Istria

Fresh Malvazija Istarska: almond, acacia, green apple and sea-salt freshness.

The everyday Istrian white. Cold-fermented in steel and meant to be drunk young, it is floral and apple-fresh with a saline, almond-bitter finish. Fuller on red coastal soils, more delicate and mineral in the hills inland. Brilliant with seafood.

The everyday Istrian white. Cold-fermented in steel and meant to be drunk young, it is floral and apple-fresh with a saline, almond-bitter finish. Fuller on red coastal soils, more delicate and mineral in the hills inland. Brilliant with seafood.

Teran: Istria's tart, peppery red - sour cherry, herbs, iron and lots of acidity.

Istria's flagship red is dark and high in acidity, with firm but food-friendly tannin. The best sites and careful growers give sour cherry, blackberry and wild herbs. Medium-to-full in body, it loves cured meat, stews and game.

Istria's flagship red is dark and high in acidity, with firm but food-friendly tannin. The best sites and careful growers give sour cherry, blackberry and wild herbs. Medium-to-full in body, it loves cured meat, stews and game.

Muškat momjanski: golden, honeyed Muscat from Momjan, dry to sweet.

A rare local Muscat with peach, orange peel and white-rose scent. It is made dry (Secco), semi-sweet or as a dried-grape passito, and only a few growers produce it. Lovely with ricotta, strudel or truffled egg dishes.

A rare local Muscat with peach, orange peel and white-rose scent. It is made dry (Secco), semi-sweet or as a dried-grape passito, and only a few growers produce it. Lovely with ricotta, strudel or truffled egg dishes.

Muškat momjanski: golden, honeyed Muscat from Momjan, dry to sweet.

A rare local Muscat with peach, orange peel and white-rose scent. It is made dry (Secco), semi-sweet or as a dried-grape passito, and only a few growers produce it. Lovely with ricotta, strudel or truffled egg dishes.

A rare local Muscat with peach, orange peel and white-rose scent. It is made dry (Secco), semi-sweet or as a dried-grape passito, and only a few growers produce it. Lovely with ricotta, strudel or truffled egg dishes.

Muškat momjanski: perfumed Muscat from the Momjan hills.

A white Muscat that arrived centuries ago from Friuli and adapted into its own local variety. Only a few growers make it, and the aromas are peach, orange peel and white roses. Dry, semi-sweet or passito, and best with desserts and soft cheese.

A white Muscat that arrived centuries ago from Friuli and adapted into its own local variety. Only a few growers make it, and the aromas are peach, orange peel and white roses. Dry, semi-sweet or passito, and best with desserts and soft cheese.

Maneštra, game and boškarin stews with Teran.

Istria's hearty beans-and-cabbage soup (maneštra), boar and Istrian cattle stews are made for a high-acid red. Teran's tartness and wild-herb notes cut richness.

Istria's hearty beans-and-cabbage soup (maneštra), boar and Istrian cattle stews are made for a high-acid red. Teran's tartness and wild-herb notes cut richness.

Malvazija Istarska: almond, acacia and green apple, in fresh, oaked or orange styles.

Istria's main white and Croatia's second most planted grape. It is a genetically distinct Malvasia, floral and mineral, with a bitter-almond finish. Fresh steel versions are for young drinking; oak, acacia and skin-contact versions are richer and age for years.

Istria's main white and Croatia's second most planted grape. It is a genetically distinct Malvasia, floral and mineral, with a bitter-almond finish. Fresh steel versions are for young drinking; oak, acacia and skin-contact versions are richer and age for years.

Kozlović: the family that set the standard for fresh, modern Malvazija.

A fourth-generation estate near Momjan, credited with leading Malvazija's rise as a serious wine. The straight Malvazija is the one to start with.

A fourth-generation estate near Momjan, credited with leading Malvazija's rise as a serious wine. The straight Malvazija is the one to start with.

Fakin: a stainless-steel Malvazija that is a fresh, fruity introduction.

Green apple and stone fruit; good with white fish, seafood and white-truffle dishes. The same house makes an acacia-aged premium version.

Green apple and stone fruit; good with white fish, seafood and white-truffle dishes. The same house makes an acacia-aged premium version.

Coronica: near Umag, the fresh Malvazija is the winery's most important wine.

