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

The most unusual part of this Kaštela outing is that you do not simply sit down for a wine tasting. You walk through the working organic farm, visit the cellar, taste homemade schnapps, and fill, cork, and label a bottle straight from the fermentation tank. It feels more like a family welcome than a polished tasting room.

I especially like the connection between food and place. You learn about the historic Bijaći area while walking among olive, almond, and grapevines, then taste Pag cheese, peka bread, dried figs, sea-salted fish, and herb-infused olive oil beside the orchard. Kathrin’s accordion music and traditional dress add a memorable local touch.

The main consideration is the price: at $173 per person, this is not a quick winery stop. It suits adults who want a three-and-a-half-hour hosted experience with a full meal, rather than anyone looking for a short tasting or a large commercial estate.

Key points at a glance

• Fill your own wine bottle: Draw wine from the fermentation tanks, then fill, cork, and label a bottle to take with you.
• A real family farm: The visit includes organic vineyards, olive trees, almond trees, wild herbs, and a working cellar.
• Dalmatian food in generous variety: Expect prosciutto, Pag cheese, peka bread, fish fillets, olives, peppers, tomatoes, figs, and almonds.
• Kathrin is the host: She leads the tour, explains the farm’s work, and performs traditional Dalmatian songs on accordion.
• Small group setting: The group is limited to six people, which gives the visit a personal feel.
• Easy access from Trogir or the airport: Pickup is available, or you can drive directly to the estate in Kaštel Novi.

A farm visit with more than a wine tasting

Family Farm Strizic sits in Kaštel Novi, between Trogir and Split Airport. The setting gives you a useful change of pace from the coast’s busy promenades and historic centers. Instead of moving from one sightseeing stop to another, you spend the afternoon in an agricultural setting with views toward Kaštela Bay and Split.

The farm is described as 100 percent organic, and the tour explains the full cycle of production. You see where olives, almonds, and grapes grow, hear how they are cared for from early spring through late fall, and then follow those products into the cellar and onto the table.

That full chain is what makes the experience worthwhile. A standard wine tasting may tell you which grape is in your glass. Here, you also learn about pruning, seasonal work, fermentation, distilling, olive oil production, and the small decisions that shape the final food and drink.

Kathrin is the central personality. Her hosting style is warm and hands-on, and she presents the farm as a family operation rather than a formal attraction. Her passion is a major part of the visit, so this is best for people who enjoy conversation, questions, and a host who takes time with the group.

Walking through olive, almond, and grape country

The tour begins outdoors with an agricultural walk through the estate. The route takes you among olive trees, almond trees, and vineyards, with wild herbs growing around the farm. Depending on the season, you may see blossoms, ripening fruit, or late-season crops.

The plant life adds more than scenery. You may identify and pick herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, bay leaves, and St. John’s Wort. Wild asparagus and flowers can also appear. This makes the walk feel connected to the food served later, especially when you taste olive oil infused with wild herbs.

You also learn how the farm’s crops are managed through the year. The explanation covers care of the trees and vines from early spring to late fall, as well as the production methods used for wine and extra virgin olive oil.

I like this part because it gives context to the tasting. You are not simply told that the oil is extra virgin or that the wine is homemade. You get a basic understanding of how the farm turns raw products into things you can eat and drink.

Bring comfortable shoes. The experience includes walking outdoors through an agricultural property, and the farm advises weather-appropriate clothing. This is not a difficult mountain hike, but sandals designed only for a flat town street may not be your best choice.

Bijaći, an important local setting

The farm visit also introduces you to Bijaći, an area described as a cradle of Croatian history dating to the seventh century. This historical note helps explain why the outing is more than a meal in the countryside.

Do not expect a long archaeological tour or a separate museum visit. The historical information is woven into the walk and the setting. The emphasis remains on the farm, but you gain a sense that the land has significance beyond its current vines and olive trees.

For me, this is the right amount of history for a food-and-wine outing. It gives the place a wider frame without turning the afternoon into a lecture.

The cellar: schnapps, liquor, and the wine process

After the orchard and vineyard walk, you visit the wine cellar. Here, Kathrin explains how grapes become wine and how schnapps is distilled. You can taste a selection of homemade schnapps and liquors while learning what happens inside the cellar.

The cellar portion is practical rather than technical. You are not expected to know wine terms, and the small group size should make it easy to ask questions. The guide speaks English, German, French, and Croatian, so language support is available for a range of visitors.

The most memorable hands-on activity comes here. You get to fill, cork, and label a bottle of award-winning wine directly from the fermentation tanks. This gives you something concrete to do, and the finished bottle becomes a personal souvenir rather than another tasting glass quickly forgotten.

There is also a useful distinction in the experience. You taste wine with the meal later, but you also see the product before it has reached a finished bottle on a shop shelf. That link between production and drinking is one of the strongest reasons to choose this tour.

A Dalmatian table under the pergola

The food is served outdoors beneath a pergola beside the olive and almond orchards. The setting is calm and rural, with the farm around you rather than a restaurant dining room.

The spread includes locally dried prosciutto and aged cheese from the island of Pag. You also get peka bread baked under a wood fire, locally sea-salted fish fillets, black olives prepared in the traditional way, cheese-filled small bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

The meal continues with the farm’s own extra virgin olive oil and wild herb-infused oil. Organic hand-picked dried figs and hand-picked dried almonds coated in sugar provide the sweet finish.

