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

The best part of this Kaštela outing is that you do not simply taste a glass of wine and move on. You walk through the organic family farm, learn how grapes and olives become finished products, then fill, cork, and label your own bottle straight from the fermentation tank. It feels more like a visit to a working home than a polished tasting room.

I like the personal scale, with no more than six people, and I like the setting between olive and almond trees with views toward Kaštela Bay and Split. Kathrin’s warm, hands-on hosting is a major part of the experience. The main consideration is the price, $173 per person, which makes this a special outing rather than a casual stop. You should also be comfortable walking outdoors for part of the afternoon.

Key points at a glance

• Make your own wine bottle: Fill, cork, and label a bottle directly from the fermentation tanks.
• Walk a working organic farm: See vineyards, olive trees, almond trees, herbs, and seasonal produce.
• Taste a full Dalmatian spread: Expect Pag cheese, prosciutto, peka bread, salted fish, olives, peppers, tomatoes, figs, and almonds.
• Meet Kathrin: Her personal explanations and accordion performance give the visit its character.
• Small-group setting: The group is limited to six people, allowing plenty of time for questions.
• Connect the farm to local history: Bijaći is presented as an important area dating to the seventh century and linked to the beginnings of Croatian history.

A working farm above Kaštela Bay

Family Farm Strizic sits at Put Bijaća 38 in Kaštel Novi, a short drive from Trogir and close to Split Airport. The setting is peaceful, with olive and almond orchards, rows of vines, wild herbs, and views across Kaštela Bay toward Split.

This is not a large commercial winery with buses arriving every few minutes. The farm is run on a family scale, and the visit centers on the work behind the food and drink. You see where the products begin, hear how they are handled through the year, and then taste them at the table.

The agricultural walk changes with the season. In spring, you might see almond blossoms and olive trees beginning their cycle. Later in the year, fruit ripens, grapes develop, and herbs release their scent in the heat. Thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, bay leaves, St. John’s Wort, wild asparagus, and other wild flowers may appear along the route.

You should wear comfortable shoes and clothing suited to the weather. The walk is not described as strenuous, but this is an outdoor farm visit rather than a seated tasting from start to finish.

What the orchard and vineyard walk teaches you

Kathrin explains how the farm is cared for from early spring through late fall. You learn what happens to the olive and almond trees during the year, how the vineyards are maintained, and how weather and timing affect the final products.

That wider view matters. A wine tasting often begins with a bottle already opened. Here, you get a clearer sense of the chain behind it: flowering, growing, harvesting, fermentation, storage, and serving. The same applies to olive oil, from the tree to the bottle of extra virgin oil on the table.

The walk also includes identifying and picking wild herbs. This gives the farm visit a local flavor that goes beyond wine. The herbs are part of the scent and character of the land, and some are used in the farm’s infused olive oils.

The historic setting adds another layer. Bijaći is described as a cradle of Croatian history, with roots reaching back to the seventh century. The tour does not present this as a separate museum visit. Instead, Kathrin connects the area’s past with the farm around you, making the site feel like part of a longer Croatian story.

Inside the cellar, from schnapps to fermentation tanks

The cellar portion explains how wine is made and how schnapps is distilled. You can taste a selection of homemade schnapps and liqueurs while hearing about the steps involved.

The most unusual part comes next. You have the chance to fill, cork, and label a bottle of award-winning wine directly from the fermentation tanks. This is a small task, but it changes the mood of the tasting. Instead of only consuming the finished product, you take part in one stage of its preparation.

The activity is especially appealing if you enjoy food and drink with a practical side. You are not expected to become a winemaker in one afternoon, but you will leave with a better idea of how the cellar works and a bottle tied to the place where you visited.

The supplied details do not specify the exact wine varieties or the bottle size, so you should not book expecting a technical tasting with a fixed list of grapes. The emphasis is on family production, explanation, and participation.

A Dalmatian lunch under the pergola

After the farm walk and cellar visit, you sit outside under a pergola beside the orchards. The meal is built around familiar Dalmatian ingredients, but it is generous enough to function as a substantial tasting rather than a few token bites.

The spread includes:

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

The meal works because it shows how the region eats. Salt, smoke, olive oil, aged cheese, dried fruit, and fresh vegetables all have clear roles. Pag cheese brings a firm, savory flavor, while the dried figs and sugar-coated almonds provide a sweet finish.

The peka bread is another nice touch. Peka refers to a traditional wood-fire cooking method, and the bread gives the table a rustic local element. The tour information does not specify every recipe or the full preparation time, so you should think of this as a farm tasting platter rather than a cooking class.

Water is included, along with white and red wine. The wines are paired with the food, allowing you to compare how each works with salty fish, cured meat, cheese, olives, and fruit.

Kathrin’s music and the human side of the visit

Kathrin is the host, guide, producer, and performer. She explains the farm’s work, leads the walk, presents the cellar, and serves the food and wine. Her accordion playing and singing add a personal performance to the meal, and she wears traditional Dalmatian folklore dress for this part of the visit.

This is one reason the experience feels different from a standard vineyard stop. The music is not an optional add-on in another room. It takes place as you sit by the orchards with food and wine in front of you.

The personal style will suit you if you enjoy meeting the person behind a small business. Kathrin’s enthusiasm is central to the visit, and the available feedback repeatedly praises her warmth, passion, and ability to explain the farm. One German-language booking specifically describes her as taking plenty of time with the tour, while an American visitor highlights her engaging personality, food presentation, and sense of hospitality.

