Wine Story

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With Love & Passion We Put Life Into Wine

Wine Story

Wine is a story—a profound dialogue between people, tradition, and nature. When these elements come together, we begin to understand that wine is not merely a drink, but a vessel of something deeper. It holds within it secrets, wisdom, and the pulse of the earth.

To truly comprehend wine, we must first learn to listen—to nature, to silence, to time.

Nature gives us the grape and the life-force that animates it. Tradition carries the memory of generations-how to plant, when to harvest, which methods to honor, and which to evolve. And then there is the human hand, guided by intuition and desire, that initiates it all.

Wine is born at the intersection of natural rhythm, inherited knowledge, and personal vision. It is alive, and to make it is to participate in something timeless.

Here, the story begins.

Istria: Where the Spirit of Wine Begins

Welcome to Istria—a land shaped by sun, stone, and stories. Here, vineyards grow not only from the earth but from centuries of memory. Every bottle carries a tale older than borders.

Istria is one of Europe’s most ancient wine regions. Its roots reach back to the 6th century BC, when Greek settlers planted the first vines in these fertile, windswept hills. Over time, empires rose, borders shifted, and nations changed—yet the vineyards remained, speaking the same enduring language of wine.

As locals say:
“My grandfather was born in Austria, my father in Italy, I was born in Yugoslavia, and my daughter in Slovenia. We were all born in the same house.”
Istria changes on the map, but never in soul.

A Legacy Poured into Every Glass

Set between Venice and Vienna, Istria’s wines have traveled far beyond the peninsula.
In Roman and Venetian times, the hills—known as the “Golden Hills”—were famed for wines so prized they were used to pay taxes and served at noble tables.

The higher slopes produced wines of elegance, depth, and distinction. The plains below offered simpler, everyday wines for the common table.

During the Habsburg era, Istrian Refosco gained renown as a medicinal wine, stocked in pharmacies across Vienna. Even today, tradition says a daily glass keeps the heart steady and the spirit alive.

One Land. Three Countries. One Terroir.

Modern Istria spans Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, yet remains united by a single terroir.
Our vineyards sit where white “golden” soils meet the Mediterranean sun—mineral-rich land resting on ancient rock and nurtured by coastal breezes.

At MonteMoro, we honor this land.
We don’t chase volume or trends. We craft wines slowly, naturally, in harmony with nature. Pure wines that breathe, evolve, and tell the truth of where they come from.

Each sip is a tribute to Istria—its history, its people, and its timeless passion for wine.

People, Grapes, and the Story Behind Them

Our Ancestors, Our Grandfather

Our ancestors understood not only what to do, but why they did it. Their work followed the rhythm of seasons and the wisdom of generations. Nothing was without purpose. And when a tradition survived for more than 2,000 years, it was not questioned—it was honored.

But the world changed, especially in the last three decades. Industry moved faster than nature, and in that rush, something essential was lost. So we chose to return—to patience, to purity, to the ways that shaped Istrian wine long before us.

My grandfather tended only to the native grapes of our land—Refosco and Malvasia—growing on the sunlit slopes above the sea. Today, I follow the same path. These two varieties remain the heart of our winemaking. They are distinct. They are authentic.
They are Istria.

Refosco D’Istria

Refosco is one of the oldest noble families of dark-skinned grapes in this part of Europe, deeply rooted in the Venetian region and Istria. An authentically local variety, it is celebrated for its deep, inky color and its long-believed health-giving qualities. The name comes from the Latin “Re”—the king—and “fosco,” meaning dark.
A king among dark grapes.

Many oenologists believe that the ancient Roman grape Puccinum, praised by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century, belonged to the Refosco family. The variety has been admired for centuries. Even Giacomo Casanova wrote fondly of it in his memoirs:

“His Refosco, which was even better than my devout hostess’s had been, made me forget all my troubles…”

For Istrians, Refosco is not just a grape. It is an heirloom—bold, expressive, and unmistakably ours.

Malvasia D’Istria

Malvasia is a storied Mediterranean family of grapes, found from Crete to the Canary Islands. Most experts trace its beginnings to ancient Greece. The name likely originates from Monemvasia, a medieval fortified port that once served as a major wine gateway between East and West.

Venetian merchants carried Malvasia across Europe during the Middle Ages. In Venice, wine taverns were even called malvasie. Eventually, traders brought the vines to Istria, where they discovered their truest expression in our sunlit hills and mineral-rich soils.

Here, Malvasia evolved into something unique—fresh, aromatic, and deeply tied to place.
This is why we call it Malvasia D’Istria—the Malvasia of Istria.

Macerated White / Orange Wines — Our Heritage

What the world now calls “orange wine” is simply the modern rediscovery of an ancient Istrian method. By leaving white grape skins in contact with the juice, the wine gains depth, color, and structure—what many now refer to as the Amber Revolution.

My grandfather would smile at its popularity today. In his time, white grapes were pressed quickly. Yet old Istrian winemakers knew that macerating Malvasia for days brought out something remarkable—layers of aroma, texture, and longevity. They aged the wines in oak, crafting bottles meant to last.

This tradition was handed down to me, and I continue it with intention:
not mass production, but patient craft.
Not trends, but heritage.

Our macerated wines carry the spirit of Istria—shaped by our land, guided by curiosity, and grounded in the wisdom of those who came before us.

The Art Of Wine

We don’t follow trends—we follow the vine.
Our methods are traditional, our standards uncompromising,
and our wines remain deeply, unmistakably Istrian.

The Power Of Nature

Nature is our compass. Every wine we create reflects how we live and where we come from.
For us, winemaking begins with the earth’s energy—from the first bud to the final harvest.
This natural rhythm shapes our philosophy and guides every decision we make in the cella

Our Vineyards

Harmony begins in the vineyard.
We farm without pesticides, without synthetic chemicals, and without shortcuts.
Our grapes grow through time-honored methods passed down from our ancestors, honoring the land instead of forcing it.
Even our pruning follows ancient techniques, protecting the vine’s natural purity and vitality.

Slopes & Hard Work

Excellence demands effort—especially on steep, rugged terrain.
Most of our vineyards lie on slopes where machines cannot reach,
so the work is done by hand, with patience and dedication.
Every vine receives personal care, and every cluster reflects the labor of the hills.

Hand-Picked

All our grapes are harvested by hand and placed gently into baskets,
arriving at the cellar clean, intact, and free from bruising.
We avoid chemicals at every step. Fermentation begins naturally the moment the grapes arrive—
preserving their integrity and allowing their authentic character to shine.

The Artist

Winemaking is an art—an act of seeing beauty in complexity,
finding balance in nature, and shaping harmony from what the land gives.
This artistry transforms each wine into something alive, expressive, and unique.
It is more than a craft; it is a continuation of tradition, guided by intuition and love for the land.

Know More

Wine Story

With Love & Passion We Put Life Into Wine

Wine Story

Istria: Where the Spirit of Wine Begins

A Legacy Poured into Every Glass

One Land. Three Countries. One Terroir.

People, Grapes, and the Story Behind Them

Our Ancestors, Our Grandfather

Refosco D’Istria

Malvasia D’Istria

Macerated White / Orange Wines — Our Heritage

The Art Of Wine

The Power Of Nature

Our Vineyards

Slopes & Hard Work

Hand-Picked

The Artist

Phone: +386 419 921 086

Email: wine@montemoro.eu

Location: Triban 7, 6000 Koper-Capodistria, Slovenia