the grapes being field crushed and then fermented for 3–10 days. This is then pressed once and barrel aged for about 2–4 months. The pressed mash is reconstituted with water and allowed to ferment for a few more days and is pressed again, with this pressing being distilled and used to make the famous "grappa". Generally the vines are sprayed once with insecticide and then blue stoned (copper sulfate) about four times during the growing season. The distillation of rosemary oil results in the production of up to 24,000 pounds oil per year. Fishing tradition In the early 20th century many Komižini fishermen emigrated to America and settled in Washington state. They were among the first to introduce modern fishing methods and helped pioneer the North Pacific salmon fishing industry. In the earliest days of the 20th century these intrepid men fished the fertile waters of Puget Sound. By 1920 they were voyaging from their home ports of Everett, Seattle, Bellingham, Gig Harbor and Anacortes, on wooden vessels typically of no more than 60'. Equipped with only a compass and often highly inaccurate charts to navigate by, they traveled to the abundant Alaskan salmon fishing grounds of Prince William Sound, Southeast Alaska and False Pass, on the edge of the Bering Sea. This perilous journey covered thousand miles, often taking weeks, and from which countless men did not return. Descendants of these men still fish the same waters and take the same perilous journeys today. Komiižni fishermen also emigrated to California's San Pedro / Long Beach area and Monterey California's Cannery Row (immortalized in Steinbeck's novel of the same name) and were highly successful in the then thriving California sardine fisheries of the first half of the 20th century. Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana is home to another group descended from Komižini fishermen who left Dalmatia over a century ago. As a result of this influence it is still local custom to serve at least one meal every day that includes seafood. Traditionally these fishermen used the falkuša, a unique wooden sailboat that is tapered narrowly on both ends. Notable residents Ranko Marinković (1913–2001), an acclaimed Croatian novelist and dramatist born in Komiža. The public library in Komiža bears his name, and the most prominent literary prize in Croatia was named after his famous novel (Cyclops - Nagrada Kiklop). See also Croatia Vis (island) Biševo Dalmatia References External links Tourist Board of