WINE TRUTHS OF THE EAST

The "Corona-narrowing" of the world tourist map over the head of every real travel lover has raised the question: which more accessible destinations can satisfy the hunger for broadening horizons and new travel-aholic experiences? When it comes to Croatia, are all such places necessarily connected to the Adriatic coast? They didn't, of course. This time we are looking for the ideal spring destination to the east, to Slavonija and Baranje. If you want to enrich your excursion weekend or week with a touch of refinement, you won't go wrong if you design it as a wine tour in the hidden east of Croatia. We highlight three reasons why!

Centuries are "small change" here

It is little known that Slavonia and Baranja are home to some of the oldest wineries not only in Croatia, but also in Europe. For example, the youngest vineyard in the Osijek-Baranja County, the one in Feričanci, dates back to 1804! The wineries in Erdut and Đakovo are a century older, while the one in Baranja's "Belje" is a beauty in her prime - (at least) she is only 500 years old! Thus, in Kneževi Vinogradi, you can visit the largest historical wine cellar in Croatia, and if you walk along the magical Baranja Planina, you will also pass through Zlatno brdo, an area where the tradition of winemaking is over 1,600 years old and goes all the way back to the tables of the ancient Romans!

"They are small, but they are big..."

Where there is tradition, there is quality, a rule that is best confirmed in the case of the mentioned four vineyards. Here you will discover a number of small producers who cultivate a superior wine culture and produce masterful vintages in their family plantations. Their range extends from Graševina and Chardonnay, to Traminac and Pinot White or Grigio, to Sauvignon Blanc and Green Silvano; from Frankovka and Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, through Merlot and Pinot Noir, to Zweigelt and Syrah. If this entire wine list makes you dizzy, we suggest that you start from the central "gathering place" of the Slavonian-Baranja wine "army" - the Regional Wine Shop in Osijek.

Unconvincing atmosphere (and prices)

In addition to the fact that you will find it under the 300-year-old vaults of the mystical Fortress, the wine shop will draw your attention to what awaits you on each of the wine sides of the Osijek-Baranja County - the unique ambiance and atmosphere of nowhere advertised but ubiquitous discounts. If you follow the trail of the regional Wine Atlas (pick it up at the wine shop), you will quickly see that Photoshop had very little to do when creating your wine guide. The wine ambience of the east is special and so diverse in such a small area - from the classic wine hills in Feričanci, through the urban Đakovo winery and the endless sea of Baranja plantations, to the vineyards bathed in the Danube near Erdut and Aljmaš... Truly, discover the wine east of Croatia - your palate will , memory and Instagram profile to be grateful!