The sound of the crystal-clear waters of the Ljuta River gushing through dense foliage is therapeutic. Walking down narrow footpaths in between trees, I can hear the chirp of birds. Above us is Mount Snijeznica, with its hiking and mountain biking trails. Purple irises glow between almond trees. This is the Konavle Valley in the hinterland of Dubrovnik, Croatia . Its name derives from the Latin “canalis”, referring to the channels that brought water to about 33 villages scattered across the valley.We drive past babbling mountain streams and squat stone houses. We pass the ancient town of Cavtat which, my guide says, was the Greek town of Epidaurus, founded in 6th century BC, later called Epidaurum under the Romans in 228 BC. The inhabitants fled north to establish Dubrovnik when their city was invaded.It was the Romans who first built aqueducts and canals to bring water to this region.The Konavle Valley is a day trip from Dubrovnik, and offers biking and hiking trails as well as vineyard tours and horse riding. It has been called the food bowl and the garden of Croatia. Located at the southernmost tip of the country, it is flanked by the Adriatic Sea and the Sniježnica mountains. Bordering Bosnia-Hercegovina to the east and Montenegro to the south, the valley covers approximately 125 square miles and has a population of around 10,000 people. It has rolling vineyards, as the climactic and geological conditions are ideal for winemaking.Julija in a traditional dress. Her father grew his first vineyard of Malvasija from three healthy vinesCroatia doesn’t figure among Mediterranean countries known for world-class wines. One reason is that locals and tourists consume almost all of the country’s supply. The other reason is history. Till the Croatian War of Independence in the early 1990s, the communist government restricted the wine industry. Then the war saw the destruction of many vineyards and wineries. “The Croatians haven’t given up on this ancient practice and there is a strong movement by independent wine producers,” says the guide. People are once again cultivating in family-owned vineyards. Every September through October, friends flock to vineyards to help pick grapes. The region, having recovered from the war, is peaceful, lush with olives, tangerines, figs and mulberries.Konavle is also famous for its national costume, decorated with intricate needlework. Girls wear crop waistcoats, which are richly embroidered, and round caps. The Konavle embroidery with its geometric motifs stands out. The story goes that every family in Konavle used to have their own nest of silkworms from which they would extract silk thread. These threads were then coloured with naturals dyes over weeks.The traditional colours are red, black, dark green and gold. “Embroidery was done by young girls before they got married, as silk was the most important material for bridal clothes,” explains our guide. These days, about 10 families in the region are engaged in the trade. Shops sell embroidered tablecloths, pillows, handkerchiefs and dresses.Our first stop is the family farm Brajkovic in the heart of Konavle, among rolling vineyards and towering cypress trees. The family grows grapes and olives. We sit at long wooden tables and are served delicious wines and healthy olive oil accompanied by home-baked bread. We taste the local herbal brandy called travarica, fruit liqueurs, figs and candied orange peel called arancini.Konavle’s past is also evident in the water mills built on the Ljuta river in the 15th centuryFrom here we board a dinky little minitrain that ferries us to the Ivo Karaman Winery. An open verandah overlooks the vineyards, and the owners offer us enormous platters of candied oranges and sugared almonds, cured ham and cheese, crusty bread and green onions along with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the white Marastina and special Dubrovacka Malvasija that is indigenous to Konavle.Konavle’s past is also evident in the water mills and stamp mills built on the Ljuta River in the 15th century. The mill system was critical for the region’s economy: to grind grains, press olives and even mat the fibres of wool. Now these are cultural monuments Of the 14 mills that used to be in operation, only three remain. At the Konavoski Dvori restaurant, we sit down for a lunch of grilled trout and veal baked in a traditional iron vessel.Wine tasting in the open verandah of the Ivo Karaman wineryOur last stop is the winery of Niko Karaman, who saved the Dubrovacka Malvasija grape from extinction. From the three healthy vines that he discovered he grew his first vineyard of Dubrovacka Malvasija. His daughter Julija says that Malvasija wine has a golden past: that it was exported in 1383 to a Bosnian king, and that there are indications that it was exported even to Venice before that. The Malvasija bouquet offers an enticing range of orange blossom, citrus, peach, apricot and almond. The Karman wine rooms are made of stone and wooden beams. As I quaff their wine and bite into soft, home-made sponge cake called Pan di spagna or Padišpanj — brought to Croatia by Dubrovnik seafarers — gazing into the burnished orange of a Croatian sunset, all’s well with the world.Kalpana Sunder is a Chennai-based travel writer