At that whirlwind of civilizations, almost at the crossroads of the times, we find Benkovac, the home to the Badel 1862’s Benkovac Winery. And it all started during Venetian times. The diseases that attacked the vineyards in Italy and France prompted the planting of grapevines in the Benkovac area, which was then ruled by the Venetians, since before that planting grapevines in all of the Dalmatian hinterland was generally forbidden.

With emphasized modern and unique elements, the special feature of the label lies in the fact that special printing techniques were used to print directly onto the bottle, which, with its shape, ideally rounds off the strength and character of these wines.

There is also the Benkovac Winery “dressed” in vines that cover the roof of the building and part of the façade, which have a double effect: they are truly a beautiful and remarkable image, and the dense vines also offer shade for the large cellar, which is perfect for wine.

Nearby is the village of Korlat, which got its name from the former city of the Croatian princes Korlatović. Right next to it, the Korlat vineyard grows, surrounded by macchia and stones, facing the sea, with Ravni Kotari on one side, and Bukovica on the other. The sun shines over it, and it grows out of stone. The vines obviously like it, they flourish, develop and grown, and produce excellent wine. In the first year they received ten awards at international competitions! And they weren’t just random competitions, they were Decanter, Vinitaly, Paris, Bruxelles.

Tasting these wines, here, where their vines grow, is a special experience. This is the area of “bukara”, wooden “glasses” made of wood, preferably spruce, used to drink wine. This is the area of Benkovac prsnaci, dough baked over an open fire, stuffed with fresh cow cheese mixed with “puina” (sour milk), eggs and clotted cream. This is the area of dishes roasted under the bell, from pulestar to lamb (pulestar is a young rooster), the area of “duck a la rabbit”, where the duck is prepared like game (since rabbit is the most edible game meat in the area), and it is the area of “lešada” (boiled meat).

This is the area where you should pour wine into a bukara, slowly bring it to your lips, bite into Benkovac prsnaci, and they will reveal all the secrets of the area, sun, bora wind, and stone… And you slowly but surely become addicted to Korlat wines and the area. Wines that will add Benkovac and Korlat to the international wine map in flashing lights.