July the 21st, 2021 - I think it's safe to say that everyone is sick to the back teeth of colours, traffic light systems, and the words testing and quarantine. The advent of the vaccine was supposed to put a gradual but certain end to all of this, and it leaves one wondering when everything will become normal again. Some things make little sense, and Istria being on the ECDC orange list is just one in a long line.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, numerous reactions, but also fears for the height of the summer tourist season were caused by the decision of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to mark the Croatian coast with orange on the now almost Godly coronavirus map.

Protests against the criteria according to which ECDC designates high-risk regions were the loudest of all in Istria, from which experts and politicians said that they had a favourable epidemiological situation and that they were victims of other more irresponsible Croatian counties.

Namely, the ECDC divided Croatia into four regions - northern, Pannonian, Adriatic and the City of Zagreb. There was an initiative aimed at the ECDC to change the criteria and apply to individual counties, but it seems that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control isn't even thinking of changing their current practice. The total lack of logic shows obviously when Istria is placed on the ECDC orange list, when, at the time of writing, there were no new cases, much less hospitalisations or deaths.

''Such a decision was agreed at the level of EU member states last year during the German presidency. Observing each unit separately wouldn't be practical, as it would mean that 1,500 regions need to be treated as being in the European Union, while with this methodology there are 330,'' the ECDC told HRT.

It's worth reminding ourselves of the fact that the ECDC monitors the fourteen-day incidence of new cases of coronavirus infection per 100,000 inhabitants and the percentage of positively tested persons, and according to these criteria, the coastal part of Croatia is shown in orange. Continental Croatia is still very much green.

On the map of Europe, most countries are in green, and in the red are Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Malta and Cyprus, as well as parts of Greece, Belgium and Denmark. Apart from the Croatian coast, parts of France, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Belgium, and the whole of Ireland are also all in orange.

For more, follow our travel section.

July 17, 2021 -  An injured turtle in Korčula Bay sparked immediate action by locals and vets, seeing the turtle being saved and getting a second chance.

Like many other places, towns, locations, and neighborhoods, Korčula also has groups on social media to ease communication among users who share the same place of daily life. Friday afternoon saw residents of Korčula have a big heart, and despite might being stereotypically perceived as laid back, chilled chaps (as for every Mediterranian-culture impacted people), they were quick to act when needed.

A user under the name Antoni Ja, one of the members of the FB group Oglasnik otoka Korčule (Korčula Island Message Board), reported on a 20 kilo turtle floating in the sea in Žrnovska Banja. Floating, the keyword.

„Please do something, so it doesn't get hit by a speedboat or some maniac“, said Antoni Ja.

Other users immediately started to worry if the turtle was injured, and the name of a local vet Vilović was suggested as an address to report the issue.

Sure enough, Vilović examined the turtle, and the 20-kilo turtle turned out to be over 50 kilos. Not quite often seen in shallow waters, but nevertheless a normal turtle size in the Adriatic sea.

„It had a head wound, most likely from the propeller. It is on its way to the Specialist in Split by catamaran“, briefly commented Vilović.

Indeed, as the photo on the FB group published by Ana Jurić shows, the turtle was on its way to Split.

„Kudos to the vet and the guys that organized all this, and the turtle is huge!“ wrote Jurić.

Zrnovska Banja where the turtle was spotted floating © Visit Korcula

Dr. Mario Gavranović, head of the VET VISION clinic in Split, confirmed that the turtle arrived on Friday night.  „It should arrive in an hour or two. The propeller injury is an old wound and I will first have to examine it to see what is the proper way of treatment“, said Dr. Gavranović.

When contacted on Saturday morning to provide more information on what happened to the turtle, dr. Gavranović wasn't in his office. As confirmed by Aquarium Pula, the reason was Gavranović took the turtle to the aquarium which also has a Marine turtles rescue centre.

"The turtle is alright, on its way and should be in the Centre around midday", briefly confirmed Aquairum Pula.

Pula's rescue centre has been active for around 17 years (with turtles being strictly protected in Croatia since 1995 as one of the most endangered animal species), and Morski.hr wrote in 2019 how the centre cured over 100 turtles. 

One of the many rescued turtles by Marine turtles rescue centre © Aquarium Pula

Croatia loves its animals

With vets displaying their expertise, locals on Korčula once again demonstrated their compassion and big heart when it comes to animals. And that compassion is not different from the general mood in Croatia.

