Wine Routes of Albania: 4 Road Trips for Wine Lovers
On my last trip to Albania I focused on agritourism and visited many wineries and farm to table restaurants. Based on my own travels around the country, I’ve put together wine routes that cover the four wine regions of Albania.
Albania is an emerging wine destination. There are numerous small, family run wineries producing excellent and distinctive wines using traditional methods and indigenous grapes. My tastings were usually done by family members, and I got a chance to meet and speak with the wine makers.
Many of these wineries have farm to table restaurants and/or guest houses. I’ve recommended the ones I know are excellent.
Good to Know Before Visiting Wineries in Albania
- You need a car. I rented through Discover Cars and was very happy with the service.
- Call ahead to verify opening hours and days. They range and some wineries are seasonal.
- Not all vineyards accept credit cards. Many do, but some of the smaller ones may not.
- Most wine tastings in Albania come with food (cheese, olives, bread etc.).
- Wine tastings cost between 1500 lek and 4500 lek ($18 – 45 USD). Some vineyards offer packages at different price points.
Albania Wine Route Road Trips
There are 3 shorter wine routes, and then a grand wine tour which takes you through all of Albania including the best vineyards from each region.
I’ve mixed up stays at agritourism guest houses with city breaks, and included farm to table restaurants and nearby sites. The hotels I’ve recommended have parking.
1. Southern Albania Wine Route – 8 days
This wine route takes you south to the Albanian Riviera and the most heavily concentrated regions of wine making in Albania around Berat (UNESCO).
- Cities: Vlore, Berat, Permet, Leskovik
- Sites: Apollonia Archeological Park, Benje Hot Springs
- 11 wineries
- 3 agritourism restaurants
If Albania had a designated wine region, the area around Berat would be it. The terroir is perfect for vineyards, and many of Albania’s top producers are here. Shesh e Bardhe (white) and Shesh i Zi (red) grapes are widely grown.
On this route, the cities of Vlore and Berat will be busy, but once you head inland to Permet and Leskovik it gets much quieter.
Day 1: Arrive in Tirana, pick up car rental. Tasting at Uka Wine. Dinner at agritourism Blerina Farm. Overnight at Blerina’s Agritourism Concept, outside of Tirana.
Day 2: Tasting at Kantina Tufa, lunch at agritourism Fustanella Farm. Drive toward Berat and stop at Cobo Winery. Overnight in Berat (Hotel Plaza Berat).
Day 3: Explore the sites of Berat. Tastings at Nurellari Winery and Pupa Winery & Guest House. Dinner, sunset tasting and overnight at Alpeta Agrotourizem & Winery in Roshnik.
Day 4: Tasting at Albanica Wine. Visit Apollonia Archeological Park. Meal and tasting at Kantina Balaj. Overnight in Vlore (Hotel Brooklyn Vlore).
Day 5: Explore Vlore. Optional beach stop at Orikum or Radhime. Tasting at Kantina Ferma Dukat. Overnight in Vlore.
Day 6: Check in at Permet hotel, or straight to Benja Hot Springs. Dinner at slow food restaurant Te Culi. Overnight in Permet (White Villa).
Day 7: Tasting at Max Mavrud Winery. Dinner, tasting and overnight at Melesin Distillery in Leskovik.
Day 8: Drive back to Tirana. Lunch at Olivia Tradicion, just outside of Fier.
2. Central Albania Wine Route – 4 days
This wine route is perfect if you only have a few days in Albania. Most wineries are within a relatively compact area west and south of Tirana, making it ideal for a quick road trip.
- Cities: Durres
- Sites: Cape Rodon, Preza Castle
- 7 wineries
- 3 agritourism restaurants
The central wine route includes some of Albania’s very best vineyards and agritourism restaurants. Overnight stays are at guest houses connected to the wineries or agritourism in small towns and villages.
Day 1: Arrive in Tirana, pick up your rental. Tasting at Uka Wine. Dinner at agritourism Blerina Farm. Overnight at Blerina’s Agritourism Concept, outside of Tirana.
Day 2: Tastings at Cantina Cassar Winery and Shehi Winery & Vineyards. Protected nature reserve Cape Rodon. Tasting and dinner at Duka Winery & Vineyard. Overnight at la Reserve by Duka Winery.
Day 3: Explore the sites of Durres. Tastings at Abaia Winery and Kokomani Winery. Dinner and overnight at Agroturizem Gjepali.
Day 4: Drop off car in Tirana. Optional stop at Preza Castle and lunch with tasting at Kantina Enol.
3. Northern Albanian Wine Route – 7 Days
This route follows Albania’s historic Kallmet (red grape) wine region in northern Albania, though they’ll be plenty of other varietals. It’s a good itinerary for someone who wants to visit quieter and less tourisity parts of Albania.
- Cities and towns: Shkoder, Lezhe & Kruja
- Sites: Cape Rodon, Komani Lake, Mesi Bridge
- 8 wineries
- 2 agritourism restaurants
There’s a mix of large and small wineries, agritourism restaurants and guest houses, the city of Shkoder and beautiful mountain town of Kruja.
I recommend 2-3 nights in Shkoder. It’s the perfect base for exploring local wineries and taking a day trip to Komani Lake (the fjords of Albania – very worth visiting).
Day 1: Arrive in Tirana, pick up your rental. Tasting and overnight at Vila Shehi Winery & Vineyard.
Day 2: Protected reserve of Cape Rodon. Tastings at Duka Winery & Vineyard and Kallmet Winery. Drive through Lezhe. Dinner and overnight at agritourism Mrizi i Zanave.
Day 3: Explore the sites of Shkoder. Overnight in Shkoder (Hotel Mozart).
