Top 100 white wines of Istria

Discover the top 100 best white wines of Istria as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the white wines that are popular of Istria and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Istria

Romania is located at the geographical crossroads between Central and South-Eastern Europe. The Romanian wine industry uses a wide range of indigenous and international red and white Grape varieties. Both vinifera and American grape species are present here, as well as a number of hybrids. The latter are chosen for their resistance to varying Climates.

The Fetească white grape varieties (the two variants Fetească Regală and Alba) are the most widely planted in Romania. They account for a significant portion of the country's white wine production. Romanian "Riesling" is more likely to be Welschriesling than true Rhenish Riesling. Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat (Ottonel) and Sauvignon Blanc are reliably identifiable.

As far as red wines are concerned, the great Bordeaux classics Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are planted in large numbers in Romanian vineyards and together account for about 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Other well-known reds include Pinot Noir and Blaufrankisch (Kekfrankos/Lemberger). Fetească Neagră makes its home in the eastern Part of the country, in the province of Moldova (or Moldavia), on the border with the country of the same name. With Ukraine to the North and Bulgaria to the south, Romania is clearly a country with Slavic influences.

News from the vineyard of Istria

NZ winery uses terroir ‘fingerprint’ to verify fine wine origin

North Canterbury-based Pyramid Valley has formed a partnership with fellow New Zealand firm Oritain, which specialises in proving the origin of different products, and said the group’s ability to ‘fingerprint’ vineyard terroir offers a way to guarantee the provenance of its fine wines. Both partners suggested the system could contribute to preventing fine wine fraud more generally, but it’s early days. Wines in Pyramid Valley’s 2020-vintage Botanicals Collection, featuring Pinot Noir and Chardon ...

New Zealand vineyards work towards achieving carbon neutrality

The industry launched a certification programme called Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) back in 1995. It now covers 1,840 vineyards and 310 wineries. Growers can only achieve SWNZ certification by passing stringent tests within six key areas: water, waste, pest and disease control, soil, climate change and people. They must subject themselves to regular audits conducted by an independent company, which assesses the overall sustainability of their operations and verifies that they are m ...

St-Emilion 2012 Classification upheld in court

Bordeaux’s administrative court of appeal has effectively validated the St-Emilion 2012 Classification after rejecting long-standing complaints from three châteaux. France’s national appellation body, INAO, said the decision upholds an original court ruling from 2015. It added the complainants still have two months in which to appeal the judgement, however. Legal challenges to the St-Emilion 2012 Classification have been a feature of the past decade in Bordeaux. INAO said it was ‘reassured’ by t ...

The best wines of Istria in other styles