With the nourishing of the recently deceased stork Malena being the most famous story of love between Croatians and animals, there were plenty of other examples too. From rejoicing every time whales or dolphins are spotted, when sheep visited the Zadar mall or when a Croatian reality TV star Jasmin Kunišinac raised a fox.

Unfortunately, Croatia also records cases of animal cruelty, such as the poisoning of cats and dogs, and each time Croatian public met it with a fierce backlash and anger for such acts.

Despite quite often arguing about everything imaginable and unimaginable, Croatians also express solidarity with each other when things get tough. For instance, many cities canceled their new year celebrations and relocated the money to Petrinja following its earthquake, as well as Croatian entrepreneurs too. But, many more instances of help were noted over the years.

Learn more about Korčula on our TC page.

For more about animals in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 13, 2021 - The largest tourism project currently being built in Croatia, Petram Resort and Residences, is located at the northernmost point of the Croatian coast, on the border with Slovenia and Italy, at the Alberi location in Savudrija in northwestern Istria.

However, this is also a huge real estate project, reports Jutarnji List.

The complex will have 252 luxury properties - 55 tourist villas, an aparthotel with 179 holiday apartments, and 18 residential apartments. According to the announcements, everything is conceived on top design ahead of trends, sustainable construction, new materials, fragrant Mediterranean horticulture, and open views, combined with an innovative concept of resort maintenance and real estate management. It is the first resort for housing and vacation of its kind in Croatia and the region.

"It will be possible to leave the care of the property completely to the resort and thus ensure a carefree vacation, but also to improve and return the investment. It will be a ubiquitous, almost invisible service worthy of a five-star hotel," announced investors MK Group and Aleksandar Group.

This resort will offer a closed community holiday with all amenities and services at your fingertips and concierge service 24 hours a day. It will offer a combination of sea, greenery, thoughtful and top design, sports facilities, and wellness. In addition, it will have a striking infinity rooftop pool, garden pools, swimming pool, children's park, and restaurants.

3D MODUS

Surrounded by the sea as far as the eye can see, Petram Resort & Residences will be an ideal location for hedonists. The big advantage is good connections, as it is close to several airports and a few hours drive from many cities.

"We are talking to LAD 1 studio architects Lotus Group Maja Bručić and Eva Cotman. We were interested in the contents of the resort because a large infinity pool on the roof is mentioned as an attraction. It will be the largest and most beautiful outdoor roof pool you can imagine, 105 meters long, the second-longest in the world, on which our top statisticians worked," says Maja Bručić.

There will also be a fine-dining restaurant on the roof of the aparthotel. The garden pool is located next to a modern Italian restaurant on one side and a steak house with Istrian specialties. There is also a swimming pool surrounded by Mediterranean scents created for lazy mornings, active days, and afternoons full of sun and relaxation, an outdoor swimming pool and children's park, swimming pools with facilities for children, and golf courses nearby.

3D MODUS

"The resort will have 55 tourist villas, 12 of which with their own infinity roof pools and another 43 modern villas perfectly blended into the Mediterranean climate in which they are located. High construction standards will allow immersion in a beautiful environment and ensure privacy, luxury, and peace. The buyer of the villa chooses one of the three types of decoration, the one that best suits their sensibility," explains the architect Bručić.

In addition to villas, there are 18 apartments in apartment buildings and 179 tourist apartments in the main building, the apart-hotel, ranging from studios to three-bedroom.

"Flats and apartments will be modern, with open views and the right dose of luxury and privacy, which will allow undisturbed enjoyment of all occasions. Each property will choose an interior design package that suits the style and sensibility of future owners. It will also be possible to choose a maintenance package," explains Eva Cotman.

Apart from the fact that the architects were committed to using top local materials that are in harmony with the climate and originate from it, they also paid attention to horticultural landscaping that is indigenous, lush, and full of colors.

"We strived to achieve the ideal combination of respect for Mediterranean construction and horticulture while leaving a sufficiently open view of the sea and the environment that surrounds us, which reflects our commitment to sustainable construction. The whole complex is energy class A+, with quality thermal insulation and renewable energy sources. The heating and cooling and hot water preparation system are designed with cranes that use energy from renewable sources and thus significantly increase energy savings and reduce the harmful impact on the environment, especially air and water," says Maja Bručić and adds that they pay attention to sorting and separate waste collection and use waste air recovery.

Schuco brand windows and doors are made of aluminum frames with an interrupted thermal bridge, with double-glazed insulating glass, which is also low-energy and has a thermoreflex coating. This allows the residences to have large glass surfaces with open views without affecting the increased energy consumption.

