Best Ocean View Vineyard in Europe!
October 10, 2023
Are you a wine lover who also loves beautiful beaches, gorgeous vineyards, spectacular sunsets, European cuisine and exploring new destinations? Traveling the 3,600 miles of Dalmatia's breathtaking coastline with crystal-clear turquoise waters, Roman ruins, and sun-kissed vineyards, you can experience the best of both worlds!
“Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, more beautiful than the one in Key West, in Florida, applauded at every evening.” - Alfred Hitchcock
With its picturesque landscapes, Zadar's worlds best sunsets, lavender fields, mediterranean weather and rich winemaking history that dates back centuries, the Dalmatian coast is a premiere destination for a wine-soaked beach holiday.
We loved our first months long family road trip to Croatia in 2007.So we were thrilled to do a month long empty nest couples road trip in Croatia last fall. Fantastic to see again the places we loved and find new places and vineyards to explore in Croatia.
I finally have the time to write about these wonderful experiences in Croatia. I will be doing a whole series on vineyards and wine tasting in Croatia. Plus the best beaches and cities and places to see. I am also moving our blog to Wordpress so it will be faster loading & updated soon!
We were thrilled to discover the magnificent Royal Vineyards ( Kraljevski vinogradi). I have never seen a more beautiful location with sea views & 300,000 vines! Paralleling to the Adriatic sea view are the rugged Dinaric Alps, whose geology helps make for remarkably clear seawater and distant islands to view.
The Royal Vineyards are located only 12 kilometers from the beautiful, historical city of Zadar and just 20km from Bibinje where we stayed on the beach.The vineyards are situated on twenty five acres of land & are almost nine centuries old.
The history began when the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV, donated a large piece of land on the slopes above the town of Petrčane near Zadar to the Benedictine monastery of St. Mary in Zadar. One of the nuns in the monastery decided to convert the land to a vineyard.
Visitors can find delicious wine tasting inside and outside. Plus a tavern with Croatian food with stunning views of Zadar, the picturesque town of Petrčane and 22 islands of the thrilling Zadar archipelago. Truly, one of the most dazzling locations of northern Dalmatia and the world. We were awestruck before even tasting the wine!
Perhaps we are a bit prejudiced because we had our own organic Pinot Noir vineyard that we grew from scratch and hubby Designer Gar Reyna has long been a wine connoisseur. We enjoy vineyards as much as the wine. He was friends with David Bruce and did design work for their winery. Like our daughter Heavenly, Gar grew up on a vineyard, so that fond memory was planted early.
There is just something very special about vineyards, especially at harvest time! I think it is perhaps the best way to experience fall color.
"Although all of the wines from the Royal Vineyards, both red and white, have won over wine lovers, the Pošip grape variety from this winery charms true wine connoisseurs the most. This variety is widespread throughout Dalmatia, and it is a dry wine with a unique taste and aromas of apricot, fig, and a liquid image of the Mediterranean and Dalmatia, which has gained a new face in the Royal Vineyards. It is an ideal accompaniment to fish dishes, white, lighter meat, and cheeses."
When we visited there was a good sized group who had biked from Zadar and had lunch and did some wine tasting. So that is one of many ways to enjoy this vineyard. They also do special cooking classes and allow people to participate in the harvest.
They also do weddings here. I think perhaps one took place shortly before our visit as there were still decorations on the vines. What an amazing spot to do a destination wedding or family gathering.
I've been doing Youtube shorts on my new channel daily of travel moments. I love this closeup of the grapes at harvest time. We were there in October.
I
This area and time is perfect for sun and beaches, fall color and sunsets. I love the contrasts!
One can adore the daily mind-blowing sunsets at this vineyard. Or bring a bottle and enjoy in Zadar. Or in Bibinje. Every evening we were there, the show was astounding. It was my favorite part of this area. Which is saying a lot as there is so much to enjoy.
Leave the time to really soak in this special place. Whether you go during the day, or sunset, by bike or car or tour, you will be impressed.
In many ways it is like a dream. A fantasy that almost seems too good to be true. If you have any questions, just leave in the comments as I will answer here. And if need be, in more detail in my upcoming posts about this special area of Croatia that too few see.
Are you a wine lover who also loves beautiful beaches, gorgeous vineyards, spectacular sunsets, European cuisine and exploring new destinations? Traveling the 3,600 miles of Dalmatia's breathtaking coastline with crystal-clear turquoise waters, Roman ruins, and sun-kissed vineyards, you can experience the best of both worlds!
“Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, more beautiful than the one in Key West, in Florida, applauded at every evening.” - Alfred Hitchcock
With its picturesque landscapes, Zadar's worlds best sunsets, lavender fields, mediterranean weather and rich winemaking history that dates back centuries, the Dalmatian coast is a premiere destination for a wine-soaked beach holiday.
We loved our first months long family road trip to Croatia in 2007.So we were thrilled to do a month long empty nest couples road trip in Croatia last fall. Fantastic to see again the places we loved and find new places and vineyards to explore in Croatia.
I finally have the time to write about these wonderful experiences in Croatia. I will be doing a whole series on vineyards and wine tasting in Croatia. Plus the best beaches and cities and places to see. I am also moving our blog to Wordpress so it will be faster loading & updated soon!
We were thrilled to discover the magnificent Royal Vineyards ( Kraljevski vinogradi). I have never seen a more beautiful location with sea views & 300,000 vines! Paralleling to the Adriatic sea view are the rugged Dinaric Alps, whose geology helps make for remarkably clear seawater and distant islands to view.
