Visnjan estate dating to 1842 and run today by Peter Poletti, working Malvazija Istriana, Refosk, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon; the 2024 Chardonnay medalled at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2025.
Tip: Terrace tastings look out over roughly 30 km of coastline toward Porec.
Address: Markovac 14, 52463 Visnjan, Croatia, Istria
Buzet cellar founded in 2006 by Dimitri Brecevic, built on spontaneous fermentation and extended barrel ageing of Malvazija Istarska, Teran and Refosk, bottled unfiltered.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment, contact by phone.
Tip: These are slow-built wines; ask the cellar which current release is drinking best rather than reaching for the newest vintage.
Bale estate combining a Relais and Chateaux wine hotel with roughly 40,000 vines and a 13-label wine range, plus its own olive groves, restaurants and beach club.
Tasting: Wine Lounge tastings pairing estate wine with the winery's own olive oil, on site at the Meneghetti Wine Hotel.
Tip: The Wine Lounge tasting sits inside the working winery rather than the hotel's public rooms.
Golas estate and relais outside Bale pouring Muscat, Chardonnay and Malvazija alongside a rose, its tastings built around local prosciutto and cheese pairings.
Tasting: Wine tastings and guided tours with local prosciutto and cheese, Tuesday-Sunday 11:00-19:00, Monday by request; group bookings for up to 60 guests.
Tip: Group tastings run up to 60 guests, so this is a reliable option for a larger party without a private booking elsewhere.
Vodnjan estate farming roughly 60 hectares near Medulina and Pula, making Malvazija Istarska, Chardonnay, a Refosk-Merlot-Cabernet rose, Teran and a Malvazija-based traditional-method sparkling.
Tasting: Tastings at the adjoining ByIstria tasting room, Monday-Friday 8:00-16:00, Saturday 8:00-13:00; guided tastings by advance booking.
Tip: The ByIstria tasting room next door pours Medea alongside other south-Istria producers if the winery itself is fully booked.
Sisan estate south of Pula run by winemaker Bruno Trapan across fourteen labels, from Ponente and Istraditional Malvazija to Teran, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah bottlings.
Tasting: Premium tastings of 5-7 wines with food pairings, EUR30-40. Open Monday-Saturday 10:00-13:00 and 17:00-22:00, Sunday by appointment.
Tip: The Double Trouble and The One blends sit outside the estate's varietal range and are worth asking for if pouring.
Fourth-generation Momjan estate making wine since 1904, best known for Santa Lucia Malvazija in both fresh and amphora-aged registers alongside Teran and Muskat Momjanski from the same red-soil slopes.
Tasting: Guided tastings by reservation, from casual walk-through visits (Kozlovic Relax) to seated flights (Kozlovic Excellence) and private tastings. Open Tuesday-Friday 10:00-19:00, Saturday 12:00-20:00, Sunday 11:00-17:00, closed Monday.
Tip: Book Kozlovic Excellence ahead in summer; the casual Relax visit runs without reservation most weekdays.
Discover Istria's authentic charm with our Olivo Istriano experience, blending history, tradition, and flavors. Walk through our orchard, home to 31 varieties of fresh...
