Peljesac for the weekend: Dingac, stone taverns and oysters
Two days on a peninsula where the vineyard stands at an angle of 45 degrees, and oysters are pulled from the sea while you are still looking at them.
The vineyard on Dingac stands on a slope where any tractor would lie on its side. Harvesting here is still done by hand and mule, because the machine has nothing to look for on the slope that falls straight into the sea. It's not folklore for tourists — it's the only way to get to the grapes.
Peljesac is a narrow, hard peninsula that stretches from Ston about forty kilometers to the west. During the weekend, you get to see what makes it what it is: the steepest vineyards on the Adriatic, taverns that are entered through a curtain wall and shellfish that do not travel anywhere because they are eaten exactly where they were grown.
Dingac and Postup: why the slope changes the wine
Dingac is the first protected vineyard location in the former Yugoslavia, since 1961. It is a slope facing south, between the village of Potomje and the sea, where the vines get heat from three sources: direct sun, reflected reflection from the sea surface and heat retained by the stone during the day.Little Plavachere it produces wines from 14.5 to over 16 percent alcohol, dark, with notes of dried figs, carobs and Mediterranean herbs.
NeighborsProcedureis somewhat gentler in slope and produces slightly more elegant wines, with more freshness. If you choose between the two, Dingac is strength, Postup is finesse. How this same variety behaves with salt and fat is discussed in the text about howplavac mali serves with prosciutto— the temperature rule also applies here: younger plavac at 16 degrees, serious vintages at 18.
How to get to the winery
The wine route goes through Potomje, and the most interesting entrance is an old tunnel cut through the hill in the 1970s that connects Potomje directly to the Dingas slope — one-way, narrow, something to remember. Most of the cellars accept unannounced visits in the off-season, but for a group call the day before.
Peljesac is a narrow, hard peninsula that stretches from Ston about forty kilometers to the west.
Little Ston: the oyster that doesn't travel
In the Maloston Bay, fresh water from the land and salt water from the sea meet, and this mixture gives the plankton exactly what it needs.European flat oyster(Ostrea edulis) should. It has been cultivated here for centuries. The season is best from the end of fall to spring, but fresh shells can be found all year round.
Oysters are eaten simply here: open, with a few drops of lemon, with a glass of neutral white. A piece of bread and that's it — any additional seasoning is a sin. Along with it, there are also mussels on the beach, which are taken out in the bay the same morning.
| What | Detail | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Oyster, piece | Ostrea edulis, bindweed | 2-3 EUR |
| Mussels on the bouzar | portion for one | 10-14 EUR |
| Casa Dingaca | in the tavern | 4-6 EUR |
Stone taverns and the way to them
A real Pelješac tavern is a stone house with an iron oven and a plate of prosciutto on the table. Look for it in the villages of Ston, Putnikovic, Trstenik — further from the main road, where the parking lot is not paved. Lamb or octopus under the grill should be ordered in advance, because it takes two to three hours to prepare.
Arrival: withAdriatic highwaysit turns at Ston, where it is worth stopping for the Ston Walls — the second longest in Europe, right behind the Great Wall of China. If you are planning a tour of several islands and peninsulas, the logic is the same as in our guide forVis through taverns and plavac: fewer kilometers, more time for the table.
Questions & answers
short and to the point- When is the best time to eat oysters in Mali Ston?
- European flat oysters are best from late fall to spring, although fresh shells are available year-round. A piece costs about 2-3 euros in the bay.
- How strong is Dingac in alcohol?
- Plavac mali from the Dingas slope produces wines from 14.5 to over 16 percent alcohol, dark and full, with notes of dried figs and carobs.
- How do you get to the Pelješe vineyards from the highway?
- From the Jadranska magistrala, turn off near Ston, then take the wine road through Potomje about 35 km to Dingac - about 45 minutes of driving.
