Herzegovina wine and Balkan gastronomy programmes for agencies and incentive planners

Herzegovina, the southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has a warm Mediterranean climate and stony karst soils along the Neretva valley. Wine has been made here for centuries. The signature grapes are Žilavka, a fresh, mineral white, and Blatina, a soft red that is traditionally grown alongside other varieties because it needs a partner for pollination.

Most wineries are family businesses, which suits small groups and incentive programmes: tastings take place in cellars, courtyards and vineyards, often with the winemaker present and with local food served alongside.

Herzegovina sits between the Adriatic and Sarajevo, so a wine programme fits naturally into a longer trip. Groups arriving in Dubrovnik or Split can spend two or three nights in Mostar before continuing to Sarajevo, or return to the coast. Trebinje, in the far south-east of Herzegovina, is close to Dubrovnik and works as a half-day or full-day addition to a coastal stay.

For incentive groups we keep transfers short, plan tastings in the late morning and late afternoon to avoid the summer heat, and always provide transport so that nobody has to drive after a tasting.