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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
Engage on a personal level with local winemakers in seven different micro regions
Get your shoes dirty in the forests as you follow truffle-hunting dogs sniffing out your next meal
Indulge your sweet tooth with Slovenian 'potica' cakes, homemade ice cream and handmade chocolate truffles
Enjoy traditional home-cooked meals and local spirits at rustic, farmhouses throughout the Slovenian countryside
Savour gourmet goat cheeses, olive oils, prosciutto and handmade pasta in Croatia's Istria gourmet region
Soak in the atmosphere at a converted 13th century chateau with sparkling wine tastings
Discover the nutty flavour of pumpkin seed oil and other traditional dishes with a member of Slow Food in eastern Slovenia's 'chicken-head' region.
10 dinners (wine included)
8 lunches
10 nights lodging at B&B and farmhouses (en-suite)
10 wine tastings
tastings of olive oil, honey, pumpkin oil and truffles,
transport with private guide,
transfers to/from airport
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
Intro to wine and Slovenian gastronomy in Goriska Brda | Overnight: Brda, Slovenia
Transfer from airport and head straight to Goriska Brda, the country’s premiere wine destination. Introduction to Rebula wine, the queen of whites in this region, at Ferdinand winery. Five-course ‘slow-food’ dinner paired with wines at Kabaj winery which continually ranks on the list of 100 best wineries in the world by Wine and Spirits Magazine.
Wines of Brda and Friuli | Overnight: Brda, Slovenia
Today will be filled with tastings of all that this area has to offer. Before the 20th century there were not borders that divide nowadays Italy and Slovenia so we will be like in the past and weave between the countries to taste wines, learn traditions and bit of history of the Friuli/Brda region. Plus visit some its scenic and historic villages and towns. Start the day with Slovenia’s best sparkling wines and a tour of oldest cellar in Brda (dating from 13th century) at Bjana winery. A tour and then lunch of mouthwatering cheeses (herbal, aged and fresh cheeses) at Bio dairy in Italy’s neighboring Collio region. Walk off some calories in the pretty Italian town of Cividale which would be on the tourist map if it was in Tuscany. Late afternoon to see medieval town of Smartno in Slovenia, which used to mark the border between Habsburg and Venetian empires. Seriously good comfort dinner at Slovenian run osteria located about 100 meters inside Italy.
Wines of Vipava Valley | Overnight: Vipava, Slovenia
Depart Brda and travel to the Vipava Valley where strong burja winds up to 175 km/hr make wine making a challenge. First we learn the history of wine making in this valley and the nitty-gritty of the wine making business as we hang out with expert winemaker Matjaz (Tilia winery) and try his line of Pinto Noir and Pinot Gris. We will head up to the southern hills of the valley to get an amazing view paired with local whites Zelen, Pinela and some reds (Barbera and Merlto) as well. Five course dinner at Majerija restaurant/homestead, where we overnight for next 2 days.
Prosciutto and red wines of the Karst | Overnight: Vipava, Slovenia
Walk off all the great food and wine with a visit to UNESCO protected Skocjan caves and see amazing underground world featuring Europe’s deepest underground canyon. Wine pairing lunch features imaginative combinations and presentations along with iconic culinary specialties of the Karst: prosciutto and Teran wine. Then meet with one of Slovenia’s youngest and brightest wine makers at CV winery, located in a tiny village. We’ll try his red blends and aged Teran wines. Visit to Stanjel, a captivating hill town with many lovely old stone houses and a gallery of local artists. Back in Vipava, we have dinner at wine maker’s house featuring Vipava’s fresh white wines of Zelen, Pinela and Malvazija plus a 10 year old aged Cabernet.
A Taste of two Istrias | Overnight: Istria region, Croatia
Morning visit to gorgeous little seaside town of Piran where touches of Venetian empire are all around. Special visit to olive orchard for beautiful lunch and meet with English-Slovenian couple who have organic/BIO olive orchard in Slovenia’s Istria region with sea views down to salt flats. Cross over into Croatia and visit charming artists hill town of Groznjan, where you can sample art, truffles and local schnapps at many of the artisan shops. Tuck into some refreshing semi-sweet Momjanski Muskat followed by a dinner grilled Istrian sausages, ox ragu over melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi plus other regional delights at a rustic taverna.
Goat cheese bonanza! | Overnight: Istria region, Croatia
Unique tasting at Andelini winery where they make both award winning wines and honey so pairings on these two. Epic goat cheese feast at a goat farm far off the tourist grid with home cooked stews, sausages and tasty surprises, not to mention about a dozen types of soft and semi-hard goat cheeses. 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 (if you have room after our goat farm feast).
Truffle food coma and chill out with a view | Overnight: Kvarner region, Croatia
Morning to browse the charming hill town of Motovun with glorious views all around. Then we ead to the forests with a local woman and her dogs to sniff out and dig up truffles. Hopefully we will find some truffles but regardless there will be a special truffle-themed lunch in the countryside. Chill out with fantastic views down to the sea at our secluded hotel perched up on Mt. Ucka near the Bay of Kvarner. Relax with your favorite wine and watch the sun go down over the Adriatic or take an easy walk to waterfalls through a quiet chestnut grove. Four course seafood dinner in elegant restaurant.
Intro to Ptuj and Štajerska wines in eastern Slovenia | Overnight: Ptuj, Slovenia
We head back to Slovenia to explore the eastern part of the country where neighboring Hungary and Austria give their influences to the cuisine and wines. Guided walking tour around Ptuj, Slovenia’s oldest town situated on the Drava river. Introduction to white wines of Štajerska at Kobal winery, located in Ptuj’s center. Dinner along the Drava river.
Idyllic Charms and flavors of eastern Slovenia | Overnight: Ptuj, Slovenia
Learn how Slovenes make the delicious nutty and smokey taste of pumpkin seed oil, the ubiquitous speciality of the region, a mill in Prekmurje (affectionately known as the ‘chicken head’ of the country). Chocolate tastings featuring local products in innovative and unusual combinations at a family run shop. Visit to the top restaurant in the region for lunch of quintessential Prekmurje dishes of bograc (spicy stew with 3 types of meat) and gibanica (a complex multi-layered cake). We head to perhaps the most beautiful of all Slovenia’s micro wine regions – Jeruzalem. Meet with owner of Kupljen winery and taste his macerated and experimental twists on many of the classic wines of eastern Slovenia, not to mention his love of Star Wars that has made a mark on the wines. Dinner at their restaurant, surrounded by terraced vineyards.:
Wine with a view and Slovenia’s pocket-sized capital | Overnight: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Morning wine tasting with 360 degree views of hilltop churches and rolling hills of Austria at the Doppler winery, where it’s the women who’ve made wines for the past two generations. Mid-afternoon arrival into Slovenia’s always charming capital city of Ljubljana. Walking tour of the old town before we take the funicular up to castle for our farewell dinner.
Transfer to airport / End of Tour
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