Kastela: Wine & Olive Tasting Tour w/Delicacies & Live Music

Slow food tastes better at the source. This three-and-a-half-hour visit to Family Farm Strizic near Kastel Novi combines an organic vineyard, olive and almond orchards, a working wine cellar, and a generous spread of Dalmatian food. I like the small group of up to six and the rare chance to fill, cork, and label your own bottle straight from a fermentation tank. I also like that the farm visit is not just a tasting at a table. You walk through the land, learn how the products are made, and hear about the old Bijaći area.

The main consideration is the price: $173 per person is a serious outlay for a food and wine experience. It makes the most sense if you value personal hosting, transport, a full meal, several tastings, live music, and time on a family farm rather than a quick winery stop. The tour is also for adults only, and comfortable shoes matter because the experience includes walking outdoors.

Key details at a glance

• A working family farm: Walk through organic vineyards, olive trees, almond trees, and wild herbs near Kastel Novi.
• Hands-on cellar activity: Fill, cork, and label a bottle of award-winning wine from the fermentation tanks.
• A full Dalmatian tasting: Expect prosciutto, Pag cheese, peka bread, salted fish, olives, peppers, tomatoes, figs, almonds, and olive oils.
• Local culture with a personal touch: Kathrin hosts the experience with accordion music and traditional Dalmatian clothing.
• A small and personal setting: The group is limited to six people, which allows time for questions and conversation.
• Easy access from Trogir and Split Airport: Pickup is offered from Trogir City Beach or the Split Airport bus station, or you can drive to the estate.

Reaching the estate from Trogir, Split Airport, or by car

The farm is at Put Bijaća 38 in Kaštel Novi, between Trogir and Split. From Trogir, pickup is at Bistro Baketina on the city beach, in the T4 parking lot. It is about a five-minute walk along the seaside from Trogir Bus Terminal, followed by a roughly 10-minute drive to the estate.

At Split Airport, meet at the bus station on the main road in the direction of Split. The meeting instructions are detailed, which is useful because the airport area has several roads, parking areas, and transfer points. If you are driving, you can meet directly at the farm.

The drive-yourself directions use the Airport exit, Put Vlaka, and then Put Bijaća. The final approach goes uphill past a large greenhouse. Save the directions before leaving, since the meeting point is a rural estate rather than a central town address.

Pickup adds real value if you are staying in Trogir or arriving at the airport without a rental car. It also removes the question of who will drive after wine and schnapps tastings. If you are already based in Split, check the pickup details carefully before booking, since the stated collection points are Trogir and Split Airport, not a central Split hotel.

Walking through Bijaći’s orchards and vineyards

The experience begins outdoors, with an agricultural walk through the olive orchard, almond orchard, and vineyard. This is where the visit gains substance. You are not only shown finished bottles and jars. You see the plants that support the farm and hear how work changes from early spring through late fall.

Depending on the season, you may see almond or olive blossoms, ripening fruit, or the vineyard at another stage of its growing cycle. The farm also has wild herbs, including thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, bay leaves, St. John’s Wort, and wild asparagus. The tour includes identifying and picking wild herbs during the walk.

I like this part because it gives the tasting a clear connection to place. Olive oil tastes more meaningful when you have just seen the trees, and wine production is easier to understand after walking beside the vines. The tour explains how the farm cares for its olive and almond trees and vineyards throughout the year, from flowering to harvest and from fruit to finished product.

The setting also provides broad views toward Kaštela Bay and Split. You get a quieter side of the coast here, away from the waterfront crowds and city traffic. Wear shoes with good support, since the visit includes walking through agricultural ground and uphill areas.

Why Bijaći adds more than a scenic backdrop

The estate is in the historic Bijaći area, described as a cradle of Croatian history dating to the seventh century. The tour includes an explanation of why this area matters, giving the orchard walk a cultural layer as well as an agricultural one.

This does not appear to be a separate archaeological visit, so you should not book it expecting a long museum-style history lesson. Instead, the historical information helps place the farm in its regional setting. You get a sense that the land has a story older than the modern resort towns along the coast.

That balance suits the experience. The focus stays on wine, olive oil, food, and family farming, while Bijaći gives the surroundings added meaning. If you enjoy hearing how food traditions connect to local history, this is one of the tour’s better features.

Inside the wine cellar: from grapes to bottle

The cellar portion explains the wine-making process and cellar techniques, including how grapes become wine and how schnapps is distilled. You can taste a selection of homemade schnapps and liquors while learning how these drinks are made.

The most unusual part is the bottle activity. You have the chance to fill, cork, and label a bottle of award-winning wine directly from the fermentation tanks. That is more memorable than being handed a prefilled souvenir bottle because you take part in a small piece of the production process.

This activity is also a good reason to ask questions. The group limit of six means the host can explain what you are doing without rushing everyone through a crowded production room. If you are curious about winemaking, this is more useful than a standard tasting where the producer simply pours and names each wine.

The wording about filling the bottle refers to wine from the fermentation tanks, so expect a hands-on cellar task rather than a full bottling lesson. The bottle can be a practical keepsake, but check how you plan to carry it if you are flying soon afterward.

A generous Dalmatian table under the pergola

After the farm and cellar visit, you sit outside under a pergola near the olive and almond orchards. The food is not a token snack. It is a substantial tasting of local ingredients paired with the farm’s white and red wines.

The spread includes:

• Locally dried prosciutto
• Aged cheese from the island of Pag
• Peka bread baked under a wood fire
• Sea-salted fish fillets
• Black olives prepared in the traditional way
• Small peppers filled with cheese
• Cherry tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Wild herb-infused olive oil
• Organic hand-picked dried figs
• Hand-picked dried almonds coated with sugar

Pag cheese gives the table a strong regional marker. Peka bread adds a wood-fire element, while the fish and sea salt keep the food tied to the Adriatic. The olives, oils, figs, and almonds bring you back to the farm itself.

