Malvazija Istarska is one of the most famous wines of Croatia.
The wine is produced from the grape species known as Malvazija, which is grown at the Istrian peninsula territories of Croatia, as well as partially in Slovenia and Italy.
Istarska Malvazija – a medium wine – has quite a high alcohol percentage of about 11.5% to 13.5%.
First appearance of the Istrian Malvazija vineyards in the history chronicles is dated back to 1891.
Malvazija is a wine with a defined flower-fruit bouquet; the dominant tones are apple, plum and apricot. If the grapes were collected at the sunny sites and elevations, the resulting wine has a slight acacia aroma.
Three types of Malvazija are distinguished:
- one has a lower quality and is usually consumed pretty quickly after it’s made;
- the other one is made from the selected grapes and is aged for up to three years. The wine like this is getting a special mark – IQ, i.g. Istrian Quality. This signature mark was created by the winemakers association of Istria, as to protect the quality, tradition and the style of the Istrian Malvazija;
- the third type – the well-aged Malvazija, which usually appears at the market not before two years after the grapes harvesting, and can be stored for years to come.
The Istrian Malvazija is perfectly compatible with such dishes as the pork tenderloin, the asparagus and vegetable pasta, the clams and the fried or baked white fish types.
In the May of 2022, Malvazija Istrina of the Fakin winery received the Judges’ Choice award at the world’s most prestigious wine competition, based in Texas – the TEXSOM Awards 2022