A Visit to Kantina Binjaket: Tipsy in Tirana

When you think of amazing wine experiences your mind might immediately go to the Cabernet makers of Napa, Champagne houses of France, or the Port Caves of Portugal. For us, it was at Kantina Binjaket down a hot, back-alley dirt road in Tirana, Albania.

With a peak wine production area of approximately 49,000 acres, finding a winery to visit from wherever you are in Albania shouldn’t be a problem – or so we thought. After diving into our computers trying to choose a place to visit from Tirana, we found this task not as easy as we would have imagined. What caught our eye was a winery with zero reviews, very few pictures, and a website that sent us to Albania’s tourism website. None-the-less, we set out hoping for the best, but were prepared to find that this place may not be open or even exist. Just the week prior we had been fooled in Durres. There, we went out of our way to find a craft beer bar that, upon arrival, looked like it hadn’t been in operation for 6 months or more.

Determined to drink wine straight from the source, we set off with GPS and a jug of water in hand down the hot, dusty roads winding further into the neighborhood. After a few more turns and what seemed to be a pointless journey, there it was: The gateway that we had seen in one of the online pictures for Kantina Binjaket.

Upon arrival we were greeted by a gentleman who would later on serenade us. He pulled the large rope to ring the bell to the winery and then led us in to meet the owners. Inside we found two brothers – twins – sitting around a large wooden table with some friends enjoying their lunch. With no common language spoken between us we were gestured to sit around one of the tables in the cellar.

This is where one of the most memorable wine tasting experiences we have ever had began. Very quickly, glasses and pitchers of wine that were filled straight from the barrels and tanks hit the table.

We communicated through hand gestures and Google translate (which by the way, sucks for trying to have a conversation). After our tour of the production facilities the brothers asked if we wanted something to eat. Never being able to turn down food, we both nodded yes, even though we had just shoveled gyros stuffed with fries in our faces. While one brother stayed with us to drink wine, the other went off into the kitchen. We thought we were going to get a little bit of cheese and cured meats, as you would typically be served in most wineries. What we got, however, was a whole farm. Before the plates started piling up on our table, our noses knew something delicious was headed in our direction. Porkbelly, ribs, beef, chicken, rice, and cheese all kept appearing, every bite just as tasty as the last.

Finally, when we thought there could be no more, out came dessert. A plate piled high with croissants still warm from the oven and homemade plum jam. Megan kept claiming she was “so full” as she would reach for another pastry dripping with the sweet jam.

We sat with these men for hours enjoying glass after glass of wine. After the first few, I was beginning to feel like I knew Albanian thanks to the Google translations and the help of Stiv. This young man is their son/nephew whom we laughed and laughed with over the phone. We must have called him fifteen times to translate for us, but he never seemed to care and helped to communicate any sentence/joke we wanted to make with his dad and uncle.

As for the wine, I could never tell you what type of grapes they were. All I know is there were both reds and whites from Albania. We never saw a bottle with a label and everything we drank came straight from the tank or barrel. Each of them were complex and served with the best company we could ask for. If you find yourself in Albania and want a wine experience like none other, give Kantina Binjaket a try!

Address: Rruga Ramazan Kasa Pallati i Binjakeve Nr.34, Bodrumi 18 Tirane AL, Tiranë 1001, Albania

Have you ever experienced a language barrier situation that turned out to be really enjoyable? Let us know in the comments!

Cheers friends,

Matt + Megan