heart content and not worry about driving.
The wine region of Komarna is relatively new and has only 7 wine producers in the area who are producing some top quality vino. Located around 70km from Dubrovnik, the Komarna vineyards are planted on the southern slopes, like in Pelješac, to take full advantage of the sun and they have some spectacular views out to sea and the neighbouring islands. The vast majority of grapes being produced here are Croatian indigenous varieties such as Plavac Mali, Pošip, Malvasi Dubrovačka, Tribidrag (Zinfandel), and Marastina. Here you’ll find Saints Hill Winery, Rizman, Volarevic, Terra Madre along with a few others. This little wine region is quite impressive and well worth a visit.
Whilst red wines dominate the mainland of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and Dalmatia in general, it’s white wines which Korčula is renowned for. By far the dominant variety is Pošip, an indigenous grape to Korčula and is typically grown in the centre of the island in Smokovica and Čara. This wine is a golden, full bodied harmonious wine and is the essence of the Adriatic. In addition to Pošip, you’ll find Rakatac (Marastina), and Grk wines which are grown in Lumbarda. Interestingly, it is not known whether Grk got its name from the Greeks who inhabited the island in the 3rd century BC or whether it was given that name locally because of it’s bitter / tart taste. If you’d like to try some of the wines first-hand head for Čara, Krajančić and Šain Marelić.
With all of these top quality wine regions, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County can add another attraction to its already long list of reasons to visit.
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