Vineyards on the southern slopes of the island of Hvar are amongst the most impressive vineyards in Croatia. They steeply descend to the sea and resemble an enormous painting placed on the hillside, rather than terraces with vineyards.

The grapes are two times insulted, once directly from the sun and the second time by the reflection from the sea.

One of the most prominent wine growers in this region is Zlatan Plenković. Born in the poverty of the middle 20th century in Dalmatia, through the years he rose into one of the most recognized wine producers in Croatia.

In his cellars mali plavac, bogdanjuša, or crljenak can be found. In the summertime, bottles are flying from shelves, and in the wintertime vineyards are locals’ homes. These wines truly carry the heart-beat of Hvar.

St. Nedjelja – high in the hills, high on wine.

Tucked away from the world, sv. Nedjelja is a true discovery for sailors that are going from Dubrovnik to Hvar and vice versa. It’s marina was only recently built. For a long time, sv. Nedjelja didn’t have a proper port and it was opened to southern wind and sea. At the time, it was an unsafe shelter for all the fishermen through the years.

Today they have a safe port for yachts. In the port is an excellent restaurant, where fish and wine swim together. One in the aquarium and the other in the tavern below sea level.

On the southern slopes of the islands of Hvar, facing Italy in the distance stands sv. Nedelja. A village that came to be between the 17 and 18th centuries.

Surrounded by vineyards, protected by a rising island, far away from civilization, it’s located on a path of the most adventurous ones. Hard to get to, and even harder to get away from.

The locals still fish, grow lavender and rosemary, produce wine and olive oil. And the roar of donkeys is not an unusual sound to hear on a daily basis.

Church bells, birds chirping in the air and the sound of wine being poured in the glass. In the distance, the bluest sea ever stretches all the way to Italy. And wherever you look, vineyards and sea, wine and fish.

Restaurants and hosts welcome travelers from all over the world.

Above the village, high in the hills, an abandoned 16th-century church and ruins of an Augustinian monastery lie forgotten in a cave. Located practically on the top of the island, just below the highest pique called St. Nicholas, they dazzle the lucky ones that stumble upon them. While endless vineyards stretch around and around.

That’s sv.Nedelja on the island of Hvar. In the middle of Europe, in the heart of the Mediterranean and nobody knows about it. Perfect!

January is for swimming, drinking wine, laughing, and enjoying life

As I’m writing this article, it’s the beginning of January 2022. And the other day I went to sv. Nedelja for a swim. The temperature of the sea was around 14°C or 57,2°F. All in all, quite pleasant.

Of course, just a fistful of people swim here the whole year long. While I was drying in the sun, just like a lizard, a local saw me. As pretty much nobody goes swimming here in the wintertime, he presumed I’m having some issues and he asked me “if everything was fine”. I started laughing. I mean, it was a beautiful sunny day and it was just a silly question. And not long after, he started laughing with me. I was kindly invited for a glass of wine, or rakija (homemade scotch).

Of course, I accepted the invitation. It would be rude not to. We drank a few glasses, met briefly and talked about fishing, olives, and wine. He explained to me what it was like before, without a proper port, and how to get to Africa in a wooden barrel. You know, just regular January wine-chat. And then I was on my way.

That’s Dalmatia. Being invited for a glass of homemade wine and talking nonsense in the middle of January.

But don’t get mistaken: even though it’s far away from civilization, its commodities, and habits, his hands were big and strong. Just as anybody would be if he was working on the land most of his life.

Zlatan is one of the pioneers in the production of quality wine in Croatia

Vineyards of Zlatan Plenković are located on the island of Hvar, near Šibenik and  Makarska. He has the most dominant vineyards you’ll see around cv. Nedjelja.

In his cellars, you’ll find varieties of mali plavac, bogadanjuša, crljenak, and pošip. A true dalmatian spirit.

Each bottle carries something unique and it’s hard to choose among so many wonderful wines: Zlatan Plavac Barrique, Zlatan Crljenak, Zlatan SyrahGrand Select, Zlatan Babić Barrique, Zlatan Pošip, Zlatan Bogdanjuša, and so on.

Born on the island of Hvar, he learned to appreciate the authentic grapes coming from the region: mali plavac, bogdanjuša, and pošip. And through past decades he rose into one of the most recognized wine-growers In Dalmatia and wider.

The cave above sv. Nedelja and the first vineyards

In the 16th century a small church of st. Mary and a few stone houses were made in the cave located above sv. Nedjelja. Just below the highest pique on the island of Hvar, called St. Nicholas.

Today, there’s a Ferrata that you can take, and after visiting the cave you can even reach the top of the island.

Few centuries before the birth of the village of sv. Nedjelja, Augustinians made a monastery and a few small stone houses in that cave.

At its very beginning, the monastery was used as a sort of a sanction for monks that misbehaved, so to say. Located in an isolated location, deprived of any contact with locals, the only thing the monks could do was tend to their vineyards. The first vineyards were planted in the 18th century, and today they colourfully shape the destiny of the whole village.

Because of its unique position and soil that has an abundance of rocks, the same area is considered to be one of the best locations in Croatia for growing vineyards, especially for growing mali plavac.

Maybe wine growing started due to “misbehaved” monks a few centuries ago. But it’s the thirst of travelers and local wine-growers for something spectacular that gave birth to one of the most eye-capturing wine landscapes in Croatia.

So make like a vine and soak in the sun.