My amazing seventh day in Albania concluded in the historical UNESCO town of Berat! Come with me as I enjoy endless Albanian food and wine at Alepta Winery and Castle Park Hotel in Berat, Albania!
My boy Erjan from Travel Media EU and I started our Albanian food and wine adventure in Roshnik, about a 25-minute drive from Berat, Albania. Berat is a medieval Ottoman village and the area around it is famous for its wine. There are lots of wineries in the area, including Alpeta Agrotourism & Winery. We’d tour their property and try some wines before heading back to my hotel in Berat for dinner!
Alpeta Agrotourism & Winery is one of the best in the area. It was founded by the Fiska family in 1991. They make two red wines and one white wine. There are olive trees and grapevines all around it. I met with Daniel from the winery, who showed us around the property. Right inside, they have a super unique bathroom inside a huge barrel!
Then, we checked out a covered terrace with spectacular views of the grounds and surrounding area. It’s surrounded by vines. There’s a uncovered terrace further up with even better views!
From there, I met the owner, Petrit, who took me around to see the property. I saw the sana berry, which they make rakija out of! It has a nice seed in the middle. Then I smelled some anise, which they use to make ouzo in Greece and Turkey as well as rakija. It doesn’t smell like a flower, though!
Next, we saw some grapes that ripen in the winter, which they use to make rakija. Certain grapes are used for wine, others are used for rakija. I also tried some super tasty figs and saw a hiking trail to the nearby lake, which is manmade. Then, we saw an orchard of young olive trees. After that, I tried some red grapes, which were nice and sweet!
Then, our Albanian food and wine adventure near Berat, Albania continued with the wine tasting! We had some pules wine, which is a white wine made from indigenous pules grapes. It was dry and a little fruity but wasn’t too sweet. Their merlot kabernet, their only bottled reserve wine. It was full-bodied and fantastic! Next was a grape raki that was 45% alcohol called Raki Rrushi. It was strong but smooth and I could taste the grapes. Then, I tried another rakija that was more herbal, followed by one I couldn’t identify that turned out to be almond rakija!
Next, they brought us some cheese, olives, walnuts, peaches, and figs. The figs were so huge and tasty! Then, I met Ardit, the general manager, who showed me how they make rakija and explained why it’s different from grapa. We had more rakija there, including some served in a pepper! Afterward, you eat it! It was a palate cleanser.
Next, I visited the winery and tried some young but delicious merlot kabernet straight from the tank. They bottle wine for customers and label it by hand here, and let it store for at least 3 months.Then, we visited the restaurant, which is up the hill, past the mosque and has a beautiful open-air garden terrace and a terrace upstairs. It was gorgeous and had a very mountain feel. The people there were amazing!
Next, Erjan and I drove to Castle Park Hotel back in Berat. The city was full of people at sunset. I could see vendors along the roads selling fruit. The hotel looked like a castle! I met Alma and went inside. They had a beautiful indoor dining hall, which had chairs shaped like Skanderbeg’s helmet.
They prepared some peach juice for me, which was so pure and fresh! Then, I went to my room on the second floor. The staff was so helpful and friendly. It looked like a room in a castle and had a king-sized bed and a twin bed, as well as a modern bathroom with a bidet, toilet, and shower. I also had a balcony that overlooked the terrace!
Then, it was time to continue our food and wine tour of Berat, Albania with dinner. Alma is the president of slow food in Berat! We had olives, fig salad, chicken, lamb with seven herbs, byrek with tomatoes and herbs, wild cabbage, stuffed eggplant, stuffed grape leaves, cheese, a huge loaf of homemade bread, and more! We also had rakija!
The wine was nice and smooth and it warmed me up! Then, they made some lakror that’s made of bulghur and corn and baked on a fire in a huge oven! There were musicians playing traditional music.Then, I watched the cook prepare Berati schnitzel, which is made of pounded beef that’s stuffed with cheese and breaded. Erjan and I toasted with some rakija which is good for your heart!
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The eggplant stuffed with onion and red pepper was so good, and the japrak (grape leaves stuffed with rice) was so tasty. Next, I tried a huge forkful of what I thought was cheese but was actually butter! It was so good, though! There was also some crumbly cheese, too! The stuffed pepper was also amazing, as was the fig salad and the cabbage salad. I loved the sour fresh yogurt, and the tomato-and-onion byrek was to die for!
Next was an amazing turkey that was better than the one I had at Thanksgiving and some incredible, fatty lamb! Then, we had a dessert that’s similar to baklava but it’s made faster. They say it’s also tastier!
We ended with some more rakija and more desserts, including one that was like ice cream with cherry marmalade! What a fantastic way to end my afternoon and evening of Albanian food and wine in Berat, Albania! Massive thanks to my friends at Travel Media EU, Balkan Pearls Tour Operator, and Rental Car Albania for making this adventure possible!
I hope you liked coming along on my awesome food and wine tour of Berat, Albania! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures around the world!
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