This is a strong selection for anyone who wants to sample several flavors of Dalmatia at once. Pag cheese brings a salty, firm bite. Prosciutto and fish add savory notes, while olives, tomatoes, peppers, figs, and almonds keep the plate varied. The peka bread matters, too, because it connects the meal to a local wood-fire cooking method rather than generic sliced bread.

White and red wine are paired with the food. Water is included as well, which is useful during a tasting that also includes schnapps and liquors. The tasting is clearly designed as a long, seated meal, not a quick row of small samples.

If you have strict dietary needs, ask before booking. The supplied details list the food included but do not provide alternatives for allergies, vegetarian diets, or other restrictions.

Accordion music and traditional dress

During the meal, Kathrin plays and sings traditional Dalmatian songs on her accordion while wearing traditional local folklore dress. This can sound like a small detail, but it changes the mood of the afternoon.

The music gives the gathering a sense of occasion without requiring a separate performance booking. It also helps connect the food and wine to local culture. You are not only sampling products from the farm. You are hearing songs associated with the region and seeing traditional clothing presented by the person hosting you.

This portion will appeal most to people who enjoy a social, hosted experience. If you prefer a quiet, self-guided tasting with detailed written notes and no entertainment, the accordion performance may feel more than you need. The tour is intentionally personal and expressive.

The host’s enthusiasm is another major strength. Kathrin is described as informative, entertaining, and deeply committed to the farm. That matters here because the experience relies on her storytelling and attention rather than on a large visitor center or a series of displays.

Is $173 a fair price?

The $173 price is high compared with a basic wine tasting, but the comparison is not quite fair. You are paying for about 210 minutes, a small group capped at six people, farm and cellar instruction, homemade schnapps and liquors, a full selection of Dalmatian delicacies, wine, live music, and the bottle-filling activity.

Pickup is also included from Trogir or Split Airport. From Trogir, the drive to the estate takes about 10 minutes. The Trogir pickup point is Bistro Baketina at the city beach, near the T4 parking lot, about a five-minute walk along the seafront from the bus terminal.

At Split Airport, pickup is at the bus station on the main road. The meeting point is outside the airport building, near the glass-covered overpass from the parking and rental-car area. Read the directions carefully so you do not wait at the wrong airport stop.

You can also meet the host at the estate on Put Bijaća 38 in Kaštel Novi. If you drive, follow the airport exit, turn onto Put Vlaka, then Put Bijaća, keeping left uphill at the next crossroads and following the signs toward number 38.

For a couple or small group that values personal hosting and a complete food experience, the price can make sense. If you only want two or three pours of wine, it is too much. The value comes from the length, the meal, the access to the farm, and the fact that the host gives the group time.

Who will enjoy this tour most?

I would recommend this for adults who like local food, family businesses, agriculture, and relaxed conversation. The age restriction is clear: it is not suitable for children under 18, and it is not recommended for people over 95.

It also works well for visitors staying in Trogir, Split, or near the airport who want an outing that does not consume a full day. The drive from Trogir is short, and the airport pickup can be useful if you are arranging a preflight or postflight activity. Check the available start time carefully before pairing it with a flight.

The tour is a good match for:

• Couples looking for a personal food and wine experience
• Adults interested in olive oil as well as wine
• Small groups who prefer a host-led visit
• People who enjoy live local music and cultural presentation
• Visitors who want to buy organic farm products after tasting them

It may be less suitable for anyone with limited walking comfort, a strict food allergy, or a strong preference for a quiet and formal wine education. The farm setting, outdoor meal, and seasonal plants are part of the appeal, but they also mean the experience is tied to weather and growing conditions.

Organic products can be purchased on site. That is convenient if you like the wine, olive oil, dried figs, almonds, or other farm goods and want to take a taste of the afternoon home.

Should you book the Family Farm Strizic experience?

Book it if you want a full Dalmatian welcome built around a working family farm, not just a tasting counter. The mix of orchard walk, Bijaći history, cellar instruction, hands-on bottling, local food, and accordion music gives the afternoon a clear personality.

I would choose it for the small group size and for the chance to meet Kathrin, whose energy drives the experience. I would skip it only if $173 feels too high for a farm meal and tasting, or if you want a short, highly technical wine lesson.

For most adults who value food, stories, and a personal connection to place, this is one of the more distinctive ways to spend an afternoon near Trogir or Split.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts 210 minutes, or about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Where can I be picked up?

Pickup is available at Bistro Baketina on Trogir City Beach near the T4 parking lot, and at the Split Airport bus station on the main road. You can also meet directly at the estate at Put Bijaća 38 in Kaštel Novi.

Can I drive directly to the farm?

Yes. Visitors with their own car can meet at the estate in Kaštel Novi. The provided directions lead from the Split and airport exit roads to Put Vlaka and then Put Bijaća.

What food and drinks are included?

The tasting includes white and red wine, homemade schnapps and liquors, water, dried prosciutto, Pag cheese, peka bread, sea-salted fish fillets, black olives, cheese-filled peppers, cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, wild herb-infused olive oil, dried figs, and sugar-coated almonds.

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 experience is not suitable for children under 18. Comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended.