Istria included among world's up and coming wine regions

Popular US travel publisher Sherman's Travel has praised Istria as an up and coming wine region, the Istria County Tourist Board said this past week.

"An ancient tradition, Istrian winemaking saw a renaissance in the early 1990s that continues to evolve," it says in an article entitled "The Top 10 Off-the-Path Wine Regions," which is available on its website.

Citing Franc Arman, Benvenuti, Giorgio Clai and Kabola wineries, the article recommended Kabola's Malvasia as a very popular Istrian wine that matches well with Istrian specialties such as truffles and seafood.

"This heart-shaped peninsula in the northern Adriatic Sea – just a two-hour car ride or three-hour ferry crossing from Venice – is dotted with medieval hilltop villages and picturesque coastal towns where seafood reigns supreme. The rich combination of white soil in the interior and red soil in the coastal areas, along with gently sloping terrain and plenty of sun, is a boon to the 100+ vineyards covering approximately 15,200 acres of land," Sherman's Travel says, adding that "Istria is comparable to Tuscany, but without the crowds and higher prices (Croatia hasn't yet adopted the euro)." (Hina)