Day 4: Mesi Bridge, tastings at Agroturizem Kantina Kopliku and Kantina Medaur. Kantina Mani for tasting, raki workshop and sunset dinner. Overnight in Shkoder.
Day 5: Komani Lake day tour. Book tickets through Berisha Ferries. Overnight in Shkoder.
Day 6: Tasting at Kantina Arberi, then mountain town of Kruja (dinner at agritourism Restorant Bardhi). Overnight in Kruja (Hotel Dior).
Day 7: Drop car off in Tirana. Optional tasting and meal at Uka Wine if you have time.
4. The Grand Albania Wine Route – 12 days
This route takes you through all the major wine producing regions of Albania, as well as many important sites and cities. It’s the perfect itinerary for a true wine lover that wants to see as much as possible.
- Cities: Shkoder, Durres, Berat, Saranda, Permet, Leskovik
- Sites: Mesi Bridge, Cape Rodon, Apollonia Archeological Park, Syri i Kalter, Butrint National Park, Benje Hot Springs
- 18 wineries
- 5 agritourism restaurants
This route goes by the Adriatic Coast, Albania’s Riviera, the historic city of Berat, then heads inland to Permet and Leskovik in the beautiful Vjosa River Valley.
Day 1: Arrive in Tirana, pick up rental car. Overnight in Shkoder (Hotel Mozart).
Day 2: Explore the Shkoder. Visit Mesi Bridge. Tastings at Agroturizem Kantina Kopliku and Kantina Medaur. Tasting or raki workshop and dinner at Kantina Mani. Overnight in Shkoder.
Day 3: Tasting at Kallmet Winery. Lunch at agritourism Mrizi i Zanave. Option to explore Cape Rodon. Dinner, tasting and overnight at la Reserve by Duka Winery.
Day 4: Tasting at Kokomani Winery. Lunch at Agroturizem Gjepali. Tasting at Abaia Winery. Overnight in Durres (Art Gallery Boutique Hotel).
Day 5: Tastings at Albanica Wine and Cobo Winery on the way to Berat. Overnight in Berat (Hotel Plaza Berat).
Day 6: Explore Berat and Berat Castle. Tastings at Nurellari Winery and Pupa Winery & Guest House. Dinner and evening tasting at Alpeta Agrotourizem & Winery. Overnight in Berat.
Day 7: Visit Apollonia Archeological Park. Tasting and lunch at Kantina Balaj. Tasting and overnight at Kantina Ferma & Dukat.Â
Day 8: Ionian coast drive to Syri i Kalter (the Blue Eye). Lunch at Mesopotam Agroturizem. Visit Monastery of St Nikolas. Tasting at Kantina e Veres Isak. Overnight in Saranda (Austin Boutique Hotel).
Day 9: Visit Butrint National Park with optional beach stop in Ksamil. Explore sites of Saranda. Overnight in Saranda.
Day 10: Explore Permet. Eat at slow food restaurant Te Culi. Overnight in Permet (White Villa).
Day 11: Visit Benje Hot Springs. Tasting at Max Mavrud Winery. Tasting, dinner and overnight at Melesin Distillery in Leskovik.
Day 12: Drive back to Tirana. Lunch at Olivia Tradicion, just outside of Fier. Optional overnight stay near the airport and dinner at Blerina’s Agritourism Concept.
Best Time for a Wine Road Trip in Albania
Autumn, especially early to mid September, is the best time to travel the wine routes in Albania. This is when vineyards harvest their grapes and many wineries have special events around the harvesting.
Berat hosts a 3 day wine festival in October, and there are other small festivals around Albania at this time.
This is also a better time to visit in terms of weather. Autumn is very pleasant with warm days, but cooler nights.
Quick History of Wine Making in Albania
One of the things that surprised me most about Albania was how old the viticulture is. There is evidence of winemaking dating back 4,000 to 6,000 years.
During communism (1944-1992) private land was confiscated, and most vineyards were destroyed and turned into large scale agricultural co-operatives. What survived was village level wine making for private consumption.
Post communism saw families spending years in court to retrieve their properties. Private wine making started to revive. Local winemakers trained in German, France and Italy and returned home to combine modern and traditional techniques using indigenous grapes.
All of that together with the government’s recent investment in agritourism has created a revival of Albania’s viticulture. There are now many family run vineyards all around Albania producing excellent wine.
Common Grapes of Albania
Most Albanian wine is made from indigenous grapes. Some vineyards grow Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, and Chardonnay, often blending these with native grapes.
The most common Albanian grapes varieties are:
- Shesh: The most widely produced grape in Albania. It comes in red (Shesh i Zi) and white (Sheshi i Bardhe). The reds are full bodied, and age well. The whites have notes of citrus and flowers. Both are grown in central and north Albania.
- Kallmet: Also comes in red and white, but the red is more common. The red grapes are well suited for oak aging and are grown in northwestern Albania.
- Pules: White grape grown in south Albania. It is notable for floral aromas and acidity. It only takes 1 or 2 years of aging for a perfectly balanced taste. A wine maker told me Pules goes exceptionally well with seafood.
- Vlosh: A prized red grape, often blended, that delivers deep color, robust tannins, and rich spice and red fruit notes. Originally produced around Vlore.
- Debine: Also produced in white and red varieties. It’s grown mostly in coastal regions around Himare and has a lively bouquet with citrus notes.
Last Words on Wine Routes of Albania: 4 Road Trips for Wine Lovers
Wine is not just something to be enjoyed – it is deeply engrained in the ethos of Albania. Wine makers are passionate about the wine they produce and excited to share it with visitors.
This is the perfect time to explore Albania’s wine routes. Albanian wine has become very good and vineyards are set up for tastings, but it’s still kind of an insider secret.
