The Istrian peninsula of Croatia, sharing its limestone-rich soils with neighboring Friuli, is home to some of the most exciting and soulful white wines in the Adriatic. At the forefront of this movement is Dimitri Brecevic of Piquentum. Born in France and trained in top cellars across the globe, Dimitri returned to his father’s homeland to establish a winery in a repurposed Mussolini-era concrete water tank. This is where he crafts stunning, low-intervention wines like this Malvazija Istarska, a native grape that thrives in the region’s mineral-rich flysch and karst soils.

This is not a typical white wine. Organically farmed grapes are hand-harvested and undergo a three- to four-day maceration on their skins, imparting a brilliant golden hue and a captivating textural complexity. Fermented with native yeasts in concrete and aged in a mix of used oak and stainless steel, the wine is bottled unfined, with no additives and only minimal sulfur. The result is a wine that walks a beautiful line between aromatic intensity and savory structure. While it has a distinct phenolic tang from its skin contact, it is not an “orange wine,” but rather a brilliantly expressive white with a saline minerality and bracing acidity that speaks directly of its coastal terroir.

Why You’ll Love It

• A Taste of Istrian Terroir: Experience the unique character of Malvazija Istarska from Croatia’s premier coastal region.
• Artisanal & Natural: Crafted by a master of low-intervention winemaking in a historic concrete cellar.
• Textural & Complex: A short skin maceration provides a beautiful golden color and a captivating phenolic structure.
• Salty & Savory: Brimming with notes of orange oil, white peach, and crushed rocks, with a distinctive sea salt finish.

How To Serve It

• Decant: Not necessary, but a few minutes in the glass will allow its aromatics to blossom.
• Serving Temperature: Serve chilled, around 50-55°F, in a white wine glass.
• Food Pairing: A perfect match for Adriatic seafood dishes like Shrimp alla Buzara, grilled fish, or a classic shrimp scampi.