Guide to Istria: Croatia's Wine Country

Wine Tasting: Go to Ipša, Kabola Winery, Kozlovic Winery, and Roxanich Winery. Be sure to book your tour in advance. Roxanich Winery is known for their natural wine and I highly recommend their tasting. Croatia is known for their white wine so be sure to try the Malvazija.

Olive Oil & Wine Tasting at Ipša: This family-run estate has been producing wine and olive oil for 20 years. They have a beautiful tasting room where you can book a tour and tasting where they serve you different olive oils and wines paired with various tapas. The tapas are amazing and I think about them to this day. Most of their wine is natural skin contact/orange wine.

Truffle Hunting: Depending on the season, you can go truffle hunting with a guide and trained dogs to explore the surrounding nature and get to experience true truffle hunting.

Explore nearby small towns: Drive throughout the rolling hills and stop into small towns along the way. Grožnjan is a great small town full of artists and musicians. Motovun is located at the top of a hill and is a great place to go for sunset -- you can walk along the city walls and then stop into B5 wine bar for a drink. Following a drink, you can go to Konoba Mondo for dinner -- be sure to get a dish with fresh truffles.

Ziplining: Zipline over the pazin cave from the small town of Pazin and experience beautiful views of the countryside.

Bike the Parenzana: Parenzana is a railway that in 1938 connected Poreč and other Istrian towns with Trieste. The trail is easy and not demanding so it is a great way to explore the area.

Day trip to Rovinj: After exploring wine country, spend a day or two on the coast in Rovinj. Rovinj is full of great food and beautiful views of the Adriatic Sea. Relax at Albaro Wellness & Spa at the Grand Park Hotel.

Breakfast

Your hotel will likely have a great breakfast set up, but if you are in Rovinj, be sure to stop by Augusto Specialty Coffee Shop for a coffee and pastry.

Lunch/Dinner

Roxanich Winery: The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows all around so you get a great view of the countryside. The food is great, but what really makes your meal special is the amazing service. All of the staff is really knowledgeable about the menu and the wine pairings available.

Konoba Mondo: Konoba is the Croatian word for tavern, so all konobas are great spots to try more local Croatian food. Konoba Mondo is located in Motovun and has great pasta dishes with truffles.

Konoba Rino: This spot has great pasta and carpaccio. It is close to the Kozlovic Winery so it is the perfect lunch spot after your wine tasting.

Restaurant Zigante: This spot is well known for their truffles and hosts a truffle festival every year in October.

Monte: A Michelin starred restaurant located in Rovinj.