When there is a wine there must be a culture and some good time. Did you know that the wine tradition of Herzegovina dates back to the 2000 BC? From Slavs, Bosnian Banate, Bosnian Kingdom, Ottomans and Austro-Hungarians, all until nowadays, wine manufacture of Herzegovina always stayed high quality.
This is one of the reasons European Union decided to invest in a project “Herzegovinian wine route” which collects all the best winemakers making them easily approachable for wine tasting, buying and learning about the tradition from a first hand.
Herzegovina Wine Tasting Experience is created to take your senses on a journey through array of aromas, scents and flavours of centuries old obscure Zilavka and Blatina production.
Departure Times Daily: 10 AM from Mostar or 7 AM from Sarajevo.
Pickup Locations This tour can depart from Mostar or Sarajevo. For Mostar departure we shall pick you up at your address. For guests leaving from Sarajevo, we can start from our office or arrange free pick up on request as well.
Activity Note: This is a full day tour and it includes visiting one of the best local wine producers of Herzegovina region. Due to the distance of the locations, we use vehicles during the tour to reach our main stops, but the all the exploring is done on foot for the maximum experience.
We will start the trip with a pick up from your address. Please note that this tour can start/end either in Mostar or Sarajevo with a bit earlier departure from Sarajevo.
Along the entire way, we will be accompanied by the turquoise Neretva river and almost surreal Herzegovinian sunbathed landscapes. We will make few stops along, soak up the atmosphere of pristine nature and take some amazing photos before we arrive to Čitluk, Herzegovinian heaven for wine production.
>Along the way we will be accompanied by turquoise Neretva river and stunning Herzegovinian karst and settlements.
Our first stop will be amazing winery pioneering the wine production in Herzegovina ever since the 1979. Winery Brkić is known as a world wide recognised small family business which set the first modern wine cellar in the country.
As soon as we arrive to a charming backyard we will rest from Herzegovinian sun for a while and soak up the atmosphere and scents of the two grandiose wine cellars while learning about the world of biodynamic production and storage.
>Carefully kept for 18 months in Bosnian oak tree small barrels, Plava Greda, according to majority of locals, is the best red wine in the region.
Once we are completely sucked into a world of wine production, we will have a chance to taste four of the most famous Brkić wines made from indigenous grape sorts Žilavka (Žilavka, Greda, Mjesečar) and Blatina (Plava Greda) . The four wine course will be accompanied with a brief introduction to each wine and a variety of organic home-made products such as olive oil, dry meat and jams..
>Following the lunar calendar and handpicking procedure of grape by grape, family Brkić became famous for its Mjesečar (Moonwalker) wine which has gone through carbonic maceration, aged sur lie in Bosnian oak barrel and bottled without any filtration.
Short ride will take us to our next destination, Winery Marijanović. Along the way we will be able to witness some amazing panorama views, rural settings, small local communities and free roaming domestic animals.
As soon as you step out from the vehicle, you will be absolutely hypnotised with lush vineyards surrounding Family Marijanovićs piece of heaven. We will take a walk through luxuriantly growing vineyards and enjoy greenery oasis in a charming yard in shadow of opulently growing herbs and flowers while surrounded by incredible scents.
>The vineyards in Herzegovina are usually fragmented meaning that most of the wineries of this region own at least two or three vineyards at different places. However, throughout the years and a lot of effort and land purchase, family Marijanović managed to enlarge their vineyard while keeping it at one same place through 25 different contracts. Their vineyard is a truly spectacular vast greenery oasis.
Just as most of the wine producers of the region, Marjanovic Family is deeply involved in tracing the perfect flavours from obscure Žilavka and Blatina grapes. However, for quite some time they are also teasing the palates of their fans by their Syrah (Shiraz) and Cabernet Sauvignon.
We will have a chance to taste Marijanović Žilavka, a premium white dry wine, with a distinctive aroma and harmonious flavour, powerful dark red wine of Iranian-French origin, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon-produced from the high-quality variety of French origin (Bordeaux). The last on our wine list will be one of the most complex blends when it comes to local wines, a famous 33 barique, wine made of 33% Blatina, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Syrah.
>Perfect closure of this visit will be the famous black coupage 33 barique, a unique wine with a luxurious scent and aroma made from manually selected grapes and produced in a limited batch of about 1000 bottles per year.
Pleasant and less than an hour ride towards Stolac will take us to a 16th century Žitomislić Monastery which represents a tranquil oasis of peace and contemplation and is one of the most beautiful Orthodox monasteries in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Besides the monastery, we will also make sure to make a short break at Buna village and take some amazing photos of captivating confluence of Buna and Neretva river.
>Buna village is a charming settlement at the confluence of the Buna and Neretva river
As soon as we arrive to Stolac we will do a lunch break and admire the amazing Bregava river. Stolac is known as a crossroad of civilisations, and an open air museum so, before we continue with our wine tasting adventure, we will take a stroll and have a lunch break.
Please note that we always strive for maximising the overall experience and using every chance to offer you an insight into a local community. Our team will arrange a local picnic lunch next to a spectacular Bregava river where you will have a chance to simply hang out with locals learning more about this captivating place which only recently started gaining back its former glory. In case we have low temperatures we will do a lunch break at a cosy restaurant overlooking the amazing Bregava river waterfalls.
>Waterfall at the Pjene beach – one of the many on Bregava river in Stolac. Perfect setting where every atom of being intensively seeks for a connection with nature.
Our last stop will be a charming hidden gem-Daorson Winery, named after the ancient town of Daorson. The winery is created as a cooperative in order to gather devoted wine and viticulture Herzegovinian enthusiasts making it the very first of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Devoted wine enthusiasts from Winery Daorson are producing exclusively indigenous varieties of Blatina (Pinnes Blatina) and Žilavka (Pinnes Žilavka). In addition to the grandiose and hypnotising wine cellar there is a cosy and elegant wine tasting chamber where we will enjoy rich flavours of fruity and refreshing wine Pinnes Žilavka, and red and incredibly rich in flavours and aromas Pinnes Blatina. In property of Daorson Winery we will also find a vibrant Pinnes Pub where we can hang out with locals until we call of the night.
>With a very little or no marketing at all, main focus is striving for the perfect symphony of fruit, sugar, alcohol, acid, and tannin.
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