Dalmatia is largest Croatian coastal region, well-known for its numerous sunny hours, clean & turquoise waters, ideal sailing conditions and calm sea. As well, the region is famous for its authentic food and world-renowned wines, most of which you will taste during this sailing trip.

Top quality wines are produced on Hvar Island and Pelješac Peninsula, because the ideal soil and weather conditions ensure the producers the optimal grape harvest every year. The most famous sorts of white wine are pošip, Grk and beleca and of red wine are plavac and plavac mali. The sailing trip includes visits to 5 wineries, of which one is located on Hvar Island – Tomić Winery, and the other ones are on Pelješac Peninsula – Korta Katarina, Matuško, St.Hills and Grgich Winery, which is owned by Miljenko Grgich, one of the most famous Croatian expats, who took his knowledge of wine making to the USA and Canada, and won numerous international awards.

Along with top quality wines, you will be tasting Dalmatian extra virgin olive oils, which are included in the list of world’s best olive oils, year after year.

When it comes to food, fish and sea food are Dalmatia’s gastro treasures. Due to high quality of our sea water and preserved maritime eco system, Dalmatian fish is among the best ones in the world. The most famous authentic ways of preparing fish dishes are gregada, brudet and peka.

Gregada is the oldest Dalmatian way of preparing a fish meal, which has roots all the way back to times of ancient Greek colonisation. This is not a classical fish soup, nor it is a grilled fish dish – it is a combination of small, white fish, potatoes, onions, spices and wine, blended together by a delicious sauce, which makes it perfectly savoury. Gregada is prepared in a deep pan, unlike brudet, which is prepared in a shallow and wide pan.

Brudet is made with grouper, conger or monkfish, but the best ones are prepared from a mix of these fish types. The fish is simmered on onions and tomatoes, with addition of wine. Brudet is usually served with polenta.

Peka is a synonym not just for the way of preparing food, but for the actual cast iron bell, which is used in the preparation. It takes a few hours to prepare the whole peka. First, the chamotte grill board has to be warmed up for an hour and a half, on an open fire. After that, the cast iron bell is put into place, with the fish underneath it, and it gets covered by hot coals and ashes. The fish is baked for over 2 hours, and it must not be uncovered, to allow the oils inside to naturally reduce. Peka can be done both with meat and with fish – you will have a taste of peka monkfish tails, on Vis Island. Also, you will be part of a culinary workshop, at the same traditional tavern.

Pašticada – traditional Dalmatian meat dish, made of beef, marinated for 24 hours in vinegar or wine and then slowly cooked for 4 to 6 hours. It is served with homemade potato gnocchi.

Cheese from Pag Island (paški sir) is the most valued Croatian cheese, produced of milk from sheep of Pag Island. It is special because of the surrounding where the sheep are kept – Pag Island has an amazing vegetation, even though it is growing on arid land, the aromatic herbs are present everywhere. Blended with salt brought in during the winter by strong bura wind, the herbs eaten by sheep, give the cheese an authentic taste. The cheese from the most famous factory, Gligora, was proclaimed the best sheep cheese in the world, in 2017. An interesting trivia – the owner of Gligora produced this particular cheese by himself, in his own cellar.

Prosciutto in Dalmatia is very specific because of the method of its production – drying the meat on the winter bura wind. This method is natural and non-aggressive, because it dries off the prosciutto meat in the first stage, when the meat contains most of its moist. Thanks to this, it keeps a perfect aroma.

The most delicious oysters come from Malostonski Bay. Why is that so? This bay is full of clear, sweet water and high concentration of mineral salts, which ensure a particular environment for the growth of oysters. Oysters can be served and prepared in 11 different ways, but the best one is to simply eat them freshly taken out of the water, sprinkled with lemon juice. Many people say that these particular oysters are a strong aphrodisiac.

Rožata is an authentic dessert from the region of Dubrovnik, passed on to the local people from the mighty Venetians. It will remind you of a creme caramel, but with a different twist. Rožata’s main ingredient is a rose liqueur, to which this desert owns its name. UNESCO is considering to include it on their list of intangible heritage.