Fodor's Expert Review Vinarija Zdjelarević

Editor's Note: This location is reported to be under new ownership and therefore this review may contain inaccuracies.

Fifty kilometers southwest of Đakovo lies Slavonski Brod, Slavonia's second-largest city. It is located at a strategic river crossing on the Sava River toward Bosnia, which prompted the Austro-Hungarian Empire, wanting to safeguard themselves against the Ottomans in the 18th century, to build what is now one of Europe's best-preserved Baroque fortresses here. Half an hour away, across agricultural plains in the heart of Slavonia, is Croatia's original wine hotel, Vinarija Zdjelarević. In 1985, it became one of the first private wineries to emerge from under communist control, which dictated that all wineries must be state-owned. It is a modern and elegant retreat, combining a stunning restaurant serving sophisticated Slavonian foods with 15 private rooms on beautifully landscaped vineyards.