... A popular drink known as BEVANDA
Wine on Hvar is an important part of everyday life, and the recent international successes of the island's winemakers are testament to the fact that Hvar's 2,400 year-old wine tradition is undergoing something of a resurgence.
But while there are some excellent oak-aged quality reds, some of the everyday traditions can seem a little strange to the arriving tourist. Wine purists would never mix water with wine, but this is a common practice here in Dalmatia - a popular drink known as bevanda.
Bevanda is mixed with still water, and is as popular as Gemischt, which comes from the German 'mixed', white wine and sparkling water, a very common order in the island cafes. It is also not uncommon to see ice cubes in a glass of red, which would be sacrilege in France, apart from specific wine areas such as St. Nicholas de Bourgeuil.
Head inland, however, and you might come across even more interesting discoveries, such as red wine mixed with goat milk, a beverage which many of the older generation fondly remember drinking from as young as six.
But nothing quite beats a local recipe for fertility and boosting the immune system - the yolk of an egg in a glass of local dessert wine, Prošek.
And, just like so many aspects of life on this beautiful island, that is the beauty of Hvar and its wines - so much choice in quality and ways of savouring the grapes from the fields.
*Author - Paul Bradbury
*Photo Credit - Romulić & Stojčić multimedia studio
P.S. We are somehow sure people on the photo in fact do not drink bevanda ...
