In Southeast Europe, Croatia is home to a long coastline and thousands of islands. Rivalling Greece for Europe’s prettiest archipelago, there are countless photogenic destinations both on the mainland and the islands. The Adriatic is known for having some of the clearest waters in Europe, so it’s no wonder that Croatia is such a hotspot for scenic summer holidaying. 

I'm here today to highly recommend a beautiful, powerful, intercultural story: The Cheesemaker's Daughter, by Kristin Vuković.

Raised on the east coast, Julia Gagosian grew up 15 minutes outside of Boston in the small suburban town of Wellesley, Massachusetts. Growing up, she harbored a deep love for the Red Sox, lobster rolls, and hiking the trails of Henry David Thoreau’s, Walden Pond. Much time has passed since those days, as Julia is currently in her final year as an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in political science, with a concentration in comparative politics.

3 different climates, 10 nature parks, 8 national parks, countless beaches, excellent food & wine, and 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites - where are you? Croatia!

At first blush, Crljenak Kastelanski, Grasevina, Plavac Mali, Pošip - some of Croatia’s grape varietals - sounded Greek to me. Since OPA is the only Greek word I know, pronouncing these grape names sent my mind into a tailspin.

In fact, I was so overwhelmed by the names of Croatian wines, winemakers, and labels that I couldn’t imagine writing about them without mastering the spelling first. Then I scanned several sources and talked to a Croatia wine expert. That said, I cheered up and decided to give these wines a swirl.   

As Croatian folk music blasts in the background, my family makes our way through windy mountain roads in our tiny rental car. We drive quickly by tiny villages and rolling green hills, dotted with trees, where happy sheep graze. The mountains are very beautiful, but only a preview of the spectacular place we are soon enter. Before long, the drive is over, the music turned off, the tickets bought, and we are entering the park.