A leading name of Istria's modern wave, about 23 hectares on red soil. Start with the fresh Malvazija, then try the Gran Malvazija.

A leading name of Istria's modern wave, about 23 hectares on red soil. Start with the fresh Malvazija, then try the Gran Malvazija.

Oak- or acacia-aged Malvazija: honeyed, rounder and built to age.

Fermenting and ageing in acacia, oak or mulberry gives a rounder, honeyed white with real weight. Single-vineyard bottlings can age for many years, and the style suits richer fish, white meat and truffles.

Fermenting and ageing in acacia, oak or mulberry gives a rounder, honeyed white with real weight. Single-vineyard bottlings can age for many years, and the style suits richer fish, white meat and truffles.

Matošević Alba: a barrique-aged Malvazija from a pioneer of Istria's modern era.

Ivica Matošević started a garage winery in the 1990s; his terroir-led Malvazija, aged in wood, is a modern classic.

Ivica Matošević started a garage winery in the 1990s; his terroir-led Malvazija, aged in wood, is a modern classic.

Benvenuti Teran: bold, savoury and spiced, from Kaldir near Motovun.

Precise and structured with wild herb and cherry. A reliable benchmark.

Precise and structured with wild herb and cherry. A reliable benchmark.

Orange Malvazija: amber, tannic and savoury, from hours to months on skins.

Skin contact in wooden vats or amphora turns Malvazija amber, with grip, dried fruit and spice. Some producers macerate for a day, others for up to six months. It is the heart of Istria's natural-wine scene.

Skin contact in wooden vats or amphora turns Malvazija amber, with grip, dried fruit and spice. Some producers macerate for a day, others for up to six months. It is the heart of Istria's natural-wine scene.

Piquentum Teran: low-alcohol, natural Teran from Motovun fruit.

Light in body but peppery and iron-tinged, made with wild yeast near Buzet.

Light in body but peppery and iron-tinged, made with wild yeast near Buzet.

Refošk: softer and plummier than Teran, though often confused with it.

A distinct variety that DNA work separated from Teran. In Istria it is rounder and more approachable, with dark plum and some chocolate; on the Slovenian coast it is the typical red. Slovenes call their own Refošk 'Teran' when it is grown on Kras's red soil.

A distinct variety that DNA work separated from Teran. In Istria it is rounder and more approachable, with dark plum and some chocolate; on the Slovenian coast it is the typical red. Slovenes call their own Refošk 'Teran' when it is grown on Kras's red soil.

Trapan: Bruno Trapan's biodynamic estate near Pula; Uroboros and Ponente are the Malvazija labels.

One of the most gifted of the new Istrian wave, working red soil near Pula.

Bruno Trapan started his winery in 2005 in a garage cellar in Pula, and today works around 12 hectares of red soil between Šišan and Valtura, south of the town, with a modern winery that opened in 2010. He has moved to biodynamic farming and carries the EU organic mark. The range mixes native varieties, Malvazija and Teran, with Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Uroboros and Ponente are the names of his Malvazija labels, and the portfolio also includes a sparkling wine, a cuvée called The One and the Rubi Rosé, named for his daughters. He is part of the younger generation that took over from the early 1990s pioneers, and has a reputation as an enfant terrible, with a railway-station theme in the winery. The cellar door in the south of Istria also sells the family's olive oil, so it is an easy stop on the way to the Pula coast.

Kozlović Santa Lucia: single-vineyard Malvazija aged in large oak barrels.

Strong identity, fine structure and elegance. The reference oaked Malvazija.

Santa Lucia is Kozlović's flagship white. The vineyard sits at around 200 to 240 metres on flysch, limestone and clay, and the wine is aged in large oak barrels rather than small new ones, so it gains texture and depth without losing the family's trademark freshness. It is richer, more savoury and slower to open than the house's straight Malvazija, and it keeps for years. Kozlović is a family winery based near Momjan, run for over a century by the same family and now by its fourth and fifth generations, and it farms roughly 25 to 30 hectares. Taste the standard Malvazija first, then Santa Lucia, to understand what the single site adds. A recent vintage such as the 2018 shows a fuller, more developed profile, so decant or serve it only lightly chilled rather than ice cold.

