Saša Špiranec guides us through a tasting of the 2011 harvest

Learning about the best Plavac Mali wines – where do they come from?

Plavac Mali is a relative of Zinfandel in California, and Primitivo in Italy, so we’re generally comfortable that we know what a glass of Plavac will taste like. However, growing this Dalmatian native in its own, frankly marginal terrain can give very different results depending on the the soil, environment, heat, sea, rocks, etc, etc. We recently attended a guided tasting by Croatian wine authority, Saša Spiranec of some of the best Plavac wines from the prestigious locations throughout Dalmatia, to assess the quality, style and aging potential.

Dalmatian shutters – stylish and so practical!

Where I grew up, in Edinburgh, only the older stone houses had working shutters, and those were on the inside of the windows to keep out the cold in winter. In much of southern Europe, houses are shuttered in the summer to keep out the heat. I also really enjoy the ability to close out the world when it gets cold, dark and wet in winter, especially when there’s a bura blowing! It’s all terribly convenient, and so much cheaper than extra heating or air conditioning.

Total National Defense Tunnel

If you look carefully at the head of the Cabal Peninsula as the ferry passes by, you’ll see a lighthouse. And to the left of the lighthouse are tunnels and gun emplacements for the defense of the shipping lanes. The tunnels date from 1969, one year on from the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet-led…

Analysis of the Makarska-Hvar earthquakes in 1962

The Adriatic on a Plate

In Hvar’s Napoleon Fortress is a seismological station, part of a network covering the Adriatic coast from Rijeka in the north to Dubrovnik in the south. In fact they are all part of a larger international network that is responsible for  monitoring earthquakes throughout the entire Mediterranean. Set up in 1973, the HVAR station contributes…

Tin Ujević the poet

Tin Ujević – the car ferry and the poet

MF “Tin Ujević” is the car ferry that runs from Split to Stari Grad. It sails several times daily, more often in the summer months and less frequently throughout the rest of the year. The trip takes a couple of hours, I could wish it went faster, but it’s a time to have breakfast (or…

Tasting the wines

Wine tasting on Brač at Stina – Jako Vino winery in Bol

Stina wines draw their inspiration from the famous Brač stone. Stina, of course, means stone in the local Dalmatian dialect. Although there’s a history of winemaking on the island that goes back to the ancient Greeks, it’s been somewhat run down over the last century. Stina aka Jako vino has spent the recent few years…

Still life with fish by Ignjat Job

Art Gallery “Branislav Dešković” in Bol

We recently visited the lovely Branislav Dešković art gallery in Bol, and really enjoyed seeing some local art. Bol, of course, is on the south shore of Brač, an easy day trip from Jelsa. The art gallery is housed in an old renaissance-baroque palace (dating back to 1694), right on the waterfront. Inside the courtyard…

Humac ruins with view over Brac

Humac – amongst the ruins at sunset

You might think that Humac is a deserted village, but appearances are misleading. This is a seasonal village, where people from Vrisnik could be close to additional fields and grazing. Most of the houses now look fairly run-down, if not actually derelict, but here and there you can see signs of recent activity. And, of…