Europe a la Carte Blog

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When many people think of Croatia they do not think of wine. However, the Istrian peninsula, which is in the western part of the country on the Adriatic Coast, has some great wines and they are becoming known the world over.

Istrian Wine Country

The wine production in Istria is mainly concentrated in 4 centers, which are Buje, Porec, Pazin and Rovinj and their surrounding areas. You can visit the wineries in the region along the wine roads tasting wines that have won international awards, as well as wines made by the locals at their places of residence. The wine roads can be taken and you can stop at either wineries or individual residences that will have signs that they offer wine. The roads follow the gorgeous Istrian peninsula and each village has their own Konoba, a local restaurant, and you can try the wine of the area and do not miss the prsut, which is fantastic smoked ham. Many of the villages and towns also have rooms and accommodations.

The wine roads are:

1. Brtonigla, Umag, Novigrad, Dajla, Nova Vas, Groznjan, Buje, Savudrija
2. Visnjan, Tar, Baderna, Funtana, Lovrec
3. Buzet, Tinjan, Pazin
4. Rovinj, Vodnjan, Valbandon

There are 3 different types of Istrain wine, which are the white wines of malvazija (malmsey) and muskat (muscatel) and the red wine of teran. The malvazija is centuries old and is a yellowing to golden color and has a scent of locust blossom. Since the aroma of malvazija is very refreshing it goes fantastic with the amazing seafood in the Istrian peninsula, especially on the towns near the coast. Teran, which was praised and was the wine of choice for Casanova (a resident of Istria) has a full and fruity flavor and is fantastic with meat. One of the more popular Istrian wines if Muskat, which has a golden color, a floral scent, and is very dry and sweet. Watch out on the consumption of the muskat though, as it is thought to be an aphrodesiac.

Istria is the largest peninsula on the Adriatic coast and it gently slopes towards the Adriatic sea. The wine of the area is enriched by the structure of the land and the rich red soil. The biggest city in Istria is Pula, which has an airport, and there are flights to Pula from all around Europe. You can also get to Istria by car or by flying or taking a train to nearby major cities of Zagreb in Croatia, and Venice and Trieste in Italy.

Besides wine, agro-tourism is becoming very popular in the Istrian peninsula. If you are looking for a great wine and culinary vacation, you should check out the Istrian peninsula, as you will not be disappointed.

Every year on the last Sunday in May, hundreds of wineries welcome visitors to the “Cantine Aperte“. On this day many small wineries which may not usually offer public access can be visited by wine lovers. You can taste the wine and buy direct from the producer. Some wineries also offer samples of local food. There may be a small charge at some venues.

Il Maido Vineyards by rivard

If you happen to be close to my beloved Lake Iseo in northern Italy between Bergamo and Brescia you can visit some wineries which produce the premier Italian sparkling wine Franciacorta.

We’ll be in Italy driving south through Tuscany from the Pisa area to Lake Trasimeno so if we happen to pass a winery participating in the event we may pop in.

I’ve started a swicki, an intelligent search engine, for cultural and activity holidays in Europe. If you’re thinking of a themed holiday in Europe, whether it be walking, cycling, painting, horseriding, language, water sports, tennis or cooking, try searching in the swicki. If you find any great companies you add them to the swicki and vote for your favourite site. Help build a great resource.

check out the European Cultural & Activity Tours swicki at eurekster.com

[tags]Swicki, Europe themed vacations[/tags]

Edinburgh will host an international wine festival next month. There is a long association between the Scottish capital and French wines with claret being imported to Leith 800 years ago.  Napoleon blockaded the English fleet but permitted the flow of wine to continue from Bordeaux to Scotland.

Photo by IJsendoorn 

Do you think that it’s a good idea for Edinburgh to initiate another festival or is Edinburgh suffering from festival fatigue?

A new Festival of Food and Drink runs in Newcastle from April 6 - 15. There are loads of events such a “Wines of the Times” tasting on the evening of Wednesday 11 April, special offers on meals, afternoon teas and a guerilla restaurant. I plan to visit the Local Heroes Tasting Market during the day on Friday 13 April.

Laterooms have a fair selection of accommodation available during this period with prices for double rooms in a central location starting from £60 per night

The Channel 4 Taste Festival is coming north of the Border for the first time in June 2007.  The four day festival wil showcase signature dishes from 15 restaurants and the produce of 80 suppliers of food and drink.  A similar event has run successfully in London for the last few years.  But don’t think it will be a tasty free for all, it is described as an upmarket event for lovers of good food and wine with entry by ticket and a price tag of £3 - £5 for sample dishes. The event will be held at the Meadows, a large park to the south of the city centre. There is a competition on the site where you can win a gastro weekend in London.
If you’d like to come and stay in Edinburgh my recommendation is the 4 star Salisbury Green Hotel.  A double room is on offer through Laterooms from £84 a night. It’s a few  minutes walk away from the venue.  It is in the University of Edinburgh campus.  It is a fantastic old buildling with amazing wood panelling.  The rooms are very modern and stylish.  Breakfast is very good and there is free on site parking. I stayed at this hotel for a night a couple of months ago.  There’s lots of other accommodation to choose from in Edinburgh, with double rooms from £60 a night.

Salisbury Green Hotel
Have you visited the Taste Festival, what did you think of it?

Sales of French wine have edged upwards, after a couple years of decline. This increase is attributed to a great 2005 vintage, rose becoming more popular and the launch of some new brands. French wine now accounts for 18% of UK wine sales, in 2nd place behind the 24% market share of Australian wines.

If you would like to take a wine themed holiday in France, I can offer some suggestions.