Welcome to a new kind of wine tasting.
It’s a tasting that feels like a TED talk—with wine!
Your expert host is the editor of Cheers Croatia Magazine, the only English-language magazine about Croatian wine.
A Cheers Croatia wine tasting is a conversation about wine culture in Croatia, built around wines made from Dalmatia’s indigenous grapes. (Indigenous grapes are those that originate here in Dalmatia rather than coming from somewhere else. Think of Babić and Pošip, not Cabernet or Chardonnay.)
Many of these Dalmatian varieties grow nowhere else in the world! Guests will leave knowing wines that few people in the world have heard of—and even fewer have tried.
Wine expert Kit Pepper has selected six wines that express Dalmatia’s dynamic grapes, regions and winemaking methods. She will explain less-known facts about Croatian wine, answering questions like:
How are Croatian wine traditions different from others?
Why are indigenous grapes important?
How did Croatia’s socialist period affect wine here?
Where does Croatian wine stand in the rest of the wine world?
(And how do you say “Kujundžuša”?)
On arrival, guests are invited to make themselves a refreshing traditional wine beverage and relax while we talk about local wine culture in Croatia. Then guests will be served six Dalmatian fine wines, one by one, each with an introduction to the indigenous grape it is made from, special features of how the wine was made, and how the wine reflects the land it came from and the people who made it.
Cheers Croatia tastings are for everyone—there are no wine snobs here. Kit will answer any wine question guests have been afraid to ask, and make sure they know how to find the wines they’ll love on their Croatian travels and beyond. It’s like having a personal sommelier for two hours!
Want to know more? Cheers Croatia tastings were recently featured on Croatian national television! Watch here (English subtitles).
Two Options for Tastings: You Choose
Tastings can be booked by parties of 2 to 5 people; parties booked on the same day will be combined, but seated at their own tables. Group pricing is available for groups of 6 to 24 people. See How to Book a Tasting, below.
Option 1: For those visiting Brač, we offer an all-in-one, evening tasting at Cava Brač during the summer season. Cava is a peaceful outdoor restaurant and sustainable retreat on the hillside above Škrip, with a panoramic view of the sea and the mountains of the mainland. Guests will be surrounded by lavender, wild herbs and olive trees, and lucky groups will see a spectacular sunset.
Accompanying the 6 wines will be three vegetarian appetizers that complement the wines’ flavors and represent the best in-season organic and locally sourced ingredients. At the end of the tasting, guests will be served their choice of main course—and they will leave with a useful souvenir from Cheers Croatia Magazine.
Price for tastings at Cava Brač (parties of 2 to 5 people): €125 per person
Please inquire for group pricing for 6 or more people.
Option 2: Do you love to cook? Does your sailing charter come with a chef? The wine-only tasting allows the host to prepare special dishes or cater the tasting from a favorite restaurant. Kit will consult on the best flavors to pair with the wine, and how to set up the tasting on a terrace, boat, or in another special location. She will conduct the 6-wine tasting at your location, including tasting sheets and a useful souvenir for guests to take home.
Price for wine-only tasting at your location on Brač (groups of 6 or more people only): €60/person
About Kit Pepper and Cheers Croatia Magazine
American expat Katherine “Kit” Pepper moved from New York City to Split in 2018 and started Cheers Croatia Magazine as the English-language source for news and information about Croatian wine. The online magazine is popular for its buying guide, information for wine lovers traveling in Croatia, and its Winery Finder Tool, which lists all the wineries with tasting rooms in Croatia along with contact information.
In New York, after a first career in book publishing, Kit was the buyer and manager of a boutique wine shop in Astoria for eight years, and at the same time owned her own wine shop in Manhattan. She holds the WSET Diploma (DWS), is a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and a level 1 sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers). She also edits wine and spirits books for international publishers, and has written for trade and consumer wine publications.
Kit and her husband live full-time on Brač.
About Boris Divjak and Cava Brač
A native of Croatia, Boris Divjak made his early career living in seven countries across four continents, working on global development projects. He has also been a civil society activist. He speaks a dozen languages.
In 2016 Boris returned to his mother’s home island of Brač and opened Cava Brač, an outdoor restaurant, retreat and event space on the hillside above Škrip. Cava Brač is designed using sustainable principles including wastewater recycling, minimal use of concrete, original dry stone walls (gomile), and local materials for its three small field houses. Fruits and vegetables are chemical-free and locally grown; meat, fish and desserts are sourced from local suppliers.
How to Book a Tasting
Please contact Kit Pepper in any of the following ways:
kit@cheerscroatia.com
mobile +385 (0)91 212 0002
WhatsApp 1 212 518 8088
Tastings are offered Tuesday through Friday, May through September, usually at 18:00 or 18:30. Please include your party or group size and the tasting option you prefer in your message, along with the desired day. Kit will reply with availability, cost and other details.
For taxi transfers to Cava Brač (or another tasting location) contact Petar by phone or on WhatsApp: +385 (0)91 3630 093
He speaks English and can provide a van for up to 8 people (trip from Supetar to Cava costs 20 euros total for 1 to 8 people in summer of 2023) or can provide a bus for larger groups.