Dalmatian Coast, CROATIA This ripe and luscious Plavac Mali was my favourite wine discovery of the year. It is crafted from hand-picked grapes grown on Croatia's beautiful island of Brac, along the Dalmatian coast. Bright garnet red and fragrant, it is known as the "King of Croatian Reds". Highly aromatic with notes of plum, dark fruit, regional herbs, dark chocolate and vanilla. Bursting with flavour, it opens up beautifully and becomes more fruit-forward mid-palate. Pol

Brač, Croatia I loved this Pošip from the first sip! It is an indigenous Croatian varietal, grown on the island of Brač, along the Dalmatian coast. Pale yellow with a green hue, it has pretty aromas of tart apricot and peach, melon, citrus and tarragon. The fullbodied palate echos these notes and adds ripe pineapple to these flavours along with a touch of salinity. There's a satiny rich mouthfeel and mouthwatering acidity. An intriguing bitterness on the finish suggests lim

My visit to Croatia finished with an overnight stay at a luxury hotel, Zagreb’s famous Esplanade. Opened in 1925, it originally provided accommodation for travellers on the luxurious Orient Express train, offering visitors superb accommodation and fine dining with unparalleled service. Since then, it has had many international celebrities and royalty as guests, including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Prince Albert of Monaco. Then there’s me. Okay, not famous but

My food and wine adventures continued last fall with a visit to Croatia.