Wine and food tour of Berat wine region with visit to 2 wine cellars

Berat wine region tour: tasting stops

My Tour takes you on a tour of one of Albania's most beautiful wine regions. You will visit three wineries around Berat, meet the producers, and taste wines and raki made from indigenous grape varieties. Lunch in a small village and tour the vineyards, walking among the rows.Nurellari Winery, winery in the hills around BeratTo taste some of Albania's best wines we travel to Nurellari Winery, a winery located south of Berat, near the Osum River valley. This winery has become famous in recent years for producing Montemeca, a blend of international red grapes, which received the award for best Albanian wine in 2011. We are located in the small village of Fushe-Peshtan, surrounded by hills and mountains, an agricultural area where the population is dedicated to wine and oil production. Nurellari Winery was established in 1995, adapting the space of an old communist-era food warehouse. The founder, Mr. Fatsi, together with his son Levent, works passionately to create a quality product. Here, accompanied by some samples of local food, we taste Montemac, a dry red made from three types of grapes: Montepulciano, Merlot and Cabernet. Alpeta Winery in the village of RoshnikRoshnik is a village where we will have the opportunity to take a short walk. Nestled on the side of a gentle hill and surrounded by impassable mountains, Roshnik, has retained its imprint as a small country town. Alpeta Winery, where the Pules grape variety has been grown for about a thousand years is located right in Roshnik. It is a magical place in itself, both because of the landscape, surrounded by lakes, hills and vineyards, and because of the historicity of this vineyard. Here the Pules has found the right environment to express its best notes. It is right here at Alpeta Winery that the most characteristic white wine of the Berat region is produced, with an excellent bouquet and a lingering aftertaste reminiscent of the scent of broom.Visit to Çobo Winery Back on board our vehicles, in about 40 minutes we reach the third and final stop on our wine tour of Albania. This is the Cobo Winery, located in the countryside near the village of Ura Vajgurore. Almost all the families living in this area produce wine. The Çobo family has been doing it professionally since the early 1900s, but bottling did not begin until 1996. Today the reins of the winery are in the hands of Muharrem Cobo, great-grandson of the founder, who produces six wines (Trebiano, Kashmer, Shesh i Zi, Shesh i Bardhë, E Bardha and Beratit), and two raki (Raki më Arra and Raki Rrushi). Çobo Cellars is famous for Kashmer, also known as the Red of Berat. The name of this wine draws inspiration from the red color of the icon painter Onufri. Kashmer is a combination of three classic vineyards: Kabernet, Shesh-another indigenous vineyard, and Merlot. Brief history of vine cultivation in AlbaniaVine cultivation and wine production have been carried on in Albania since the dawn of time. Arriving from Asia during the travels of nomadic peoples, the first vine shoots were brought here from 10,000 BC. Then, it was the Illyrians and Greeks who refined the cultivation technique, leading to the production of a drink that was called the nectar of the gods. In those days, wine was not consumed pure, as we do today. Wine was placed in earthenware craters, with the addition of spices and other vegetables, which strengthened its psychoactive power and ensured that it could be stored longer. Evidence of a more modern system of wine production in Albania begins as early as the 7th century AD in the most vocated territories, such as the Berat wine region. Wine production in BeratAll of Albania's territory is definitely devoted to wine production. The hills surrounding the city of Berat have always been used for the cultivation of vines. Several grape varieties are grown in the area, complementing the most famous native Albanian grape varieties, such as Kallmeti, Shesh, Debin, Vranac, and Vlosh. The premier grape blend in the Berat area is Pules. For centuries Pules has been used to make the best raki, the local Albanian grappa, which is stronger than Italian grappa because it is made from dried grape berries, not just graspas. Today Pules has become the star of one of the country's best dry white wines, with its floral aroma and fresh, mineral aftertaste. Luani Winery- The largest winery in Albania. Not famous in tourist markets but one of the Bestselling Albanian Wines. The winery is located within the city of Berat a few minutes' drive from the center. It was built in the communist era of 1964, making it one of the first modern wineries in Albania. Here we will take a guided tour of the winery, which has a capacity of 3.6 million liters.

• Vegetarian lunch menu available upon request. Please also specify allergies and intolerances when booking. 

• Guests are asked to arrive 15 minutes beforehand.

• At the end of the tasting, wines and products will be freely available for purchase on-site.