The investor, Čista voda project, is an Istrian company, and the Petram Resort and Residences project is implemented in cooperation with well-known investors MK Group and Aleksandar Group. MK Group is one of the leading holding companies in agriculture, tourism, and banking in Southeast Europe. In its more than 25 years of operation on the Serbian market, Aleksandar Group has built hundreds of thousands of square meters of residential and commercial space. LAD 1 studio is in charge of designing, supervising, and managing the project, and the Lotus Group is the brand of that company.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 11, 2021 - The 80% vaccination rate in Rovinj, which Health Minister Vili Beroš communicated, has turned out to be untrue. 

While it is undeniable that vaccinating as many people as possible is the most effective measure in the fight against COVID-19, it would be equally good if the public were treated with accurate figures rather than arbitrary calculations by individuals. Likewise, in an organized state, at least the Minister of Health could be expected to present correct information and not present unverified facts to the public, reports Glas Istre.

This is exactly what Minister of Health Vili Beroš did a few days ago when he stated at a press conference that Rovinj is the Croatian record holder in vaccinations and that 80 percent of the city's population has been vaccinated so far. Beroš reiterated the information that appeared on some portals, which was created by a wrong calculation of the figure released to the public at the end of June by the Office of the Mayor of Rovinj, Marko Paliaga.

That release states the following:

"While in most other parts of Croatia, there has been a decline in citizens' response to vaccinations, the situation in the City of Rovinj is more than satisfactory. According to the Rovinj Branch of the Istrian Health Centers, from 11 February 2021 to 24 June 2021, 11,414 citizens were vaccinated at the Rovinj Branch, of which 2,056 at the Health Center and 9,358 at the Valbruna Hall. We also learn from the head of the Branch Office, Dr. Corinne Pellizzer Lanča, that 6,853 received the first dose, while a total of 4,561 people were vaccinated with both doses."

According to the last census, Rovinj has about 14,500 inhabitants, and 11,414 citizens correspond to 80 percent of those vaccinated. However, Mayor Marko Paliaga himself told Glas Istre that he did not know where Minister Beroš got this number because they did not communicate 80 percent vaccinated. Paliaga also confirmed that 11,414 citizens include residents of surrounding municipalities such as Bale and Kanfanar that were vaccinated in Rovinj. Also, it is clear from these figures that so far, only about 4,500 people have been vaccinated with two doses, which is about a third of Rovinj's population. Still, even here, it should be considered that some of those vaccinated are probably from the surrounding municipalities. It is also unknown whether the 6,853 people who received the first dose and 4,561 the second dose are counted or are only people who received only one dose and will be vaccinated with the second dose in the next few months. In that case, the number could indeed reach 11,414 vaccinated citizens, but again, even that number will not include only Rovinj residents.

Regardless of this misinterpretation of figures, it remains an indisputable fact that Rovinj is very successful when it comes to the vaccinated population and that the citizens of this city are aware of how much vaccination means for a successful tourist season in Rovinj, which is the most visited city on the Croatian coast. The only pity is that people at the top of the government who spread unverified figures do not have the same responsibility, thus distrusting those citizens who have not yet been vaccinated.

Dr. Jasna Valić from the Istrian Teaching Institute for Public Health told Glas Istre that they do not have accurate data for Rovinj because they are under the jurisdiction of the local branch of the Istrian Health Centers, but confirmed that 48 percent of the total population in Istria was vaccinated with just one dose. In comparison, 37 percent of the total population received two doses or 31 percent of the adult population. Jasna Valić emphasized that it is easily possible that there was confusion about vaccinations because they are dealing with a lot of different numbers.

"It is not surprising that there was a misunderstanding because there are too many numbers in the game. First, you have to count on those who have gotten over Covid. Then some of them have already been vaccinated, so you have those vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson for whom one dose is enough and then those who are vaccinated with two doses. However, I think it is clear to everyone that the only thing that matters is that we are vaccinated as much as possible because that is the only way to return to normal life," said Dr. Jasna Valić. In contrast, Rovinj Mayor Marko Paliaga says that he is still delighted with the vaccination process in Rovinj despite this misunderstanding.

"The men and women of Rovinj have once again shown a great degree of responsibility and care for the protection of their health and the health of others. This is also one of the key reasons Istria records a far better epidemiological situation than the rest of Croatia. Vaccination is currently the only way out of this situation and the only way we can stop the spread of the virus. I would like to remind you that in some countries with a high vaccination rate, almost all restrictions, including the obligation to wear masks, have been lifted. Therefore, I hope that we will soon achieve mass immunity that will allow us to repeal all or most of the measures that are currently still in force," said Paliaga.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

June 21st, 2021 -  The northern Adriatic Istrian peninsula is featured on the covers of six Austrian tourist magazines and an influential weekly supplement, Istria County Tourist Board said on Monday, calling this "excellent news."

