Crossing the Pelješac Peninsula

Left Dubrovnik this morning at 10 a.m. and headed northwest across the Pelješac Peninsula towards Orebić and the ferry to Korćula.

 Bob, master of all he surveys ...

Pelješac (pronounced Pell-yuh-shotz) is wine-country and as you travel across the main highway, the D414, you wind your way from the shore into the foothills and back along the water, never far from a vineyard or a wine store. The peninsula is only about 40 miles in length and some of Croatia's finest wines are made here.

The climate is Mediterranean, and we have been blessed with mostly clear, blue skies with light clouds resting on the peaks of the granite mountain tops.  The temperature was in the low-80s with a wonderful breeze.

The view from Mali Ston's harbor

The peninsula is the home to the Dingać (ding-gatch) and Postup wine regions and to the Plavic Mali, or “little blue grape,” indigenous to the area. It’s also where giant salt flats have been cultivated for centuries and where the region’s amazing oysters, scallops and white scallops are cultivated.

We stopped in the tiny village of Mali Ston, more or less the beginning of the peninsula, and had lunch at the wonderful restaurant, Kapetanova Kuca.

Oysters from the local waters

Mussel soup, rich and savory and filled with mussels

Mixed seafood: Giant prawns, mussels, clams

 and white mussels with polenta and tagliatelle

Following lunch, we drove to Orebić, stopping at a roadside wine store high above the town for a couple of glasses of wine. Bob has the white, the Pošin, and I had two glasses of the Dingać; one from the side of the peninsula facing the bay, the other, facing the Adriatic.

Both were robust, dark, tannin with cherry flavors, but the Dingać from the seaside-facing region was bolder, deeper, with a very dry finish, very similar to a big Zin. The bayside-facing Dingać was lighter and fruitier, almost Beaujolais-like.

Maybe there’s something to this whole “terroir” thing …

Anyway, all three wines were great despite the fact we tasted them at a wine store called “Wine Shop” which had a giant wine bottle next to it:

Many Croatian wines are world class, but due to the relatively small number of vineyards and low production - some vineyards are barely a couple of hundred acres - there is barely enough product for the domestic market. Still, a great reason to visit the country, I say ...

The peninsula from the ferry

So we hopped on the ferry in Orebić and arrived on Korćula Island by 4 p.m. We're staying just outside of the Old Town. Like Dubrovnik, Korćula is a walled city right on the water. It's not as old a Dubrovnik, dating from the 10th Century, and certainly not as impressive. But it has an almost rustic charm, with its weathered limestone buildings and marble paved roads. You can easily walk the old city in 30-minutes, and take in all the sights.

Despite many recommendations, we ended up eating at a very non-traditional, contemporary restaurant in the Lesic Dimitri Hotel, overlooking the bay. We started the meal with a glass each of the Misal Prestige, an Istrian sparkling wine made with Istrian Malvasia and Chardonnay grapes. A dry, yet surprisingly rich yellow sparkling wine.

Bob had the vegetable soup, a broth thickened with mashed vegetables and small croutons; I had an order of  paški sir or "cheese from Pag Island." It's an amazing cheese and I'm going to cheat and make you go here to read about it.

However, the main event for the evening was the cuttlefish, cooked in its own ink and served with whipped potato, cream, Parmesan cheese and truffle oil, topped with a white truffle garnish. The call it "Night & Day."

It is the house specialty, and it was wonderful. Even eating it was fun, breaking through the creamed potatoes and stirring in the pitch, oily black ink. The squid was tender and very tasty. Score.

I had the lamb kabobs and Bob had a wonderfully grilled veal steak  chop. The side dish was very interesting and tasty, too: Potatoes boiled in fish stock. Not at all fishy, but luxurious, with a slight briny taste. We finished with off with another nice Dingać.

On a strange aside, the background music for the evening veered between 60s soul, "lite" jazz, some of what we thought was Croatian pop, and in one of the stranger musical moments, the theme of "Sanford & Son." Ah, American pop culture. Your reach has no end. Enjoy!