Somewhere in between Dubrovnik and Split is the town of Vrgorac, and this September its vineyards have attracted the attention of an international writer.

Croatian-American business writer Albert Anthony recently posted his short film on Instagram, highlighting his experience learning to make wine in Dalmatia the traditional way, and he shared his commentary for our news portal:

"As someone who has been to wine festivals and trade shows many times in the Zadar region, this September I decided to be a more proactive business writer and actually try making wine myself on the island of Dugi Otok, using Merlot variety grapes sourced from vineyards further south in Vrgorac near Dubrovnik," he said.

The process is very labor-intensive, and unfortunately the demographics of islands like Dugi Otok in September means labor is sometimes hard to find so you have to do it yourself. This means hurling boxes of grapes into a large vat, and manually stirring the crusher unless you have an electric version. It also means that many old family vineyards on Dugi Otok are no longer cultivated as a century ago, so grapes often have to be sourced elsewhere from active farms.

The fermentation happens naturally in the vat, and after some time you get red wine out of it. Of course, there is science behind it and weather can impact the process, as I am told that dry and sunny days are best for this.

"While summer 2025 may be officially over this week, it does not mean there is nothing to do on the Croatian coast, and although I am not a ravenous fan of wine I do know from following business topics that the wine economy in Croatia is a very large component of the overall gastronomic and agricultural economic sectors. For this reason, I think some things are best learned in person and not only from reading about it in a book, and I think winemaking tourism could also be a potential growth area in the post season," Albert Anthony summarized.

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About the Contributor: Croatian-American business & financial writer under pen name Albert Anthony is a voluntary contributor to The Dubrovnik Times since 2023, and otherwise also writes for investor platforms, and as a digital creator has also been involved in the casting & film industry regionally. He resides in the Zadar area. Instagram: @albertanthony.2025