Today, wine has become a must in Istria. And there is an even more interesting tale to be told. Naturally, times have changed ever since and recently, wine is not so important for the economic prosperity of this region; however, it strongly accounts for the development of a unique Istrian identity. Let us try to grasp the secret of Istrian wine for a moment.... The most significant typical sort is certainly the Istrian Malvasia. It is a white sort grown on almost two thirds of the entire grapevine plantations extending over this area. Though not common in other places, it has been for long a predominant sort in Istria, thus recognized as a synonim for the Istrian white wine.

Most frequently this is a dry wine, free of unboiled sugar residues, attaining its best quality within the first year after the vintage, straw yellow, of a moderate structure and density. It is usually classed among semi-flavored sorts, embodying a hardly noticeable almond bitterness, fresh fruit and flower bouquet, most often of locust blossom. Sometimes, grapes grown on sloping hills, particularly exposed to the sun, tend to make the wine structure more accentuated, of ripe fruit flavor, so then it needs to be left to age in oak wood (barrique), which will give it complexity, distinctive quality and constancy.

Of course, Istrian Malvasia can vary owing to the «terroir», or a combination of indigenous factors common to particular settings. Among these, we often mention two different types of soil – the red soil (terrarossa) most common in the coastal area, enriching the wine structure and marly soil in the hinterland where, as a rule, we tend to come upon the wines with a more delicate bouquet. Apart from Malvasia, the primary white sort in istria, the most typical red sort grown in this region is Teran. It gives a very unusual, ruby red wine with purple reflections, strong, unrestrained flavor, mostly wild fruit, with distinctive traits and sour substance and, by rule, of a lesser density in relation to the established norms for red wine sorts. Its special quality and lack of harmony, but only at first sight, leaves no one indifferent. As a matter of fact, recent tendencies in showing greater interest for unusual, local products, opens new potentials for this interesting sort. Young Teran is used to prepare Istrian supa, a traditional meal with warm, toasted bread dipped into the bukaleta, a jug of red wine. This specialty is still very popular at the Istrian table and it speaks of the ingenuity of the poor, local peasant whom supa often used to be the only daily meal.

Besides typical sorts such as Malvasia and Teran, indigenous to Istria, you can also find muscatel otonel such as the Momjan Muscat and the Rose Muscat from the Poreč area, both very pleasing wines, particularly those embodying the unboiled sugar residues, perfect to accompany desserts served at the end of the meal. With a little luck, rare, autochthonous sorts like Borgonja and Hrvatica, with the most delicate bouquet and density, can also be traced. From the usual European white grape sorts, Chardonnay, White Pinot and Gray Pinot have become increasingly popular in Istria. These are the superior quality wines, awarded several times at the international fairs.Usually, these wines are produced and poured to age into small oak barrels, known as barrique. From the red sorts common in Europe, Merlot has become increasingly popular nowadays in the Istrian vineyards. To a lesser degree, but with the tendency of diffusion, we can come upon Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the widely appraised wine sorts from Bordeaux, France. It is quite rare for any wine-growing region in Europe to be able to achieve top results in the production of both white and red wine sorts; undoubtedly, Istria has managed to do that.