Croatia – Jewel of the Adriatic, May 24-June 7, 2025, with Josh & Carrie Bendick of Holly's Hill Vineyards

Holly’s Hill Vineyard

Crafting fine wines has been at the heart of Holly’s Hill Vineyards and of winemakers Josh and Carrie Bendick from their beginning, 22 years ago.

This is a family winery in the truest sense. Josh and Carrie partner with Carrie’s parents Holly and Tom who share their passion for Rhone varieties. Together, the family produces wines from their mountainous El Dorado County vineyard, sitting at nearly 3000 feet. This elevation lends complexity, spice and bright acidity to the wines of Holly’s Hill Vineyards.

In the cellar, Josh and Carrie rely on old world techniques learned through their travels and let the expression of the vineyards carry through from grape to bottle. “With energy, elegance and equilibrium, their wines speak profoundly and consistently of the future of Rhone Valley varieties in California” says Mike Dunne of the Sacramento Bee. As the first exclusively Rhone winery in the El Dorado region, they have carved out a niche market for themselves and continuously receive 90+ point ratings for their labor of love.

The enjoyment of wine, food and family together is paramount to Josh and Carrie and the distinctive wines they produce allow for such perfect pairings. They raise their three daughters on the vineyard property and integrate family values into every aspect of running the business. Josh is also a skilled chef, creating engaging pairing menus for the winery’s events highlighting the unity of food and wine.

Josh and Carrie invite you to join them for this “Bucket List” trip to Croatia. This once-in-a-lifetime program combines a 7-night land tour from Zagreb to Split, followed by a 7-night private yacht cruise to Dubrovnik aboard the deluxe, 18-cabin vessel AVANGARD. We’ll visit Croatia’s most beautiful islands on the Adriatic Sea.

On board will be an ample provision of Holly’s Hill Vineyards’ wines, along with local Croatian vintages. This exclusive holiday is dedicated to great food, fine wine and plentiful sunshine. Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime wine and travel experience. Feel free to share this website with any like-minded friends.