That also means the experience is not designed for someone who wants a quiet, anonymous tasting. The accordion songs and folklore clothing give it a hosted, celebratory quality. If you prefer a formal sommelier lesson with technical tasting notes and little conversation, this may feel too personal. If you want a relaxed introduction to Dalmatian food and farming, that personal style is a strength.

Why the six-person limit matters

The group is capped at six participants. That is a useful limit for a farm visit because you can ask questions without shouting across a large group, and Kathrin has more room to adjust her explanations.

A small group also makes the bottle-filling activity easier to manage. You should have a clearer view of the cellar work and more time to take part rather than simply watch from the back.

The tradeoff is that small-group availability can be more limited than a large scheduled tour. Check the starting time when booking, especially if you are fitting this around a day in Trogir, Split, or the airport.

The tour is for adults aged 18 and older. It is not suitable for children under 18, and the stated upper age limit is 95. No accessibility details are provided, so anyone who needs specific mobility arrangements should ask before booking.

Transport from Trogir, Split Airport, or your own car

Pickup from Trogir is at Bistro Baketina on the city beach, at the T4 parking lot on Kneza Trpimira. It is about a five-minute walk along the seaside from the Trogir Bus Terminal, followed by roughly a ten-minute drive to the estate.

Pickup from Split Airport is at the bus station on the main road. The instructions are quite specific: look toward the airport with the seaside behind you and to your right, then identify the glass-covered overpass leading from the parking and rental-car area toward the terminal.

You can also meet Kathrin directly at the estate at Put Bijaća 38, Kaštel Novi. The driving directions include several turns from the airport exit, so do not rely on a quick glance at the address alone. If you use your own car, allow time to follow the directions up the hill and look for the blue Put Bijaća signs.

Pickup is valuable here because the farm is outside the main old-town streets. It lets you combine the visit with Trogir or an airport-area stay without arranging a separate taxi. The details do not state a pickup option from central Split, so you should confirm your meeting point if Split is your base.

Is $173 a fair price?

At $173 per person, this is not a bargain wine tasting. The price makes more sense when you count the full package: transport pickup from the listed locations, a three-and-a-half-hour visit, a private-feeling small group, the farm walk, cellar explanations, schnapps and liqueur tasting, a bottle-filling activity, a large food spread, wine, live music, and the guide’s time.

You are also paying for an experience with a clear sense of place. The olive oil, figs, almonds, herbs, Pag cheese, peka bread, Dalmatian songs, and local setting all connect the meal to the region.

The value depends on what you want from a winery visit. If your goal is to sample several wines as cheaply as possible, this will likely feel expensive. If you want a hosted afternoon that combines agriculture, food, history, music, and a take-home bottle, the price is easier to justify.

Organic products from the farm can be purchased on site. The specific products and prices are not listed, so treat shopping as an optional extra rather than part of the paid package.

Who will enjoy this farm experience most?

I would recommend it to adults who enjoy food with a story, small groups, and direct contact with local producers. It is a good fit for couples, friends, and solo visitors who want a slower afternoon outside the city.

Wine lovers will appreciate the cellar and fermentation-tank activity, but you do not need advanced wine knowledge. The explanations focus on how the farm operates, so the experience should suit beginners as well as people already interested in winemaking.

It is also a strong choice for anyone who wants more than monuments during a Dalmatian trip. The setting near Trogir and Split makes it an easy way to spend part of a day in the countryside without giving up the coast entirely.

You may want to choose another activity if you dislike outdoor walking, live music, or rich tasting plates. The tour has a warm, social character, and the accordion performance is part of the planned experience rather than background decoration.

Practical details before you book

The total duration is 210 minutes, or three hours and thirty minutes. Starting times vary, so check availability before planning your day around it.

The tour is offered in English, German, French, and Croatian. Kathrin’s personal hosting is a major part of the experience, so language access matters if you want to follow the farm and cellar explanations closely.

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance, and you can reserve now and pay later. Comfortable walking shoes are specifically recommended. Bring weather-appropriate clothing because the first part takes place among the orchards and vineyards.

The farm’s organic products are available for purchase on site. If you find an olive oil, wine, dried fig, or almond product you like, leave room in your luggage.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a personal introduction to Dalmatian farming, food, wine, and music in one well-paced afternoon. The strongest reasons are the small group, Kathrin’s generous hosting, the bottle-filling activity, and the meal served among the olive and almond trees.

Skip it if you are looking for the lowest-cost tasting, a formal wine certification lesson, or a tour built around many different wineries. At $173, the value comes from the complete visit and the human connection, not from the number of wines poured.

For most adults staying around Trogir, Kaštela, or Split Airport, this is a memorable choice for a special day. Plan for outdoor walking, arrive ready to eat, and expect the music and storytelling to be just as important as the wine.

FAQ

How long does the Kaštela wine and olive tasting tour last?

The experience lasts 210 minutes, or three hours and thirty minutes.

Where can I meet the tour?

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

How far is the estate from Trogir?

The drive from the Trogir pickup point to the estate takes about ten minutes. The pickup point is about a five-minute walk along the seaside from Trogir Bus Terminal.

What food and drink are included?

The tasting includes dried prosciutto, aged Pag cheese, peka bread, sea-salted fish fillets, black olives, cheese-filled peppers, cherry tomatoes, extra virgin and wild herb infused olive oils, dried figs, sugar-coated almonds, white wine, red wine, and water. Homemade schnapps and liqueurs are tasted in the cellar.

Can I make my own bottle of wine?

Yes. You can fill, cork, and label a bottle of wine directly from the fermentation tanks.

Is the tour suitable for children?

No. The activity is not suitable for children under 18. The stated upper age limit is 95.

What languages are available?

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