Fakin La Prima: acacia-cask Malvazija from a 1950s vineyard.

Fermented and aged in large acacia casks; a rich, complete Malvazija at about 14 per cent.

Fakin's entry-level Malvazija is fermented in stainless steel; La Prima is its serious expression. It comes from a vineyard planted in the 1950s and is fermented and aged in large acacia casks, a wood that is plentiful in Istria and prized for flattering Malvazija's blossom character without the vanilla of new French oak. The 2023 sits around 14 per cent, so expect a broader, riper white than the fresh style, with honey, ripe orchard fruit and almond, yet the acidity and salty finish keep it balanced. It is a good choice with truffle dishes and richer fish. Fakin's Malvazija is also tied in tasting notes to red terra rossa soil, so the pair of wines is a neat way to compare steel and acacia from the same fruit.

Kozlović Santa Lucia: single-vineyard Malvazija aged in large oak barrels.

Strong identity, fine structure and elegance. The reference oaked Malvazija.

Santa Lucia is Kozlović's flagship white. The vineyard sits at around 200 to 240 metres on flysch, limestone and clay, and the wine is aged in large oak barrels rather than small new ones, so it gains texture and depth without losing the family's trademark freshness. It is richer, more savoury and slower to open than the house's straight Malvazija, and it keeps for years. Kozlović is a family winery based near Momjan, run for over a century by the same family and now by its fourth and fifth generations, and it farms roughly 25 to 30 hectares. Taste the standard Malvazija first, then Santa Lucia, to understand what the single site adds. A recent vintage such as the 2018 shows a fuller, more developed profile, so decant or serve it only lightly chilled rather than ice cold.

Fakin La Prima: acacia-cask Malvazija from a 1950s vineyard.

Fermented and aged in large acacia casks; a rich, complete Malvazija at about 14 per cent.

Fakin's entry-level Malvazija is fermented in stainless steel; La Prima is its serious expression. It comes from a vineyard planted in the 1950s and is fermented and aged in large acacia casks, a wood that is plentiful in Istria and prized for flattering Malvazija's blossom character without the vanilla of new French oak. The 2023 sits around 14 per cent, so expect a broader, riper white than the fresh style, with honey, ripe orchard fruit and almond, yet the acidity and salty finish keep it balanced. It is a good choice with truffle dishes and richer fish. Fakin's Malvazija is also tied in tasting notes to red terra rossa soil, so the pair of wines is a neat way to compare steel and acacia from the same fruit.

Roxanich: long-maceration Malvazija Antica, wild-yeast and aged in big wood.

A near-cult estate near Višnjan. Antica is among the most uncompromising orange wines in Croatia.

Roxanich is the one to know for Istrian orange wine. It is owned by Mladen Rožanić, an investor from outside the wine world, and farms around 25 hectares on red terra rossa soil near Višnjan. The winery works with native yeast, wooden fermentation vats and big old casks, and its whites see unusually long skin contact. The best-known wine, Malvazija Antica, has been made with up to about 170 days on skins and years in cask. Montona is the shorter, 24-hour macerated Malvazija, and the range also has a Chardonnay and a long-aged red called Teran Ré, reviewed in older vintages as old-vine Refošk. Expect firm tannin, saline mineral lift and a savoury length that needs food. Because the wines are made in small amounts and with years of cask age, they are best bought at the cellar door or from specialist importers, and opened with game, mature cheese or truffles.

Trapan: Bruno Trapan's biodynamic estate near Pula; Uroboros and Ponente are the Malvazija labels.

One of the most gifted of the new Istrian wave, working red soil near Pula.

Bruno Trapan started his winery in 2005 in a garage cellar in Pula, and today works around 12 hectares of red soil between Šišan and Valtura, south of the town, with a modern winery that opened in 2010. He has moved to biodynamic farming and carries the EU organic mark. The range mixes native varieties, Malvazija and Teran, with Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Uroboros and Ponente are the names of his Malvazija labels, and the portfolio also includes a sparkling wine, a cuvée called The One and the Rubi Rosé, named for his daughters. He is part of the younger generation that took over from the early 1990s pioneers, and has a reputation as an enfant terrible, with a railway-station theme in the winery. The cellar door in the south of Istria also sells the family's olive oil, so it is an easy stop on the way to the Pula coast.

