On Tuesday we headed to Zadar, Croatia to a vineyard named Kraljevski Vinogradi, which translates to Royal Vineyards. Needless to say we went there for a lunch and wine tasting. We thus fulfilled a cardinal rule of travel: Never miss a wine tasting.  

The vineyard is located way up in the hills with a breathtaking view of the acres of grapevines leading down to the Adriatic Sea, which is clearly visible as well. As it happens, a chunk of the equity in the vineyard is owned by the Zadar Benedictine nuns. 

Lunch was very nice and so was the wine. We tried several glasses. First came the Rosé Scuro. Next was a white wine made with the Pošip grape that is primarily grown in the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Finally there was a red wine made with a combination of ancestral Zinfandel and Dobričić grapes. Those grapes are primarily grown in the Dalmatian coast of Croatia as well. 

After lunch, which consisted of a tuna pâté, cheeses and figs, we wound up buying a bottle of the Punta Skala white. All in all it was very relaxing and a highly recommended way to spend an afternoon.

JFB

Today we stopped at Katakolon in Greece. 

We had the opportunity to visit a vineyard and an olive grove (and the processing plants for their products) near Olympia, Greece.   It was a beautiful day to be outdoors and meet the owners of these family businesses – and to taste some very good olive oils and wines.   

And then there is the history. Of course, history is involved when you visit Olympia, where the first Olympiad was held in 776 BC.  Only ruins remain at the site, but you can imagine the massive Temple of Zeus and the stadium that could hold 45,000 spectators.  

The olive oil grove we visited (Oilympian Olive Oil Mill) is one of many small ones in the area, but it holds the machinery used by many of the local producers to press the olives and bottle the oil.  The grapes are pressed on the day they are harvested in order to keep their acidity level low— a requirement to qualify as extra virgin olive oil.  The tasting involved various flavored oils (herbs, cheese and citrus flavors) – delicious!

Then on to a lovely vineyard (Olympia Land Estate) to taste some crisp white wines and a dry red, while enjoying local cheese and snacks. 

One of the white wines was Assyrtiko, which is getting a lot of buzz in the US these days. It was originally grown by the ancient Greeks on the island of Santorini. Now the vines are grown in Australia, South Africa and the USA, and it is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world.   

As it turns out, we were supposed to visit Santorini but due to increased volcanic activity on the island that trip was canceled.

Next stop, Corfu! 

MAM and & JFB