From the Vine to the Wine

Today, we ferried back to the mainland to the Peninsula of Peljesac, leaving the beautiful, though sometimes wet, Dalmatian Islands behind.

Our cycling instructions described part of the route along the Peninsula as a "great climb", and so it was. The road was carved into the mountainside, with the peaks to our left and the Adriatic to our right. The scenery was spectacular. Mother Nature came along, providing moderate temperatures and a steady breeze, though sometimes gusting to windy.

The real treat for the day was the harvesting of grapes. From the roadside, the vineyards either reached up into the mountains or dropped down to the sea. The vines were loaded with ripe Dobricie grapes that are used to produce a local wine called Primitivo.

Apparently, the  best grapes grow on the most inhospitable soil, which is on the steepest south facing slopes. So steep, the grapes all had to be harvested by hand. Wherever we went, the harvesters were busy picking the grapes into plastic bins and manually carrying them to the nearest road. With picking on their minds and limited English capability, the workers chose to just smile and graciously share the taste of their lush grapes.

Our destination was the seaside town of Zuljana, with a population of just a few hundred. We checked into our accommodation, and at the door, the owner had a few of his garden vegetables, olive oil, and wine for sale. The wine was just 25 Kuno or about $5 Canadian per litre. We couldn't resist, and bought a bottle to celebrate our last day on the road. It was well filtered, full bodied and delightful.

Being red wine lovers, today we enjoyed the ride from the vine to the wine, on the scenic Peninsula of Peljisac.

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