JOURNEY
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BY SARAH
Cermeniza Eco Resort and Winery is one of those places that people go home raving about. Nestled in the rolling hills just outside the Lake Skadar gateway town of Virpazar, Cermeniza Eco Resort and Winery has it all: beautiful surroundings, exceptional hospitality and it offers you a truly authentic Montenegrin experience that you’ll remember long after you return home.
Cermeniza has been in the Đurišić family for over 200 years. Now, it has opened its doors to show visitors authentic Montenegrin hospitality, food and wine, all within the breath-taking hills of the Crmnica region, just 20 minutes from Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica.
It’s a true family-run estate, with three generations of Đurišić family running the resort and winery. The resort offers a variety of accommodations including apartments, rooms, and villas, each with its own unique character and charm. The private villas are designed to be environmentally sustainable and incorporate elements of traditional Montenegrin architecture.
At Cermeniza Eco Resort and Winery you can also enjoy a range of amenities such as a swimming pool, sun terrace, organic garden, and a restaurant serving locally sourced food and wine. The resort also offers guided tours of the vineyard and wine tasting experiences, as well as outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and kayaking.
This hidden gem offers a sense of authenticity and true hospitality is hard to find in tourist offerings anywhere these days.
With award-winning wines on offer in their wine cellar and rustic-luxe accommodation just a stone’s throw from one of Europe’s most important wildlife reserves, Cermeniza Eco Resort and Winery provides a peaceful and relaxing environment for travelers looking to experience the natural beauty and culture of Montenegro.
Cermeniza Winery | Cermeniza Eco Resort Villas | Make a Booking
Cermeniza Winery’s vineyards have been lovingly tended by generations of the Đurišić family for over 200 years. The secret of making excellent Vranac, the most popular variety in Montenegro, has been passed down through generations of the Đurišić family, and is now overseen by the family wine expert, Marko.
In fact, their wine was Montenegro’s wine of the year in 2016!
Cermeniza Winery offers several wine tasting tours on the estate. All tastings include a tour of the winery where you can see how the wines are produced and learn about the tradition of wine-making in Montenegro. Cermeniza produces several wines and brandies including:
“Our winemaking philosophy and strategy is based on minimal intervention, relying on the health and balanced growth of the vines to guide the process. Grapes are gently harvested by hand, fermentations proceed naturally without the addition of commercial yeasts.”
Cermeniza Winery offers wine tastings starting from just €10. Similar wine tastings, like this one in Italy, start at €40 per person!
There are three tours to choose from, but all include Cermeniza wine and rakija tastings. Two of the tours include food, and I highly recommend choosing one of these to experience not only some of Montenegro’s best wine, but traditional cuisine.
Cermeniza Winery has a beautiful stone cellar for wine tastings, but space is limited so bookings are essential!
On this tour you’ll try Vranac, Barrique, a white wine and a dessert wine, all made and bottled onsite. You’ll also be able to try three types of rakija, made from grapes, quince, pears and apricots.
What’s
included: Wine tasting, rakija tasting, winery tour. Bottles of wine can be
purchased during the tour.
Start point: Cermeniza Eco Resort, Bojevi Virpazar
Price: €10 per person
Availability: Weekends only until April 20th, every day from April
21st
This tour introduces you to the pillars of Montenegrin cuisine: wine, rakija, prosciutto, cheese and olives.
On the tour you’ll try Vranace, Barrique, a white wine and a dessert wine all produced onsite at the winery. You’ll also try three types of Montengrin brandy: grape, fruit and gentian lutea.
The tastings are accompanied by a platter of Montenegro prosciutto ham and selected cheeses including a local delicacy: cheese aged in oil. A platter of prosciutto and cheese is always served to guests in Montenegro as a sign of hospitality and respect
What’s
included: Wine tasting, rakija tasting, winery tour, prosciutto, cheese and
olive platter. Bottles can be purchased during the tour.
Start point: Cermeniza Eco Resort, Bojevići Village, Virpazar
Price: €15 per person
Availability: Weekends only until April 20th, every day from April 21st
This tour introduces you to the unique flavours of Lake Skadar. On the tour you’ll try four wines made by the winery – Vranac, Barrique, a white wine and a dessert wine. You’ll also try three types of Montenegrin brandy – grape, fruit and gentian lutea.
The wine and rakija tastings are accompanied by a platter of Montenegrin prosciutto, cheeses, olives and marinated carp. Marinated carp is a Lake Skadar specialty that you’ll only find in this region.
What’s
included: Wine tasting, rakija tasting, winery tour, marinated carp,
prosciutto, cheese and olive planner. Bottles of wine can be purchased during
the tour
Start point: Cermeniza Eco Resort, Bojevići Village, Virpazar
Price: €20 per person
Availability: Weekends only until April 20th, every day from April
21st
Cermeniza Eco Resort is ideally located in Montenegro. The resort lies just 1.5km from the centre of Virpazar, the gateway to Lake Skadar National Park. From Virpazar you can take boat tours on the lake, go kayaking and hiking.
It’s also just 20 minutes from the capital, Podgorica, and 20 minutes from the coastal town of Bar and several beaches. It’s an ideal base for exploring many of Montenegro’s attractions.
Adjoining the winery is a small restaurant, where you can get traditional homestyle meals. This is the kind of food that you won’t find in restaurants! It’s made with love and decades of experience cooking for a family.
All the produce is either grown onsite or purchased locally. I highly recommend trying the carp, which is freshly-caught in Lake Skadar. There is no set menu, the options change depending on the season. And if you let them know your preferences or dietary restrictions, they’re happy to accommodate and make meals especially for you.
“The house we rented is lovely and very comfortable. It is in a beautiful location, in the middle of the vineyards overlooking the valley of Virpazar. We are admirably received by Nemanja, the son of the family, who lodges on the spot and looks after his guests. We recommend you to dine in the private cellar of the vineyard, on site, with wine tasting and liqueurs of the property, and excellent grilled fish. In the end we spent two fantastic days in this place of exception” – Oliver
Cermeniza Eco Resort has six rustic-luxe villas that sleep up to four people in each. Like everything else here, the villas have been thoughtfully crafted in signature Montenegrin style to fit with the surroundings and history of this beautiful region. The traditional stone walls of the villas keep them cool in summer and warm in winter, and they’re furnished with solid wood furniture made from local walnut trees.
All villas come with:
“It’s even better than the photos show. The villas are beautifully styled, cozy, clean, equipped with all your kitchen basics. The host is so wonderful and thoughtful. He made sure we were enjoying ourselves and that we had everything we needed. This is a beautiful family run vineyard with everything you want for a relaxing vacation. The view from the pool is incredible!!! A must see!” – Kayleigh
To make a booking at Cermeniza Eco Resort and Winery, you can contact Nemanja at cermeniza@gmail.com or by filling in one of the forms below.