ADAC Reisemagazin, Alpe Adria Magazin, Dumont, Der Feinschmecker, and Merian are prestigious tourism and lifestyle magazines that present Istria as a close and attractive destination and bring a wealth of travel and accommodation information and advice on Croatia's largest peninsula and Austrians' closest to the Mediterranean, the Tourist Board said.

The weekly supplement in Saturday's edition of the influential Kurier Freizeit has Istria on its cover and an eight-page spread, the Tourist Board said, adding that this was Austria's largest-circulation daily with up to 250,000 copies sold.

In a press release, County Prefect Boris Miletić said that "Istria is a world tourism brand today, as confirmed by frequent and numerous features and articles in respectable world media."

He called the fact that Istria was featured on the covers of as many as six magazines in one day "a historic success."

Miletić said that "according to the indicators so far, this season will surpass all expectations, which means that we have been recognized as a safe and desirable tourist destination."

He said Istria would continue to invest in tourism, primarily ecologically sustainable tourism, and culture, food, and nature.

Istria County Tourist Board director Denis Ivošević said the appearance of Istria on six Austrian magazine covers represented incalculable promotion.

The Tourist Board also carried a statement by ART Redaktionsteam director Wolfgang Neuhuber, who said, "Neither Tuscany nor Piedmont nor South Tyrol nor the French Riviera, but Istria."

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

June 19, 2021 - Vinistra, this year, has been a celebration of Istria´s endeavours in containing COVID. Cancelled last year and postponed this year by a month, until everyone could be sure that it was safe, this year´s exhibition has moved from its usual venue in Porec to an open-air one on the seafront, where the safety of exhibitors and visitors is easier to maintain.

The awards were presented at a ceremony a week ago in Porec´s premier Hotel Parentium and this weekend, visitors have the opportunity to sample the best of Istria´s wines over a three-day period.

Vinistra is the culmination of a period of wine events, particularly the World of Malvasija, where Malvasijas from as far afield as Lanzarote and Greece are judged separately from the other grape types. Naturally, most are from Istria, but entries also came from Italy and Slovenia as well. 

The Vinistra judging encompasses all the grape varieties available in Istria, including ones like Refosk that are popular in Slovenia, from which entries came and which got a lot of Gold Medals.  Judging this year was a little different, as Caroline Gilbey MW, who normally leads it, was stuck in the UK with restrictions and was unable to come.

It isn't just about the big names, either. Denis Bernobic, who has a small winery in Markovac, was previously little known and doesn't even have a website, carried off the supreme award, over and above a Gold Medal, for his Young Malvasija. To have done so, while competing with the biggest and best wineries in the county, was no mean feat. Over 40 Malvasijas got Gold Medals this year, reflecting the very high standard.

Terans, Istria´s other main grape, was well represented with almost 20 Gold Medals of which Marko Fakin from Brkac picked up 5. His neighbour, Klaudio Tomaz, picked up another 3 of them. The Motovun area is clearly good for growing Teran, but the skills of these winemakers make the most of it. Kozlevic, Benvenutti and Degrassi also got Golds, as well as Deklic, from Ferenci, who picked up 2. Bruno Ferenac, his neighbour, picked up another Gold. 

The lack of opportunity last year to have wine judged meant that this year many wineries submitted the wines they would have done last year, as well as those for this year. It has resulted in a greater number of entries.

Talking to winemakers about the effects of COVID on their businesses revealed that while the closure of restaurants, both here and in the export markets, obviously hit sales, many of them picked up new business domestically, as buyers bought to drink at home.

I used to think that Cuvees was just a way of blending in different wines, but the skill of these winemakers ensures that the result exceeds the sum of the parts. Deklic picked up 2 Gold Medals for his ones, with Damjanic, down in Fuskulin, getting his usual Gold for his excellent Clemente. Kozlovic, Degrassi and Rossi got Golds, as did Moreno Ivancic and Pervino from Novigrad. Damjanic also picked up the only Gold for his Borgonija. Whilst a traditional grape, it needs careful management and bunches removing to maintain the best of the remaining ones.

