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Slovenia/Croatia 11-day Autumn Gastronomy Wine & Food Tour
This is a one of a kind opportunity to sit down and talk with the generous and hospitable owners, wine makers and local producers in their cellars, houses, restaurants, shops and mills. A special invitation into peoples’ place of work & passion that focuses on the history, wine making traditions and culinary magic of these countries.
this is a tour designed to showcase the best food, wine and culinary traditions that these diverse regions have to offer. And there’s no better time of year to immerse in this culinary utopia than the harvest season. Most of the tourists have gone home, the leaves are turning color, vineyards are being harvested and the smell of wood stoves and heavenly aromas float through the cool air. This unique tour features a variety of home-cooked dinners, a few very special five-course meals, strolls in the beautiful wine country, ten wine tastings and an array of other tastings including honey, olive oil, jams, fruits and truffles.
Eleven days of stimulating one’s taste buds can be a bit much, so there is time for curious guests to back away from the kitchen table and go explore castles, stroll through old Venetian towns, discover colorful frescoes in tiny churches and make a personal connection between the food, the land and its people
Tour starts in Brda region (easily accessible via train from Venice) and ends in Trogir on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. Starting transfer from Ljubljana (Slovenia) also possible. Additional nights in Dalmatian can be arranged.
Slow Tours offers other Food Tours in Europe
Transfer from Ljuljana airport
Overview of Slovenian history, wine making and geography and an introduction to Vipava Valley’s predominantly white wines (Pinela, Zelen and Malvazija) at Lepa Vida winery. Extravagant and imaginative welcome dinner at Zemono restaurant, Gault & Millau pick for Slovenia’s top restaurant. Overnight in Vipava Valley
Tour and tasting at one of the country’s premiere biodynamic winemakers, Guerila. Visit to hill town of Stanjel in the Karst region, a region dominated by air-dried prosciutto, bold red Teran wines, caves and stone houses. Tasting of Teran (fresh, aged and barrique styles) and Vitovska (indigenous white of the Karst) at CV winery. Four course dinner at Majerija restaurant/homestead, where we overnight in Vipava Valley.
Tour of UNESCO protected Skocjan caves, an amazing underground world featuring Europe’s deepest underground canyon. Typical Karst lunch at local family’s agriturismo who make virtually everything on the table, including a killer honey ice cream! Arrive into Brda, Slovenia’s most prestigious wine region and get a great intro to the region’s flagship white, Rebula. Check into lodgings at a villa with patio opening up to rolling hills and olive groves. Five course dinner paired with orange/macerated wines at Kabaj winery. Overnight in Brda.
Optional visit to outdoor First World War museum before exploring the narrow streets of Brda’s most charming hill town, Smartno. Lunch of traditional white polenta in a sauce of prosciutto and peas with a surprise dessert that will prompt you to ask the chef for her recipe. Explore the originator of orange wines on the Italian side of Brda (known as Collio) before sitting down for wonderful comfort food at a Slovenian family-run restaurant in Italy. Overnight in Brda
Start the day with Slovenia’s best sparkling wines and a tour of the region’s oldest cellar at Bjana winery. Mouthwatering cheeses (herbal, aged and fresh cheeses) at BIO-certified dairy before exploring an Italian city founded by none other than Julius Caesar. Fall in love with the local frico dish. Food coma before arriving back at villa for a home-cooked dinner. Overnight in Brda
Visit to gorgeous little seaside town of Piran. Tour of olive orchard followed by beautiful lunch overlooking Venetian salt flats. Cross into Croatia and check-in to your hotel in the enchanting artisan hill town of Groznjan. Tuck into some refreshing semi-sweet Momjanski Muskat wine followed by a dinner grilled Istrian sausages, Boškarin (Istrian ox) ragu over melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi plus other regional delights at a rustic taverna. Overnight in Istria
Get your taste buds ready for a wholly unique pairings of honey and wine - served as one spoonful together - from a great Istrian winemaker who is also a bee keeper. Epic goat cheese feast at a farm far off the tourist grid with home cooked stews, soups and tasty surprises, not to mention about a dozen types of soft and semi-hard goat cheeses to go with hot-out-of-the-oven bread. Consistently one of our guests’ favorite experiences on any of tours! Later afternoon visit to historic Venetian town of Rovinj, Croatia’s most beautiful seaside town. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Istria
Browse the hill town of Motovun with glorious views all around. Head to the forests with a local truffle hunter and dogs to sniff out lunch. Regardless of what we find there will be a truffle-themed lunch in the countryside. Chill out with fantastic views down to the sea at our secluded hotel perched up on Mt. Ucka. Relax with your favorite wine and watch the sun go down over the Adriatic. Four course seafood dinner at a one-star Michelin restaurant. Overnight in Kvarner region
Back in Slovenia, discover the oldest vine in Europe before an introductory tasting of wines from Slovenia’s Podrava region and lunch at Joannes winery. Sample chocolate with local products in innovative combinations before enjoying regional specialities bograc and gibanica at Gostilna Rajh. Overnight in Jeruzalem region Slovenia
Learn how Slovenes make the delicious nutty and smokey taste of pumpkin seed oil, visit the country’s oldest town of Ptuj, get funky and experimental with some crazy good wines from Jeruzalem before our farewell dinner in a tiny village surrounded by terraced vineyards. Overnight in Jeruzalem, Slovenia
Day of departure after breakfast
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