Experiences: ★★★★★ (5)

Here are listed the 5 best winemakers of Croatian Istria according to www.istra.hr. More information here.

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Clai / Buje

POP-IN TASTING
15,00 € – Three wines | 25,00 € – Five wines

BOOKED TASTING
Three/Five glasses of wine, cheese, dry meat delicacies, bread
Terrebianche olive oil

Prices: 35,00 €  / 45,00 €  per person
Reservations required

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Address: Brajki 105, Krasica
Phone: +385 (0)91 6026 109
Website: www.clai.hr
Google Maps Instructions

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What they say about themselves in the Clai

Our estate lies in Istria, in  a small village Krasica, south of the town of Buje in northern part of Istrian peninsula, close to Slovenian and Italian border. The property encompasses 10 hectares of vineyards and 5 hectares of olive trees. Around 200m above sea level, the vineyards enjoys plenty of sunshine as well as cool and salty sea breezes coming from Adriatic some 10 km to the west. The soil here is limestone flysch – its low fertility and good drainage provide the perfect amount of stress for our old vines.  Our principal goal is to enhance our terroir.

What they say about Clai at istra.hr

Husband and wife team, Giorgio and Vesna Clai, decided on a radical move in their lives about twenty years ago: they moved from Trieste to Krasica in the Buje area and started a small boutique winery with which they encouraged the production of a new style of wine on the Istrian wine scene – orange wine. From the very beginning, their wines were different, honest, much resembling older ones, and their model was that created by Joško Gravner’s, the famous Italian winemaker from Collio. At that point their most successful label Ottocento was created, which appears in both white and red variants. This was followed by one of the best Croatian red wines, Bromnonero, produced from refošk and Sv. Jakov, an aged Istrian malvasia, and then Tasel, a sweet white muscat made from dried grapes. This line is rounded off with the classic sparkling wine Brut natur made from malvasia, chardonnay and plavina varieties. In addition to wine, they are also present on the market with excellent olive oil and two grappa labels.

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Cronica / Umag

Wine tasting prior the reservation!

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Address: Koreniki 86, Umag
Phone: +385 98 334 378
Website: www.coronica.eu
Google Maps Instructions

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What they say about themselves in the Cronica

“The conditions of soil and climate of a winegrowing area influence, in many respects, the organoleptic characteristics of the grapes, and therefore the wine.

In the area of Koreniki, the crucial role in this respect is played by the red soil characterised by white calcareous stone, as well as the impact of the sea, dense forest with ancient oaks and rich fauna. All of which belongs to the landscape of Koreniki in Istria. Buzzing tractors, rattling scissors in the vineyards, winegrowers singing, the bura (bora) wind whistling through the rows – all these are the sounds of the cycle of the seasons.

Characteristic fruity wines with exceptional structural balance are the expression of this terroir, just like the people who farm this land. Humble, but determined, people ahead of their time, people who know how to listen to the elderly, who have realised that to rule nature is to serve it…”

‍Aldo Venco, oenologist

What they say about Cronica at istra.hr

The focus of the Coronica winery has always been on autochthonous Istrian grape varieties – Istrian malvasia and teran, but as well as these, the family also nurtures two of the world’s most widespread red grape varieties – merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Grabar, a Bordeaux-style cuvée, is produced from international grape varieties, and the winery’s newest label is the sparkling CO Due wine, obtained by the classic method from Istrian malvasia.

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Degrassi /Savudrija

Wine tasting

Tradition, family surrounding and the Istrian lifestyle can all be experienced and savored in our tasting hall – there where the fire burns in the hearth in the wintertime, there where all gather around the massive wooden table, there where you can enjoy homemade cold cuts, Buje region olive oil and always new and exciting wines and spirits.

Announce your arrival and try our wines together with homemade snacks. We can accommodate up to 25 persons next to the fireplace.

