We would now like to present those activities that are uncommon for the tourism in Hvar, but are luckily still available in Pitve and our family. These include a visit to a traditional autochthonic cottage, grape and olive picking and the production of olive oil and wine. If you are not afraid of manual labor and if you enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done – then this is your choice of activities.
It goes without saying that wine and oil tasting, as well as trying out other products are a special benefit of working on the field.
Visiting the autochthonic cottage in Pitve
A cottage has always been center of the Dalmatian island agriculture. For us, it is a magical place where we convert the fruits of the land into beverages, oil and food. These special places hold the secret to family recipes and production types. Cottages are meeting places for friends, workers, families, imbued with the scent of wine, oil, smoke, wax and herbs. This is a place where to understand how wine and oil is produced, to experience the real atmosphere of the space that is synonymous for work, leisure, pride and warmth for all Dalmatian people.
Olive and grape picking
Grape harvest (picking) takes place in September. Even today it is interesting to notice how the fields of Hvar liven up at that time. Everything is ready for the harvest, every person knows their task, their place. Harvest is always a mixture of physically demanding work and great joy. We finally get to enjoy the fruit of our labor. The barrels are ready for wine, and the people for wine tasting. The great expectation reaches its climax. And when all of the above takes place in Pitve, in the unspoiled nature, with bees buzzing and crickets chirp, we feel fresh again. What a thrill for the body and the mind!
Same thing happens with olive picking. The joy of labor, the anticipation of the first drops, the tiredness, happiness and peace. Lunch under an olive tree, salted sardines or a piece of sheep milk cheese, a glass of red wine. This is an ongoing therapy.
Olive oil and wine production
A year on and the cycle is complete. We are in our cottage again, and everything is ready for the daily alchemy. The dishes are clean, the cottage is organized and ready for the production of oil and wine. Indeed, it is a true feeling of joy to be able to participate in the process of wine and oil production, to observe the workers as they move gracefully in what is for them a well-acquired process. The cottage fills up with scents, hastiness and synchronization. Join us, and become a part of this story.