Make This The Summer of Wine on a Boat

One of the most exciting wine destinations in Europe is Croatia. The food, the culture, the history, and the wine! Oh, the wine! Their flagship red variety is called Plavac Mali and it's the father DNA of a little grape we know of in California as Zinfandel (also related to Primitivo in Southern Italy). As the summer temps heat up, what can be more cool than finding yourself on a wine cruise around the Adriatic sea?

Sail Croatia ’s new Wines of Croatia cruise to learn all about the ancient grape varieties of the Dalmatia coast region of Croatia, while sailing in luxury on a small ship. New for 2024, the Elegance wine cruises will allow guests to immerse themselves in the natural, cultural and historical sights of Croatia while also buffing up on their wine knowledge. Departing from the UNESCO town of Split, guests can enjoy a Wine Jeep Safari on the largest island of Brac, sip wine in the Stari Grad Plains of Hvar, delve into the history of Vis from the world’s only winery in a military tunnel, explore Marco Polo's Korcula and relax in nature in Mljet, before ending in the medieval city of Dubrovnik.

In Vis, guests visit the only wine cellar in the world that is located in a military tunnel. For 150 years the Lipanović family has been growing wine in the region and the cellar location provides the ideal conditions for keeping and storing wine. The group will try three traditional wines, Vugava, Viski Opol (rose) and Plavac Mali (red) along with a tasting plate whilst learning about the history of Vis and the use of the military tunnels during World War II.

During the stop in Hvar, guests will travel inland to the beautiful Stari Grad plains where they will visit Hora Vineyard and farm to enjoy a delicious traditional 'Peka' dinner whilst tasting four varieties of Croatian wine, Bogdanuša (a native grape variety to Hvar), Pošip, Bogdanuša, Barrique Plavac Mal alongside a mezze of homemade cheeses, pršut, sausages, anchovies and olive oil.

In Milna, the group experiences a Wine Jeep Safari and travels In 4X4 vehicles to see the landscape of Milna and hear how food and wine production is rooted in ancient tradition. Guests will relax in a family tavern where local hosts treat them to local wines and traditional food produce, including locally made cheese and meats.

That evening is a Captain's Dinner accompanied by an experienced Sommelier who will talk through the specially curated wines paired with each dish. This is also the perfect opportunity to get to know the Captain and ask them any questions about their life at sea.

Sail Croatia’s Elegance Cruises offer the highest quality of comfort onboard custom-built ships, featuring private ensuite rooms with air conditioning, spacious dining saloons and large sundecks. The three ships chosen to operate the new itinerary are among the most luxurious in Sail Croatia’s fleet with a maximum capacity of 38 guests.

Wine lovers can choose from July 21st departure on Esperanza or October 6th and October 13th on Queen Jelena.

The cruises start from £1,579 (~$1,926 USD) per person including a welcome reception, breakfast and lunch daily, Captain’s dinner, and local village dinner, winery tours and wine tastings plus return airport transfers. Prices are based on two sharing, subject to availability and correct at time of issue.

To book visit sail-croatia.com/specials/wine-cruise