Private Hvar Wine Tasting Tour

Our travel planner arranged for our trip with Grgo and Natural Hvar Tours during our stay on the island. Grgo picked us up and was an incredible guide, offering us beautiful views and the history of Hvar with insights from a local. It was amazing to see more secluded parts of the island and historic towns like Stari Grad. Grgo was also passionate about life on the island and how it was changing, which gave us a new perspective beyond that of a regular tourist. It was a truly memorable tour. All of that without mentioning the wine portion of the tour! We stopped at an incredible winery and sampled local wines and olive oils before ending our tour at Grgo's historic family home and sampling some of his family's wine. I cannot recommend Natural Hvar Tours enough. Grgo is an excellent host and guide and you will not be disappointed!

Everything about this Tour was perfect. Grgo, our guide was so knowledgeable about the history and sites. The length of tour and sites visited were spectacular. I would highly recommend to friends and family. Well done Natural Hvar Tours!

Great place to stay for wine tasting and some food They pick you up from the marina and returned back after the event Excellent host !!

We spent a great afternoon with Grgo, the owner. First, he drove us around some of the Northern parts of Hvar, and told us about life living on the island. We then went to two wineries (the second belongs to his family), and tried several different types of delicious wines. Grgo was engaging, funny, and knowledgeable. It was a fun way to learn more about Hvar, and also have some wine!

We loved our experience with Grgo. He picked us up at the bus station and drove the island of Hvar, stopping in Stari Grad then onto 2 wineries. The second one he welcomed us into his family home and tasted his family wines. He talks with such love and passion for the island and we loved all the stories and histories that he shared. Highly recommend for those looking for a unique experience.

+2

We thought we were going on a wine tasting tour, but it became so much more... Our trip planner booked us on Hvar Island during the wine and food festival, so we had no idea what to expect. Hvar is generally marketed as an exclusive, but also party, destination.... and now there's a festival, too? Grgo met us at our hotel promptly at 1600 as planned, and we traversed the beautiful cobblestone streets together to the public parking lot. Along the way, it became clear that this was going to be a special experience. Grgo Matkovic was so enthusiastic, brimming with local knowledge, filled with vision... a mission for his land, community, traditions surviving and thriving in a progressive, sustainable way. Everyone knows Grgo and his family because everyone knows everyone, locally! So don't be surprised when people stop to chat or just offer pleasantries wherever you go. The views from the car ride over the narrow, older road were simply breathtaking (nothing you can imagine when you arrive in the congested, touristy ferry port). As Grgo explained the evolution of the island, he also shared a recent medical issue requiring treatment in Split, and the many sacrifices made to live on an island, far from emergency services, and subjected to devestating fires. Ever-increasing pressures from tourism and climate change have ravaged once thriving agricultural lands, lavender fields, and left picturesque villages almost abandoned. Almost. Because Grgo and like-minded visionaries see the need to preserve (as UNESCO did), this truly magical, unique place on our planet. As we pivoted on the inclines we ran across several newly REinhabited homes. Grgo introduced us to a friend who renovated an ancient homestead into a thriving, sustainable farm, restaurant, and small market. We stopped at several areas along our journey to taste wild herbs, learn cultivation techniques, admire architectures, and marvel over ingenious hydrological designs that fed water to a thriving community for thousands of years. Then, we were off to taste some of the most delicious wines you can imagine (and I love wine). We've been to the fanciest wineries in Southern France, Italy, Spain, and much less ostentatious wine tours in Oregon and Finger Lakes of New York... they were all exceptional in their own ways. For me, the difference here was the food. Wine tastings with food pairings are my favorite. Here, they pair wines with the most delectable local cheeses, fig cakes, bread, uniquely prepared prosciutto (forgetting the term here)... the wine makers are the townspeople themselves and vineyard owners help each other. Most wines from this region are young and are not meant to age. We had a light sparkling, white, rose, red blend, and then an aged single varietal (will review under the wineries themselves, but stick to the tour here!). Grgo works the land with his father (who was in the stunning field of vegetables, fruits, and vines) when we arrived after our wine tasting. We walked through the fields and vineyards, hearing stories of his family and the many challenges of working the land; challenges displayed firsthand when his father shared that pheasants were ruining a crop of watermelons. The solution? He began covering them (in real time) with several layers of thistles. It was already 3 hours into the tour when we finally settled into the Iovingly restored cellar of Grgo's homestead. We spent another hour (normally his family would join, but between the crops and family's medical emergency a few days before, it was just Grgo) tasting his family's wines and learning about his vision for the future. We had a robust, authentic discussion about so many aspects of society, life, nature, etc. The wines are yet to have labels or names, but the walnut brandy (reh-key-iya) and aged red blend were my favorites. My husband's preference was the rose. Shortly after getting on the road back to Hvar, the car began making a strange sound and we immediately suspected a tire problem... sure enough, an enormous screw. What to do on a dangerous, narrow highway with no tow, triple A, or roadside assistance? We just pulled to the nearest shoulder (not many), Dad showed up in his vehicle, and a neighbor was on his way with a plug. Leaving the crippled car, the four of us departed (Grgo wouldn't hear of our help, nor let his father return us without him.) Probably one of the more memorable experiences we've ever had on a vacation (certainly without family involved), because it felt like family. Unpretentious, unpredictable, uncommon. A true community. Makes us want to buy some sheep, goats, a couple cows, some chickens...and get to work!

+2

We had an amazing afternoon with Grgo touring around Hvar Island and wine tasting - it was one of the top highlights of our trip to Croatia! We greatly appreciated Grgo's sincerity and passion for Hvar....we felt like we spent the afternoon with an old friend. Thank you, Grgo & Silvana. Wishing you and your business all the very best.

Our family ( adult kids) did the red wine tasting tour with Grgo. He is so passionate about Hvar and his family history on the island. His energy is contagious. While the port of Hvar is gorgeous there is so much more to the island. We saw the rest of the island and learned so much from Grgo. He took us to a fun winery where we tried 8 different wines. The real highlight of this trip is when you go to his family's wine cellar. Not only is it stunning but his family wines are fantastic! His mom and grandmother made fresh cookies! Beware- if you start eating the sugar almonds you won't stop. It was a good thing there was a very big bowl! Don't miss this trip - you wont be disappointed. Grgo- thank you for spending the afternoon with our family!

Our tour guide Grgo and his wife Silvana were such lovely, warm people and went above and beyond to give us a personalized tour with the timing and pick-up location we needed, and a wonderful experience of Hvar. They support sustainable tourism and show parts of the island most tourists never reach. Grgo's mother baked us cookies, and Grgo and his friends personally went out of their way to make sure we had tickets back to Split. Our afternoon was full of genuine love, kindness, and open honesty. Grgo is clearly passionate about Hvar, and that helped us appreciate it even more. We highly recommend Natural Hvar Tours!

My wife and I went on the wine and bike tour in May and felt incredibly lucky for the experience. By far the tour was a highlight of our trip. The biking was not too strenuous and Grgo met us midway to provide a little refresher in the middle of the tour. It was really a wonderful way to see what Hvar is really like away from all the crowds.