Ryan and I rented a car and popped over to Ston last weekend! It was about an hour drive from Dubrovnik and the views along the road were breathtaking!
Ston is a small medieval town in the Peliješac pennisula on the Dalmatian coast. It's known for oysters, wine and Stonska Torta (pasta cake). Ston has the longest city walls in all of Europe. Most people in the city are day-time tourists, with only 2,400 locals living there year round.
Ston, Croatia - click the arrows to scroll
We were on a mission to explore Ston and all it has to offer, but we definitely prioritized the Peliješac pennisula's wine! The Peliješac pennisula is known for being the premier wine region in the country and for growing the Plavac Mali grape. This is the most common grape and it's named for the size and color of the small blue grapes. The Plavac Mali grapes produce a dry red wine with cherry and pepper flavors.
We visited 3 wineries along the main road in Ston. First, we went to Winery Marlais where we tasted their wines and enjoyed their quaint and rustic tasting room. The vineyards are about a 20 minute drive from the tasting house, so we weren't able to see the vines, but the wine was excellent!
Marlais Winery Tasting Room
Next, we stopped at a small and adorable family run winery, called Winery LŽ. We chatted with the owner, practiced our Croatian and pet his friendly dog, Otto. Otto tried to jump in the car with us when it was time to go. We tasted the wines and settled on a lovely and affordable bottle of Plavac Mali to bring home to Dubrovnik.
Last, we went to Milos winery. This winery was higher end and more expensive than the others, but the wines were delicious. There, we met another American couple from Oregon who've been traveling for a while, as well. It was lovely to try new wines and chat with new friends!
Milos Winery - click to scroll through images
Milos Winery makes a special white wine called Stalagmit. It was beautifully fresh and crisp, and would pair perfectly with fish. The grapes grow in a limestone-enriched soil accompanied by stalagmites, hence it's name. They believe there was previously a cave that filled in with soil, where the vines now grow.
We grabbed some snacks and lunch at a small restaurant in the town of Ston. The oysters were big, thick, and extremely briny (salty).
We finished our night dining by the water at Kapetanova Kuća in Mali Ston (Little Ston). We both enjoyed seafood pasta and tried the traditional Stonska Torta. Here is a recipe for the traditional pasta cake. Despite it's appearance, which would not look out of place as a Halloween decoration, it was very tasty! There, we had the best service we have had since beginning our travels in Europe. To top it off, the owner offered us a ride home. He explained how he grows all the fruits and vegetables for the restaurant himself so that he can ensure everything is fresh and perfect.
Stonska Torta and Oysters!
Sunday morning, we strolled around the town and enjoyed a croissant and cappuccino with the locals. It got crowded once the local church service was over, so we packed our little bags and hit the road!
Thanks for reading!!
Komentáře