Top 3 Wine Tours and Tastings in Borsh

Tucked along Albania’s sun-drenched Ionian coast, Borsh is one of those under-the-radar coastal villages that most travelers speed past on their way to Sarandë or Himarë. Sure, its pebbly beaches and cliffside views are stunning, but the real hidden gem here is the region’s centuries-old winemaking tradition, passed down through generations of local farming families who’ve quietly perfected their craft far from the snooty wine world’s spotlight. If you’ve ever been turned off by pretentious tasting rooms and overpriced flights of wine you can’t pronounce, Borsh’s wine scene is the refreshing change of pace you’ve been looking for.

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Unlike the commercialized wine tours you’ll find in more tourist-heavy European regions, Borsh’s tastings are casual, personal, and rooted in local culture. You won’t find fancy cheese boards with imported crackers here—you’ll be handed a slice of homemade olive bread, a chunk of feta cured in the family’s own brine, and a story about how the family kept their vineyard alive during the country’s communist era, when private production was banned. Whether you’re a casual wine drinker who can’t tell a Cabernet from a Merlot, or a serious oenophile looking to try rare indigenous Albanian grape varieties, these three tours are the perfect way to experience the best of Borsh’s wine scene.

1. The Konak Family Winery Half-Day Walking Tour

This is the no-fuss, low-pressure option for anyone who hates big, pre-planned group tours. The Konak family has run their vineyard just outside Borsh’s village center for four generations, and their tour is less of a “wine education” and more of a casual hang at a friend’s family farm. You’ll wander through their rows of indigenous grapevines, learn how they use traditional sun-drying methods for their sweet dessert wines, and end the tour in their rustic stone cellar tasting 5 to 6 different wines paired with homemade snacks their grandmother still makes by hand: warm focaccia slathered in local honey, briny Kalamata olives, and cubes of feta marinated in oregano and olive oil.

It’s perfect for families with young kids, too—they’ll pour cold, sweet non-alcoholic grape juice for little ones, and there’s plenty of space for them to run around the vineyard while you taste. Even if you know nothing about wine, the Konak family will walk you through every pour with zero pretension, no fancy jargon, and plenty of jokes about how their best wine is the one they hide from the tourists. For anyone who wants to skip the stuffy tasting room vibe and get a genuine feel for local life, this is the tour to book.

• Best time to go: Late September to early October, right during harvest season. If you book during this window, you’ll get to help the family pick grapes for that year’s vintage, and you’ll taste the freshest, most recent batches of wine that haven’t even been bottled yet.
• Booking tip: The Konak family doesn’t use any third-party booking sites, so just send them a quick Facebook message 3 to 4 days in advance. They almost always respond within a few hours, and they rarely require a deposit, so you don’t have to worry about locking in money ahead of your trip.

2. The Coastal Vineyard & Sunset Wine Cruise

If you’d rather trade a stuffy cellar for a boat ride along the Ionian Sea, this sunset cruise is the most scenic wine experience you can find in Borsh. You’ll meet your guide at Borsh’s main pebble beach 2 hours before sunset, climb aboard a small, rickety wooden fishing boat (don’t worry, it’s perfectly stable), and cruise 15 minutes along the coast to a tiny, family-run vineyard carved into the cliffside. The vineyard owners will greet you with a spread of fresh grilled octopus, marinated anchovies, and crusty bread baked in their outdoor wood oven, all paired with crisp, mineral-driven white wines made from grapes grown right in the salty coastal air.

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This tour is ideal for couples looking for a low-key romantic evening, or anyone who loves pairing wine with fresh seafood. The whole experience lasts about 3 hours, and you’ll have plenty of time to snap photos of the sunset painting the sea pink and orange while you sip your wine. Even if you get motion sickness easily, the boat ride is smooth and slow, so you won’t have to worry about feeling queasy while you’re out on the water.

The best part? The vineyard owners almost always have extra fresh produce from their garden to give away to guests, so you might leave with a bag of sun-warmed tomatoes or a bundle of fresh herbs to take back to your accommodation.

• Best time to go: May through early October, when the water is warm enough for the boat ride and the sunset hits at a perfect time (around 8:30pm in peak summer, earlier in spring and fall). Avoid rainy days, as the boat can’t go out in rough waves.
• Booking tip: In peak summer months (July and August), book at least a week in advance, as they only take 8 guests per tour to keep the experience intimate. Off-peak, you can usually book 2 to 3 days ahead, and they’ll often give you a small discount if you’re traveling solo and there’s extra space.

3. The Borsh Wine & Heritage Day Tour

For anyone who loves learning about the history behind the wine they drink, this half-day tour is the most immersive option on the list. It starts at a 17th-century stone house in Borsh’s old upper village, owned by a family that’s been making wine in the region for over 200 years. First, you’ll get a tour of the house and its small, hand-carved rock cellar, where the family still ages some of their wines in traditional clay qvevri pots buried underground, a method that’s been used in Albania for thousands of years.

After the house tour, you’ll move to the family’s shaded outdoor patio to taste 7 to 8 different wines, including rare, dry reds made from the local Kallmet grape and sweet, honeyed whites from Shesh i Bardhe vines, all paired with cured local meats, briny olives, and flaky baklava made by the family’s grandmother. The tour ends with a slow walk through the family’s olive grove, where you’ll learn how they make their own olive oil, and you’ll get a small, sealed bottle of their house red to take home as a souvenir.

This is the best pick for solo travelers, as the groups are small (10 to 12 people max) and almost always full of other curious, laid-back travelers who love learning about local culture. The pace is slow and relaxed, with plenty of time to ask questions and chat with the family about their life in Borsh.

• Best time to go: April through June, when the weather is mild enough to walk around the old village without getting overheated, and the olive trees in the grove are in full bloom. It’s also less crowded than in peak summer, so you’ll get more one-on-one time with the family.
• Booking tip: If you’re already in Borsh, book directly through the local tourism office in the village square. They often offer a 10% discount for same-day bookings if there’s space left, and they’ll arrange free pickup from most accommodation in the village, so you don’t have to hike up the hill to the old village if you’re staying near the beach.

Borsh’s wine scene is exactly the kind of unplanned, heartfelt travel experience that sticks with you long after you get home—no fancy tasting menus, no overpriced souvenirs, just local families happy to share the thing they care about most with anyone who’s willing to show up and listen. Even if you only have a day or two to spend in the village, carving out time for one of these tours will give you a far better feel for the real Albania than any guidebook or popular tourist spot ever could.