Wines of Istria and Kvarner

ISTRIA

The region of Istria is known for its unique landscape, encompassing wavy hills, lush green forests and fertile valleys. The Istrian climate is characterized by warm summers and mild winters, with an average yearly temperature of around 15 °C. Furthermore, Istria boasts at least four different types of soil, and is surrounded by the Adriatic sea on three sides. All of that makes it an ideal location for growing wine grape varieties.

The winemaking tradition of Istria dates back over 2000 years – it was known as an excellent winemaking location in the Ancient Greek times, and the significant development of viticulture in the area began in the Roman times. Today, Istria is known for the production of numerous high-quality wines using traditional techniques. Some of the most common grape varieties grown in Istria – which are native to this area as well – are the Istrian malvazija, teran and muškat.

The Istrian malvazija, probably the most popular wine of this region, is a dry white wine which is straw in color and has floral or fruity aromas. This wine is made of an indigenous variety of malvasia grown all over Istria. The wine is refreshing and slightly tangy, and pairs excellently with seafood and light pasta dishes, but because of its tartness it is a great match for desserts as well.

Another popular Istrian wine is teran, a dry red wine made from the indigenous grape variety of the same name. This astringent white wine is deep red, almost purple in color, and a complex aroma of red berry and spice aromas. Teran is often paired with hearty meat dishes and strong cheeses.

Apart from malvazija and teran, Istria is known for muškat, a very sweet, fruity white wine. The Momjan muscat is an indigenous wine grape variety grown around Momjan and Buje. Muškat is often served as a dessert wine or an aperitif.

KVARNER

Kvarner isn’t lagging behind Istria. The climate of Kvarner is similar to that of Istria, characterized by warm summers and mild winters, with the sea breeze coming in from all directions, making it another ideal place for growing wine grapes, so it has a horse in this race as well.

As a wine region, Kvarner is primarily known for its indigenous žlahtina variety. Žlahtina is a white grape variety used for making a dry white wine which is greenish-yellow to straw in color and has a light and refreshing taste. It is mostly produced on the island of Krk, in the Vrbnik valley, the birthplace of the famous vrbnička žlahtina. Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word žlahten, meaning noble, which describes the quality of this wine perfectly. Žlahtina is largely paired with seafood and vegetable dishes.

Another wine grape variety native to Kvarner is the sansigot or sušćan, a grape variety named after the island of Susak, where it used to be grown in the sandy soil. This variety almost went extinct in the 19th century, when it was plagued by the grapevine pest phylloxera. It survived thanks to great growing conditions of Susak, and today it is primarily grown in Vrbnik on Krk. The sansigot or sušćan is a light red wine characterized by floral and berry aromas.

Istria and Kvarner are traditional winemaking regions, where numerous wine grape varieties have been grown and made into all styles of highest-quality wines since the dawn of time. However, the aforementioned indigenous varieties stand out among them as the most representative and best oenological representatives of these Croatian regions. When visiting Istria and Kvarner, make sure to taste some of these wines, and pair them with the best accommodation for your adventures in oenology, which can be found on Molo Longo agency’s website.