Cabernet Francs were less well represented, with another Ferenci winemaker, Julio Ferenac, picking up a Gold for his, alongside Degrassi´s well-known Contarini from Savudrija. Fiore, from Barboj, were the only other entry and got a Silver.

Deklic has done well this year, as he picked up a Gold for his Cabernet Sauvignon, as did Pino Rossi from Bajkini. Rossi´ś cousins, also at Bajkini, picked up a Gold for their Chardonnay, as did Franko Cattunar at Nova Vas.

Siljan, from Marcana, another lesser know winery, got a Gold Medal Plus, for their Merlot, and Deklic, again, got another Gold for his, alongside Tomaz and Medea with Angelo Brcic getting a well-deserved one for his Merlot Barrique.

Benvenutti got a special Gold for his San Salvatore Muscat. That guy makes the best proper dessert wines in the county. Klaudio Tomaz picked up 2 more Golds for his 2018 and 2020 Muscats . Capo, from Fernetici, got a Special Gold for his Yellow Muscat.

The exhibition is well laid out, allowing for a degree of social distancing and being held later in the day, offers a particularly pleasant view across the bay.. This year, following an earlier tradition but missing in recent years, the price of admission includes a glass, which you can keep. It is also part of their thinking to keep patrons safe. Hastily rinsed out hired glasses weren't considered ideal.

This year, there aren't any food events and there isn't a lecture programme, but, overall, they have made a good job of organising it in difficult circumstances.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 11, 2021 - Good news after it was established yesterday that Slovenian tourists would not need to go into self-isolation when returning from the Adriatic counties, according to the decision of the Slovenian Government to remove the Croatian coast from its red list, which will take effect from tomorrow.

At yesterday's session, the Slovenian Government decided that the Adriatic Croatia administrative unit is no longer on their red list. The counties of Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Lika-Senj, Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia, and Dubrovnik-Neretva were thus removed from the list of countries and areas with a high risk of coronavirus infection, reports hrturizam.hr.

Namely, in areas not on the dark red or red list, there is no high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, so a person coming from such an area can enter Slovenia without being sent into mandatory self-isolation if they submit proof that they've been in the area.

Apart from Croatia, Switzerland, the Vatican, the Austrian administrative unit of Tyrol, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and the Portuguese Azores were removed from the red list of European Union countries at yesterday's session. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro are no longer on the same list comprised of third countries. The administrative units of Pannonian Croatia, the City of Zagreb, and Northern Croatia are still on the red list. This means that a person coming from these areas in Croatia is quarantined for ten days due to possible infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus upon returning to Slovenia

The decision to remove the Adriatic counties from their red list, made by the Slovenian Government yesterday, will take effect on Saturday, June 12th.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of testing centers and vaccination points across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

Follow the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 1, 2021 - Central Istria Tourist Board COVID-19 testing is available for tourists starting Wednesday, June 2!

At the initiative of the Central Istria Tourist Board, the Istria County Teaching Institute for Public Health will perform COVID-19 tests for guests in the region from Wednesday, June 2, 2021, reports HRTurizam.

Testing will take place at the COVID test point in Pazin, in the parking lot at the back of the Memorial House, at Šetalište Pazinske gimnazije 1, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 am to 12 noon, only with prior notice, no later than the day before by 3 pm to e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It is necessary to submit the name and surname, date of birth, passport or identity card number, and mobile phone number, and e-mail address to the e-mail.

The price of the rapid antigen test will be HRK 100.00, and the PCR test HRK 375.00. The results of the rapid antigen will be known two hours after testing, and the PCR test within 24 hours. Testing can be paid in cash in kuna or by card, during the testing itself, and the test results will be delivered to the e-mail address. Test results will be available in Croatian and English.

“As part of the preparations for the tourist season, on Friday, May 28, 2021, the first vaccinations of renters who had previously applied for vaccinations at the TZSI office were performed. Landlords' applications are still being received," said the Central Istria Tourist Board.

The Central Istria Tourist Board area, from January 1 to May 28, achieved 3,606 arrivals, i.e., 133% more compared to the same period last year and 115,790 overnight stays or 90% more than in the same period last year. Of this, 66% of overnight stays were realized by foreign guests and 34.00% by domestic guests. The share of overnight stays by country from January to the end of May was: Germany 40%, Croatia 34%, Slovenia and Italy with 5% each, and Serbia with 3%.

An excellent indicator of how this year, as well as in the future, the interior of Istria will be well filled.

