Vina Zigante

Descendants of the Barkajoli 

The village of Kostanjica is situated on the slopes beneath the historic town of Grožnjan, overlooking the valley of the river Mirna. The local population has been engaged in agriculture and livestock farming since ancient times, and in the distant past, they were also barkajoli who transported goods along the river Mirna to the port in the ancient harbor of Antenal near Novigrad.

At the beginning of the village of Kostanjica stands the Koraca estate, where the Zigante family has resided for over a hundred years. Today, the winery is successfully managed by brother and sister Denis and Valentina Zigante, who represent the fourth generation of winemakers in the family, taking over the business from their father Duilio and mother Mirjana, who recently retired. The winery is located on a beautiful southwest-facing slope surrounded by its own vineyards and olive groves. The winery includes a rustic tasting room connected to an old cellar where large wooden barrels, crafted by their great-grandfather Giovanin, are housed.

Zigante currently cultivates about 15 hectares of vineyards and offers eight wine labels on the market. The cornerstone of their production is the indigenous grape varieties Malvazija Istarska and Teran, but they have also achieved good results with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and White Muscat.