Dabović winery
homemade products tasting
Throughout history the area of Grahovo had a strategic position – for Montenegro it represented the door to Herzegovina, for the Ottoman Empire it was an important rampart towards Montenegro, and for the Venetian and Austro–Hungarian administrations it was the outpost for the Boka Bay.
On the 14th kilometre of mostly asphalt road from Grahovo you will reach the village of Nudo. It is tucked away in the valley of the river Trebišnjica, not far from the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and there are sharp cliffs above the village that seem to be guarding the neighbouring hamlet of Zaslap. The villages are connected by the clear and cold river of Zaslapnica on which there used to be 28 water mills.
Suitable soil and microclimate conditions at the place where the Mediterranean and continental climates meet have made Nudo extremely suitable for agriculture. The Dabović family has continued to nurture the tradition of growing grapes and producing wine, which is more than a century long. Aside from their vineyards in the sunny part of the village, they also have a winery and a wine cellar for tasting white and red wines. Wines are produced in a traditional way, with a lot of love and enthusiasm, but using modern technology as well. Multiple international award winning red wines are made from species called Ružica, Vranac, Prokopac, while the white wine, which used to be served at the Viennese court, is produced from indigenous species Žilavka and Radovača. It is assumed that Žilavka was named after fine veins that are visible in the berry in full maturity of the grapes. There is also a rich variety of homemade brandies: Lincura, Srčanik, nettle brandy, juniper, plum, apple, quince and brandy from other fruits. You can also taste other products such as liqueurs, homemade juices and jams.
For full satisfaction of your senses in the wine cellar, in addition to the inevitable wines, there are also rich and diverse dishes of the local cuisine. Especially interesting are homemade dried meat products such as ham, sausages and loin, as well as cheese and sour cream. The current capacity of the wine cellar is ten people, while its expansion is planned.
When it comes to activities when visiting the entrepreneurial Dabović household, we recommend going to Bijela Gora, a surrounding mountain which has been visited for centuries by the locals. They stay in pasture settlements in the mountain in order to graze their cattle, but also to collect forest fruits, medicinal herbs and mushrooms – which we would also highly recommended. The young host Aćim will gladly take you on a tour to the Austrian fortress and the Kovačević mill or take you swimming in the cascade waterfalls of Zaslapnica River or to Grahovo Lake.