The Royal Vineyards are located only 12 kilometers from the beautiful, historical city of Zadar and just 20km from Bibinje where we stayed on the beach.The vineyards are situated on twenty five acres of land & are almost nine centuries old.
The history began when the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV, donated a large piece of land on the slopes above the town of Petrčane near Zadar to the Benedictine monastery of St. Mary in Zadar. One of the nuns in the monastery decided to convert the land to a vineyard.
Visitors can find delicious wine tasting inside and outside. Plus a tavern with Croatian food with stunning views of Zadar, the picturesque town of Petrčane and 22 islands of the thrilling Zadar archipelago. Truly, one of the most dazzling locations of northern Dalmatia and the world. We were awestruck before even tasting the wine!
Perhaps we are a bit prejudiced because we had our own organic Pinot Noir vineyard that we grew from scratch and hubby Designer Gar Reyna has long been a wine connoisseur. We enjoy vineyards as much as the wine. He was friends with David Bruce and did design work for their winery. Like our daughter Heavenly, Gar grew up on a vineyard, so that fond memory was planted early.
There is just something very special about vineyards, especially at harvest time! I think it is perhaps the best way to experience fall color.
"Although all of the wines from the Royal Vineyards, both red and white, have won over wine lovers, the Pošip grape variety from this winery charms true wine connoisseurs the most. This variety is widespread throughout Dalmatia, and it is a dry wine with a unique taste and aromas of apricot, fig, and a liquid image of the Mediterranean and Dalmatia, which has gained a new face in the Royal Vineyards. It is an ideal accompaniment to fish dishes, white, lighter meat, and cheeses."
When we visited there was a good sized group who had biked from Zadar and had lunch and did some wine tasting. So that is one of many ways to enjoy this vineyard. They also do special cooking classes and allow people to participate in the harvest.
They also do weddings here. I think perhaps one took place shortly before our visit as there were still decorations on the vines. What an amazing spot to do a destination wedding or family gathering.
I've been doing Youtube shorts on my new channel daily of travel moments. I love this closeup of the grapes at harvest time. We were there in October.
I
This area and time is perfect for sun and beaches, fall color and sunsets. I love the contrasts!
One can adore the daily mind-blowing sunsets at this vineyard. Or bring a bottle and enjoy in Zadar. Or in Bibinje. Every evening we were there, the show was astounding. It was my favorite part of this area. Which is saying a lot as there is so much to enjoy.
Leave the time to really soak in this special place. Whether you go during the day, or sunset, by bike or car or tour, you will be impressed.
In many ways it is like a dream. A fantasy that almost seems too good to be true. If you have any questions, just leave in the comments as I will answer here. And if need be, in more detail in my upcoming posts about this special area of Croatia that too few see.
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I really enjoyed this post, what great photos and so many tips! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Jenn | October 11, 2023 at 12:23 PM
Wow, that view is STUNNING! This is going straight on my bucket list!
Posted by: Emma | October 11, 2023 at 01:03 PM
Thanks Jenn! So glad to hear that!
Posted by: jeanne Dee | October 11, 2023 at 03:31 PM
Aw,so great to hear Emma!! It is a really special vineyard in a great area ,so smart to have it on your bucketlist! I will be writing more about this area as it is one of the nicest in Croatia and less well known.
Posted by: jeanne Dee | October 11, 2023 at 03:33 PM
This looks like the perfect destination for me. Vineyards and lavender fields are on my bucket list.
Posted by: Gabby Leopard | October 11, 2023 at 09:12 PM
You will love it Gabby! It is one of the less discovered areas of the Dalmatian coast & close to 5 national parks as well like the famous Plitvice!
Posted by: jeanne Dee | October 11, 2023 at 09:57 PM
We are definitely in search of new wineries when we travel. And great to find ones with amazing views too. We have only done short stops in Croatia and I now know that wine is a reason to plan a longer return visit. This spot definitely looks like one we would visit.
Posted by: Linda (LD Holland) | October 11, 2023 at 11:22 PM
We are on the same page about discovering new vineyards Linda! We love Croatia but this vineyard and 3000 year old Zadar & the beaches and charms of Bibinje surprised us. We were there at Harvest in October and the weather was like summer, but no crowds.
Posted by: jeanne Dees | October 12, 2023 at 12:01 AM
Great post! I love visiting vineyard’s especially during harvest season!
Posted by: Marga | October 12, 2023 at 02:06 AM
Thanks Marga! Harvest season is really the best time to visit vineyards and wine tasting. What I loved about this unique one was they had harvest fall colors, sea views and next to tons of beautiful beaches so one could swim too. That is not usually possible at harvest time.
Posted by: jeanne Dee | October 12, 2023 at 03:56 AM
This vineyard is just stunning!! We have been trying to make our way through wine country in Mexico. If you have never been to Queretaro or Valle de Guadalupe, you should put them on your travel bucktlist!
Posted by: MicheleinPlaya | November 02, 2023 at 04:30 AM
Oooh, thanks so much Michele!! I will def put them on my bucket list. We have explored a lot in Mexico, but never vineyards, ( and it has been years ago) so I am grateful you mention them.We do plan on doing some more explorations in Mexico in the not too distant future.
Posted by: Jeanne Dee | November 02, 2023 at 04:53 AM