Roxanich: long-maceration Malvazija Antica, wild-yeast and aged in big wood.

A near-cult estate near Višnjan. Antica is among the most uncompromising orange wines in Croatia.

Roxanich is the one to know for Istrian orange wine. It is owned by Mladen Rožanić, an investor from outside the wine world, and farms around 25 hectares on red terra rossa soil near Višnjan. The winery works with native yeast, wooden fermentation vats and big old casks, and its whites see unusually long skin contact. The best-known wine, Malvazija Antica, has been made with up to about 170 days on skins and years in cask. Montona is the shorter, 24-hour macerated Malvazija, and the range also has a Chardonnay and a long-aged red called Teran Ré, reviewed in older vintages as old-vine Refošk. Expect firm tannin, saline mineral lift and a savoury length that needs food. Because the wines are made in small amounts and with years of cask age, they are best bought at the cellar door or from specialist importers, and opened with game, mature cheese or truffles.

Clai: Giorgio and Vesna Clai, organic pioneers of orange wine in Istria.

Moved from Trieste to Krasica near Buje; Ottocento is their best-known label.

Giorgio and Vesna Clai left Trieste for Krasica, near Buje, about twenty years ago and built a small organic estate of around five hectares on white soil at 200 metres. They are credited with helping bring orange wine to Istria, taking inspiration from Joško Gravner across the border in Collio. Ottocento is the most successful label and is made in both a white and a red version; the red, a blend of organic Merlot and Refošk, is ripe, black-fruited and firm. Bromnonero is a red from Refošk and Sveti Jakov, and Tasel is a sweet Muscat from dried grapes. There is also a classic-method sparkling, a Brut natur, and since 2018 the Baracija Malvazija and Refošk have been added. Visits are small-scale (the tasting room holds about twenty), so book ahead.

Three soil colours - red, grey and white - shape each wine's style.

Red soil (terra rossa) is iron-rich clay over limestone and gives structured, mineral wines. Grey soil is marl and sandstone (flysch) and tends to give fresh, complex wines. White soil is limestone-rich karst with a pronounced mineral edge. Producers often put the colour on the label.

Red soil (terra rossa) is iron-rich clay over limestone and gives structured, mineral wines. Grey soil is marl and sandstone (flysch) and tends to give fresh, complex wines. White soil is limestone-rich karst with a pronounced mineral edge. Producers often put the colour on the label.

In the glass: Red: structure and minerality. Grey: freshness. White: stony, mineral wines

Sea breezes and altitude keep acidity in a warm region.

The Adriatic and the hills cool the vineyards, so Istrian wines keep freshness even in warm years. Higher, south-facing slopes help late-ripening Teran get ripe, while lower slopes can fog in the morning.

The Adriatic and the hills cool the vineyards, so Istrian wines keep freshness even in warm years. Higher, south-facing slopes help late-ripening Teran get ripe, while lower slopes can fog in the morning.

In the glass: Fresh acidity and saline lift in whites; tart cherry in Teran

Teran is hard to ripen: good sites, low yields and late picking matter.

Teran can be harsh and sharp when picked early or cropped high. The best producers use low yields, later picking and gentler, mostly neutral oak, which is why quality varies so much between bottles.

Teran can be harsh and sharp when picked early or cropped high. The best producers use low yields, later picking and gentler, mostly neutral oak, which is why quality varies so much between bottles.

In the glass: Riper fruit, softer tannins and still-high acidity in careful wines

Producers are moving from new oak to acacia and large old wood.

Istria's top Malvazija and Teran now lean on large neutral casks and local acacia rather than new barriques, which keeps the almond, floral and sour-cherry character in front.

Istria's modern wine story began in the 1990s, when producers were freed from the state co-operatives and began to modernise cellars, and many first reached for small new barriques, especially for Teran and Merlot. The newer instinct is the opposite. Acacia, which grows plentifully in the peninsula, is prized for suiting Malvazija's floral character, and Teran is increasingly aged in larger, neutral wood to protect its sour-cherry and herb notes. The result is a split you can taste: older-style bottles with obvious toasty oak, and newer ones that taste of fruit, acid and texture. Fakin's La Prima Malvazija, aged in large acacia casks from a 1950s vineyard, and Coronica's evolving Gran Teran are good places to hear the difference. When a menu or shop offers two bottles from the same house, ask which sees acacia or neutral wood.