Opening hours: Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 4 PM, Phone reservation is required

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Address: Podrumarska 3, Savudrija
Phone: +385 (0)52 759 250
Website: www.degrassi.hr
Google Maps Instructions

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What they say about Degrassi at istra.hr

Degrassi nurture autochthonous grape varieties – Istrian malvasia, teran and refošk, as well as the well-known international grape varieties merlot, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. You can find some rare grape varieties for Istria in the vineyard, such as viognier, petit verdot and pinot noir. He was the first of the Istrian winemakers to launch white and black coupages on the market under the Terre bianche cuvée label. The offer is rounded off by four labels of excellent sparkling wines obtained using the champagne method. They are present on the market with over twenty wine labels, and from their richly equipped archive can offer excellent wines from older vintages.

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Kabola / Buje

Wine tasting

A tailor-made tour of the winery to get to know the wine development processes in detail and taste our most representative Kabola wines by enjoying the traditional Istrian architecture. Learn more about the unique ancient clay qvevri Amfora wine production and our organic certified production of wine and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Kabola. The tour culminates with a tasting of five premium Kabola wines.

Includes:

• Professionally guided tour of the cellar of Kabola winery
• Guided tasting of Six Premium wines selected by sommelier
• Carefully selected seasonal snacks accompanied by Kabola wines: selection of Istrian cold cuts, selection of cheeses, bruschette, snack of mozzarella & pomo – dorini, bread
• Extra virgin Olive Oil Kabola
• Homemade apple cake paired with the sixth wine of the tasting Momajnski Muškat Kabola

For this guided tasting minimum 2 people or more can attend. More than 10 people on request. Reservation is required!

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Address: Kanedolo 90, Momjan
Phone: +385 52 779 208
Website: www.kabola.hr
Google Maps Instructions

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What they say about themselves in the Kabola

Use of amphoras in production

The use of clay amphora’s in the process of making wine, made it possible to raise the quality of the maceration itself. Our amphora’s originate from Georgia, from which the oldest produced wines in the world originate, according to whose recipe we also nurture wines of our indigenous varieties. For this type of vinification, we have reserved grapes from our most prestigious vineyard on the hill “Stancija”. It is from this white clay soil that the roots of the vine of Istrian Malvasia and Teran draw the ingredients that make them so special. Mulching grapes in an amphora, prolonged fermentation, resting young wine without removing the grape skins until spring, pressing, these are all primordial ways by which “grapes are turned into wine”, not those by which “man produces wine”.

After maceration in amphora’s, the wine continues to mature in large wooden barrels where Malvasia favors the creation of a bright amber color and Teran an attractive ruby red color with a purple sheen.

For lovers of authentic and unadulterated wines, we recommend this Amphora Malvasia and Amphora Teran, which discreetly hides its noble origins, invites you to taste it in small sips and to think about the simple values that the country gives us.

What they say about Kabola at istra.hr

The Kabola winery is one of the most important Istrian wine brands, present on the market with twelve wine labels divided into several categories. It starts with a classic sparkling wine produced from Istrian malvasia over a fresh line dominated by fresh Istrian malvasia and Rosé. Momjan muscat is available in three versions – dry, semi-dry and sweet. The pride of the winery are its aged wines, among which Istrian malvasia and Teran aged in Georgian amphorae buried in the ground above the winery should be highlighted.

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Kozlovič /Buje

Wine tasting

Kozlović with wine: Tour & Tasting 3 wines, Duration 60 minutes, 30 €/person, NO FOOD!

Kozlović tour & terrace: Tour & Tasting 4 wines, food, Duration 90 minutes, 40 €/person

Kozlović excellence: Tasting 6 wines, food, Duration 120 minutes, 60 €/person

Kozlović private tasting: Tasting 6 wines, food, Duration 150 minutes, 100 €/person

Phone reservation is required!

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Address: Vale 78, Momjan
Phone: +385 52 77 91 77
Website: www.kozlovic.hr
Google Maps Instructions

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What they say about Kozlovič at istra.hr

From the beginning, the Kozlović winery has been synonymous with fresh Istrian malvasia and Momjan muscat. Today, through four lines of wine, they provide the market with a great spectrum of Istrian malvasia and teran, from fresh to aged, and an excellent single vineyard Bordeaux coupage Santa Lucia noir.