I especially like the range of textures here. You move from cured meat and aged cheese to bread, preserved fish, fresh tomatoes, fruit, nuts, and oils. The spread is designed for slow sampling, not a rushed tasting flight. Water is included, which is welcome during a warm afternoon outdoors.

The food is also a useful part of the wine pairing. A white wine can be tried with fish, cheese, and lighter ingredients, while the red wine gives you a chance to compare it with prosciutto and stronger flavors. The experience does not promise a formal sommelier lesson, but it gives you an easy, enjoyable way to understand how Dalmatian wines work with local food.

Kathrin’s hosting and the live accordion music

Kathrin is the host named in the available feedback, and her role is central to the experience. The most consistent praise focuses on her warmth, passion, clear explanations, and personal attention. That matters here because the tour depends on conversation. A farm visit with six people feels very different from a bus group moving through a commercial winery.

During the meal, Kathrin plays and sings traditional Dalmatian songs on the accordion while wearing traditional local clothing. This adds a performance element, but it remains connected to the setting and the food rather than feeling like a separate stage show.

You should know that live music is part of the experience, so this is not the right choice if you want a silent, purely technical tasting. For most people, the accordion creates a festive sense of place. It also gives the meal a personal quality that a standard restaurant lunch cannot match.

The comments about Kathrin are unusually consistent. German-speaking visitors praised the time and care she gives to the tour, while English-speaking visitors highlighted her engaging personality and passion for the farm. The tour is offered in German, English, French, and Croatian, so you have useful language options when booking.

How much value do you get for $173?

At $173 per person, this is not a budget winery visit. You are paying for a small group, pickup from selected locations, a three-and-a-half-hour program, a farm walk, cellar access, schnapps and liquor tastings, a hands-on wine activity, a broad food spread, two wine colors, olive oils, live music, and personal hosting.

The value improves if you would otherwise need to arrange transport, a meal, and a separate winery visit. It also improves for anyone who prefers a family-run operation over a large commercial tasting room. The group maximum of six is important here. You are paying for time and attention as much as for the food and drink.

The price is harder to justify if you only want to sample two wines or buy olive oil. The farm’s organic products can be purchased on site, but those purchases are not included. You should budget extra if you want to take home wine, oil, dried figs, almonds, or other products.

The duration is listed as 210 minutes and also described as three hours 30 minutes. Plan your day around the longer figure, especially if you have a ferry, airport transfer, or dinner reservation afterward. Pickup time and the drive from Trogir may add a little more to your schedule.

Who will enjoy this farm visit most?

I would recommend it most strongly to adults who enjoy food with a story. It suits couples, small groups of friends, and solo visitors who like meeting a host and asking questions. The low group limit is especially useful if you dislike large coach tours.

It is also a good match for people staying in Trogir or arriving through Split Airport. The pickup option lets you enjoy wine without driving afterward. Guests with a rental car can meet at the estate, but they should still plan their return ride responsibly after the tastings.

This is less suitable for anyone seeking a quick stop, a formal wine seminar, or a child-friendly outing. Children under 18 are not accepted, and the activity is not suitable for people over 95. The orchard walk means you should bring comfortable shoes and clothing suited to the weather.

The experience depends on outdoor conditions and seasonal changes. A spring visit may offer blossoms and fresh herbs, while later visits may show ripening fruit or a different stage of vineyard work. You will not see every part of the farming cycle in one visit, but the host explains how the work runs across the year.

Booking details that matter

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund. The reserve-now, pay-later option is useful if your Dalmatian schedule is still shifting.

Book pickup carefully. The Trogir meeting point is Bistro Baketina at the City Beach T4 parking lot, not the main bus terminal itself. From Split Airport, use the bus station on the main road toward Split and follow the detailed position instructions.

If you drive, enter Put Bijaća 38, Kaštel Novi, and keep the farm directions available. The estate is not described as a central urban venue, so allow time for the final uphill section and the turns from Put Vlaka to Put Bijaća.

FAQ

How long does the Kastela wine and olive tour last?

The experience lasts 210 minutes, or three hours and 30 minutes. Pickup and the drive to the estate may require additional time.

Where can I meet the tour?

You can meet at Bistro Baketina on Trogir City Beach in the T4 parking lot, at the Split Airport bus station on the main road toward Split, or directly at the estate at Put Bijaća 38, Kaštel Novi.

What languages are available?

The tour is offered in German, English, French, and Croatian.

Is the tour suitable for children?

No. Children under 18 are not permitted.

What food and drink are included?

The tasting includes white and red wine, homemade schnapps and liquors, prosciutto, Pag cheese, peka bread, salted fish, black olives, cheese-filled peppers, cherry tomatoes, olive oils, dried figs, sugar-coated almonds, and water.

Can I buy farm products at the estate?

Yes. Organic products can be purchased on site, but those purchases are not included in the tour price.

Should you book this Kastela farm experience?

Book it if you want a personal Dalmatian food experience rather than a quick wine stop. The strongest reasons are the six-person limit, the chance to work with a bottle from the fermentation tank, the wide local tasting plate, and Kathrin’s warm, hands-on hosting.

Think twice if $173 feels high for a meal and tasting, or if you prefer a formal winery with extensive technical instruction. For the right audience, though, the price covers a full afternoon of food, wine, farm education, scenery, and local music. It is best suited to adults who want to slow down, taste carefully, and meet the person behind the products.