Morning
Begin the day with breakfast on the Excelsior’s sunny waterside terrace – fresh fruit, Eggs Benedict and oven-warm croissants. Then set out to explore Dubrovnik. For first-time visitors, the must-do experience has to be walking a full circuit of the city walls – high up in the ramparts, you have magnificent views over the terracotta rooftops of the old town and out to sea. Although the walls date from the 13th century, they were later reinforced with robust towers and bastions, and armed with cannons.
Afterwards, take a look in the 15th-century Rector’s Palace, home to the Cultural History Museum, to see how local nobility once lived amid period antiques, gilt-framed family portraits and even sedan chairs. Historic documents in the city archive show that they were enjoying Malvasija Dubrovačka as early as 1383 – a wine ‘to be appreciated rather than devoured’. It was also considered medicinal.
Afternoon
This afternoon there are two options, depending on how active you feel. If you want a few hours relaxing, have lunch at Trattoria Carmen in a peaceful side alley in the old town. The menu changes daily, depending on what the owner-chef finds at the morning market, but look out for their octopus specialities – irresistible octopus rissoles, or octopus salad (a Dalmatian summer classic) – and ask your waiter for advice on wine pairing. Then spend the afternoon back at the Excelsior either swimming and sunbathing by the sea or indulging in massage and beauty treatments at the spa.
Alternatively, you might drive down to Konavle, a fertile green valley, planted with vineyards and olive groves, and studded with elegant cypresses. This is the homeland of Malvasija Dubrovačka, a grape variety that was saved from extinction by local winemakers in the 1990s when there were less than half-a-dozen vines remaining. Now, thanks to careful nurturing, this local variety has been revived to some 92,000 vines.
Have lunch at Kameni Dvori, an old stone farmhouse where everything they serve is homemade. Choose a platter of pršut (cured ham, similar to Italian prosciutto), cheeses, smoked meats and olives, or something more substantial, and be sure to taste their Malvasija Dubrovačka. They also offer cooking classes, should you wish to try your hand in the old-fashioned kitchen.
Then head to the Crvik winery in nearby Komaji. In a modern tasting room overlooking vineyards, you can sample Crvik’s Tezoro (meaning ‘treasure’) made from Malvasija Dubrovačka, and their Blasius (named after Dubrovnik’s patron saint), an orange wine, made from the same grape, using the centuries-old maceration method. And don’t miss Crvik’s most esteemed wine, the red Vilin Ples (meaning ‘fairy dance’), a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Plavac – the 2017 vintage won a Decanter World Wine Awards Gold Medal in 2021. Although Vilin Ples 2017 is sold out, you might purchase a bottle of Vilin Ples 2018 (150kn/€20).
Evening
If you opted for a relaxed afternoon, the time has come to dress for the evening and hop on the shuttle boat from Dubrovnik’s old port to Cavtat (journey time 45 min). Sailing down the coast, you’ll pass rocky cliffs and sheltered pebble coves. Upon arrival, walk around Cavtat’s harbour to Hotel Supetar (a heritage hotel, renovated in 2022) for wine tasting at the Wine Bar (17:00-23:00). Their Discover South Dalmatian Wines flight introduces white Malvasija Dubrovačka, white Pošip from Korčula, and robust red Dingač from Pelješac. Follow this with dinner at their restaurant (12:00-15:00 and 18:00-23:00) where the Konavle Highlights menu (750kn/€100) complete with wine pairing (300kn/€40) includes a delicious risotto with clams, samphire and sea urchin; pasta with wild hare; and stuffed quail. Return to Dubrovnik by boat, or taxi.
If you spent the afternoon out in Konavle, you might prefer to dine back in Dubrovnik. For something rather different, head for Azur in the old town. The owner-cook Darko Perojević (who is from Dubrovnik but spent several years in China) combines local ingredients with oriental aromas to create his own CroAsian fusion dishes, such as spicy salmon donburi and monkfish with black curry sauce. But what to drink with zesty seafood? ‘Azur’s house wine is a young white Graševina by Galić from Kutjevo in North Croatia’, said Darko, ‘I chose this because it’s very light and goes well with most of our dishes on a hot summer day’.
