Malvazija Istarska
Also known as Malvasia Istriana
Istria, Croatia
Istria's signature white: fresh and floral, with peach, acacia and almond, made in styles from light and young to oak-aged and skin-contact.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Niche
Climate
Moderate climate
Ripening
Mid season
Wine styles
Still, Sparkling, Dessert
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
Croatia
Istria
The peninsula's main white, from fresh, unoaked wines to lees-aged, barrel-fermented and skin-contact versions.
Background
Origin & History
Malvazija Istarska, or Malvasia Istriana in Italian, is grown on the Istrian peninsula, mostly in Croatia, with a smaller amount in Slovenia's coastal hills and in Italy's Friuli. Despite the name it is not part of the Malvasia family centred on Malvasia Bianca: DNA studies found it distinct from them, with no identical match elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
The most common style is a fresh, unoaked white for the coastal summer, with peach, apricot, acacia and a hint of almond, at about 11.5 to 13.5% alcohol. Producers also make serious lees-aged and barrel-fermented wines, skin-contact 'orange' wines, sparkling wines and sweet wines. In Istria it is grown on the lower slopes, where the red Teran takes the higher ground above the morning fog.
Lineage
Family tree
Parentage not recorded — Malvazija Istarska is an old variety of unknown origin.
No crossings involving Malvazija Istarska are documented in the collection yet.