To learn more about the Central Istria region, follow our Total Croatia page.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 29, 2021 - Sunday is Open Wine Cellars Day in Istria, the day when over 50 wineries and distilleries open their doors with free tastings, often food, and even live music.

Last year, like many events, it didn't happen, but this year, as we slowly get back to normal, it is back on again. Istria's response to COVID has been exemplary and the county has worked hard to preserve its tourist industry. This is back on and a postponed open-air VINISTRA is on next month. Everything is being organised very carefully.

This year, wineries from Degrassi in the North West to Romeo in the North East and down to Benazic in Pula are all offering their wares. Famous wineries like Benvenuti, Fakin, Damjanic, Gerzinic, Matosevic, Pilato, and Koquelicut are all included. The little village of Kaldir boasts three wineries that are open – Benvenuti, Valenta, and Bertosa. Note that a few who have participated in previous years are not on the list this year. Tomaz, normally very busy and Cattunar are off this year, as is Rossi, although Pino Rossi across the road is open and Kozlevich doesn't usually participate anyway. Distilleries like Aura and Kapeljica are participating this year, as Istria is producing some excellent eaux de vie.

Please note that, unlike previous years, when people could just turn up, Istria is still taking its COVID responsibilities seriously and you will need to book a time, with the number in your party, with each place, enabling them to limit numbers to safe levels.

The full list, with contact details for everywhere, is at https://www.istra.hr/en/events/21695 

Zivoli!

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May the 28th, 2021 - Croatia is very well known on the wine map for the fantastic products it sends out into the world, and the Istrian Kabola winery has seen inheritance turn into 130 years of tradition.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes,reliability, tradition and consumer confidence are the key to the success of any wine heritage story, and those points are all more than well known and applied by the popular Istrian Kabola winery, which is set to celebrate its 130th anniversary at the end of this month.

As many as three generations of the Markezic family have been making wine there, and they have been writing their own very long wine story since way back in 1891, when ''nono Ivan'' filled up the very first bottles of Muscat of Momjan, a variety that still intrigues those familiar with the wine world today.

Respecting tradition and nature, the current owner of the Istrian Kabola winery, Marino Markezic, with his innovative approach to winemaking, has positioned the family winery at the very top of the Croatian wine scene, which is no easy task. He was the one to open the Istrian Kabola winery officially in Kanedol near Momjan back on May the 29th, 2005, and this date is symbolically celebrated as a birthday.

The very first Istrian winery in terms of eco production

The Istrian Kabola winery is the very first Istrian winery that maintains its vineyards according to the stringent principles of eco production. With twenty hectares of vineyards to think about and take proper care of, Kabola produces about 100,000 bottles of wine a year, as well as another much loved Croatian product - olive oil, which also carries a bio-certificate. Although Croatia is their most important market, their exports to various countries have been growing more and more over recent years.

They mainly export to EU and non-EU European countries - Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, and some of their wine travels over the Atlantic and finds its place on dinner tables in the United States. These are typically the Kabola-made wines that are chosen by more demanding consumers, both in retail and restaurants, hotels, and 25 percent of the quantities produced are exported.

Prolonged macerations such as those aged in amphorae or wooden barrels are especially sought after. The Istrian Kabola winery isn't only a synonym for top quality wines, as guests from all over the world, as well as various celebrities, come to this Istrian estate in person.

It was on this very estate that a 2Cellos video and scenes for The Hitman’s Wife Bodyguard, among other things, were filmed.

"We're really looking forward to the summer tourist season and we hope that it will be better than last year when, due to very well known circumstances, we had a drop in visits when compared to 2019. Although results like those from two years ago aren't expected yet, our regular guests who spend their summers in Istria never miss out on a visit to our estate for wine tasting and they've already announced their arrival. Since the opening of the Istrian Kabola winery this spring, we've been mostly visited by local guests, but with the easing the anti-epidemic measures, we expect guests from our traditional foreign markets,'' said Marino Markezic, Kabola's owner.

''We're constantly investing''

It's worth noting that the Istrian Kabola winery is mostly visited by guests from Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, and a large number of guests come from the Asian market.

“Despite the great challenges for winemakers, the last wine year was great and provided wines of excellent quality. However, the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic were too great, we had to adapt quickly to the new situation and immediately switched to online sales and increased our social media presence and marketing to ensure our customers could easily reach our wines in spite of the lockdowns.

We're constantly investing in equipping the winery and cellar in order to achieve the best possible quality of wine and olive oil in our production process,'' concluded Markezic.

For more, follow Made in Croatia. For all you need to know about Croatian wine, bookmark our dedicated section.