Organised by the Vinistra association, Istrian winemakers are visiting famous Austrian wineries at the end of October, and the most famous Austrian and German journalists recently visited the Istrian peninsula.

In the organization of Vinistra - the association of winegrowers and winemakers of Istria and with the support of the County of Istria, Istrian winemakers are staying in Austria from October 26th to 28th and visiting wineries in southern, southeastern and western Styria and in the vicinity of Graz.

"This is a great opportunity to exchange experiences, but also to promote our indigenous varieties of Malvazija and Teran on the Austrian market. From trips like this, you always come back with new ideas, attract new guests, intrigue them about indigenous varieties and make new friends", said Luka Rossi, president of Vinistra, the association of winegrowers and winemakers of Istria, which is effectively promoting Istrian wines on the Austrian and German markets.

This year, the Vinistra association hosted prominent wine experts, journalists and editors from the German-speaking world. Among them are the famous Austrian wine journalist Peter Schleimer, who will write a report on the new Malvazija and Teran vintages for the established wine magazine Vinaria, and the German Harald Scholl, editor-in-chief of Vinum, one of the most famous wine and food magazines.

Malvasia is a wine for metropolises like Vienna and Berlin

"My last visit to Croatia - more precisely to Istria - was 25 years ago. That's how I discovered this peninsula, especially Istrian wines, as something completely new. To my surprise, I found very interesting varieties - Malvazija and Teran, which give excellent results in Istria. Indigenous grape varieties such as these are perfectly adapted to the location, in a glass they reflect the best of their region, tradition and winemaker. During my recent visit to Istria, I had the opportunity to visit several wineries that presented themselves with incredible wines. I was particularly delighted by the astonishingly wide range of Malvazijas - from excellent fresh ones to complex aged ones with great ripening potential. I would especially like to highlight Malvazijas that were full of structure and complexity, mostly with a powerful tannic base. These wines represent Istria in the best way and at a very high modern level of winemaking and wine consumption. I bet a fiver, that many of these wines would also do well in European metropolises like Vienna or Berlin. They are just waiting to be discovered," said Scholl.

Teran is a wine with excellent structure and energy

His colleague Schleimer is also enthusiastic about Istria. In addition to being beautiful, says this Austrian journalist, this region is full of diverse landscapes from the coast to forested hills and valleys, and also offers very tasty food and top wines dominated by two indigenous varieties with different profiles and individuality.

"With floral and fruity aromas, Malvazija produces wines of medium to strong and pronounced body, and depending on the type of soil and microclimate, different expressions. The dark red Teran is full of fruity and spicy aromas, tannins and acids that give wines of high intensity, excellent structure and energy", concluded Schleimer.

Intensive promotion on key markets, including Germany and Austria, is an integral part of the "Wine and Viticulture Strategy of Istria until 2030" and the fundamental document of the Vinistra association, which for next year announces a spectacular celebration of the 30th anniversary of the eponymous wine exhibition from May 10th to 12th in Poreč Žatika sports hall.