Split Wine Tours & Tastings
The vine that became California’s Zinfandel was found in a Kaštela vineyard twenty minutes from Split in 2001, and the wineries that grow it, alongside Plavac Mali and Pošip, are the closest wine country to any Croatian city. This page compares the top-rated Split wine tours and tastings: half-day tours to Kaštela and the hills above the coast, in-town tastings of Dalmatian wines, and the island wine days to Hvar and Brač.
What you’ll taste: Crljenak Kaštelanski, the original Zinfandel; Plavac Mali, its descendant and Dalmatia’s great red; Pošip and Debit whites; and prošek, the sweet dessert wine.
Formats: half-day tours to two or three Kaštela wineries; sommelier tastings in the palace; full days to Hvar or Brač by boat.
Timing: harvest is September; the coast is warm from May to October.
Wine around Split: Kaštela, the hills and the islands
Dalmatian wine is Plavac Mali, a red grape that grows on the sea-facing slopes of the islands and the Pelješac peninsula, and a handful of whites: Pošip, Debit, Maraština. Its origin story runs through Kaštela, the string of seven villages between Split and Trogir, where in 2001 researchers from the University of California matched an old local vine, Crljenak Kaštelanski, to Zinfandel and Primitivo. The vine had nearly disappeared; the villages replanted it, and today the Kaštela wineries pour it beside Plavac Mali twenty minutes from Split’s harbour.
Kaštela and the Zinfandel vineyards
Half-day tours visit two or three family wineries in Kaštela and the hills behind, with a cellar walk, a flight of four to six wines and local cheese and pršut. The Zinfandel story is told at every one, and it is a good story. Expect 60 to 110 euros for a small group, from 250 per group privately.
Tastings in Split
Wine bars in the palace run sommelier-led tastings of Dalmatian and Croatian wines, two hours, five or six glasses, with food. The easiest way to understand Croatian wine before choosing an island to visit.
Island wine days
Hvar’s Stari Grad plain and the south-facing slopes of Ivan Dolac are an hour by catamaran; Brač, with its stone and its Plavac, a little less. Full-day wine tours by boat cost 120 to 200 euros and include lunch. See Hvar wine tours and, for the whole coast, Dalmatia wine tours.
When to go
Harvest in September; May, June and October for tastings without the summer heat; tours run year-round in Kaštela.
Read next: 3 days in Split for food & wine
How we choose
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FAQ about Split Wine Tours & Tastings
Frequently asked questions
Why a wine tour from Split?
Because Kaštela is twenty minutes away, the Zinfandel story is true, and the Dalmatian reds are as good as their prices are low.
Is Zinfandel really from Croatia?
Yes; DNA testing in 2001 matched Zinfandel and Primitivo to Crljenak Kaštelanski, an old vine from Kaštela near Split.
How far are the wineries from Split?
Kaštela is twenty minutes by road; the island wineries on Hvar and Brač are about an hour by boat.
How much does a Split wine tour cost?
About 60 to 110 euros for a half-day Kaštela tour, 120 to 200 for an island wine day with lunch.
What wine should I try in Split?
Plavac Mali for red, Pošip for white, Crljenak for the story, and prošek with dessert.
Can I do a wine tasting in the city without a tour?
Yes; the palace wine bars run guided tastings most evenings and need no transport.