The Albanian wine renaissance — Çobo, Alpeta, Nurellari and the new generation

Wine in Albania is not a novelty — it is a homecoming. Archaeologists have found grape seeds in Illyrian settlements dating back thousands of years, and the country sits on the same latitudes that gave the wider Mediterranean its great vineyards. Yet under communism, private winemaking was effectively erased: land was collectivised, quantity replaced quality, and a heritage of native grapes nearly vanished. What is happening now, led by a generation that began replanting after 2010, is a genuine renaissance.

The grapes that survived

The most exciting bottles are made from indigenous varieties you will not find anywhere else. Look for Shesh i Bardhë and Shesh i Zi, the white and red workhorses of the hills around Tirana and Durrës; Kallmet, a structured red from the north near Lezhë; and Vlosh, grown on the hot southern coast around Vlorë. In the eastern highlands around Korçë, cooler-climate whites like Debinë and Pulës are quietly excellent.

The wineries to visit

Several family estates now welcome visitors, usually by arrangement. Çobo, on the road up to Berat, is one of the best known and pairs tastings with views over the Osum valley. Alpeta, near the village of Roshnik, offers a farm-stay experience among the vines. Nurellari works from Berat itself, and closer to Tirana, Uka Farm in Laknas has become a favourite for its restaurant-and-vineyard afternoons.

How to make it a trip

Berat is the natural base — a UNESCO town surrounded by the country's densest cluster of cellars, most within a short drive. Harvest, in late summer and early autumn, is the most atmospheric time to come, though tastings run year-round.

A few practical notes: message ahead, as many estates are small and family-run; a rental car makes the rural cellars far easier to reach; and always try the house raki at the end — the grape spirit is often the family's proudest pour.