In the glass: Texture and honeyed richness without vanilla or heavy toast

Small family estates and strong local demand mean bottles are hard to find abroad.

Istria's wineries are small and prices are fairly high, and much of the wine is drunk by locals and visitors. Taste on the spot and buy what you cannot get at home.

Istria's wineries are small and prices are fairly high, and much of the wine is drunk by locals and visitors. Taste on the spot and buy what you cannot get at home.

In the glass: Individual, family-style wines; price reflects scale rather than prestige

Most fresh Malvazija sees a short cold soak and a cool steel ferment.

A cold maceration of 12 to 24 hours, then a cool stainless-steel ferment, keeps the wine floral, apple-fresh and salty. It is made to be drunk within a couple of years.

A cold maceration of 12 to 24 hours, then a cool stainless-steel ferment, keeps the wine floral, apple-fresh and salty. It is made to be drunk within a couple of years.

In the glass: Floral, fresh, saline, almond finish

Acacia and large oak make rounder, honeyed Malvazija.

Acacia, oak or mulberry casks add body and a honeyed, nutty depth. Acacia is especially prized for suiting the grape's floral character.

Acacia, oak or mulberry casks add body and a honeyed, nutty depth. Acacia is especially prized for suiting the grape's floral character.

In the glass: Creamier, honeyed, more age-worthy

Skin contact runs from a day to months in wooden vats.

Producers such as Roxanich macerate for a day or up to six months. The longer the soak, the more tannin, amber colour and dried-fruit flavour you get.

Producers such as Roxanich macerate for a day or up to six months. The longer the soak, the more tannin, amber colour and dried-fruit flavour you get.

In the glass: Amber colour, grip, dried fruit and spice

A few estates, including Kabola, age wine in buried Georgian amphorae.

Kabola buries Georgian amphorae above its winery for Malvazija and Teran, and Kadum ferments Malvazija in terracotta amphorae. The clay softens and rounds without adding wood flavour.

Kabola buries Georgian amphorae above its winery for Malvazija and Teran, and Kadum ferments Malvazija in terracotta amphorae. The clay softens and rounds without adding wood flavour.

In the glass: Rounded texture, savoury and clean fruit without oak flavour

Teran has moved to neutral oak and later picking.

Over the last 15 years producers have cut yields, picked later and aged Teran in neutral wood. It reads as more polished, with the sour-cherry acidity intact.

Over the last 15 years producers have cut yields, picked later and aged Teran in neutral wood. It reads as more polished, with the sour-cherry acidity intact.

In the glass: Riper, smoother Teran with no heavy oak

Native yeast, no additives and little sulphur define the natural end.

Piquentum ferments wild, adds nothing and bottles unfiltered with a little sulphur; Roxanich also uses native yeast. The wines can be textured and wild, and vary from year to year.

Piquentum ferments wild, adds nothing and bottles unfiltered with a little sulphur; Roxanich also uses native yeast. The wines can be textured and wild, and vary from year to year.

In the glass: More texture and savoury character; less predictable

Passito Muscat: grapes are dried before pressing for intense sweetness.

Benvenuti's San Salvatore passito is made from dried Muškat momjanski grapes. The concentrated juice becomes a sweet wine with apricot, orange peel and honey notes.

Muškat momjanski is made in three broad styles: a dry wine, a semi-sweet wine from late-picked fruit (the style most tied to the protected name), and a passito. For the passito the grapes are picked ripe and then dried so that water evaporates and sugar and flavour concentrate, before pressing and a slow ferment. The result smells of dried apricot, orange peel and chestnut honey, with enough acidity to stay lively. Benvenuti's San Salvatore is the benchmark; Clai's Tasel is a sweet Muscat from dried grapes at a smaller scale, and Franković's Luna d'Oro is a lower-alcohol sweet Muškat. Passito costs far more than the ordinary Muscat because yields are tiny, so serve it in small glasses with blue cheese, almonds or nutty cake. Botrytis-affected versions also appear in some vintages.

In the glass: Concentrated, honeyed sweetness with fresh acidity