Veralda Winery: From the Tasting Room to the Morgan Restaurant

As we continued out visit to the Istria region, during our two-week tour of Croatia, we next stopped at the Veralda Winery, which is located in the Buje Hills, and owned by Luciano and Maria Visintin. The Visintin family began growing grapes, and other crops, back in 1938, starting with ten acres of land. Eventually, the family chose to concentrate on grapes and olives, starting the Veralda winery in 2002. As the name "Visintin" is very common in Istria, they decided to name their winery "Veralda" after the name of the vineyard located next to their wine cellar. 

As their website states, "The special position of the vineyards on the south oriented hills with a gentle slope of 120-220 m above sea level, optimal sun exposure, proximity to the sea (7km), good ventilation and airiness, help prevent the occurrence of grape diseases. The deep layer of white soil in these locations is of a clay-calcareous character and it maintains moisture especially in the dry summer months, thus giving the grapes a high concentration of extracts and specific minerality, salinity in wines. The total area of the vineyards is currently 26 hectares, which we cultivate and nurture in an ecological way so to preserve the environment from pollution and maintain greater biodiversity."

The winery has been certified organic since 2019, and once belonged to a cooperative, but had to break from them as they still used pesticides. With thirty different vineyards, as well as 5 olive trees, they only grow indigenous grapes, including Istrian Malvazija, Refosco and Teran. They consider Malvazija and Teran to be "the roots of the land."

About ten years ago, they were the first Istrian winery to make a Sparkling Rosé from Teran, and this type of wine is now made in a number of other Istrian wineries. They now also produce a Sparkling Malvazija, but states it was tougher to make because of its low acidity.

Luciano Visintin led us on a tour of the winery, and his passion for wine making was quite evident.

We proceeded to taste some of their wines, starting with the NV Veralda Blanc, a Sparkling wine made from Malvazija Istarska. It spent about 18 months on the lees in the bottle. I found this is to be an easy drinking and pleasing wine, great for an aperitif or with food. It possessed tasty fruit flavors of apple, orange and peach, with hints of honey and floral notes. Dry, crisp, and fresh. 

We moved onto the 2021 Veralda Teran Rosé, with a 13.5% ABV, which had an intriguing nose, herbal and rustic, and the taste was more unique, with pleasant red fruit flavors but a dominant savoriness as well. The label is fascinating, as it was composed of 13 separate pieces, representing their various vineyards. The label is put on machine, which wasn't easy to get it to properly place each individual piece. 

The 2019 Veralda Refosco, with a 14.5% ABV, was aged for a year in French oak, 25% new. I'll note that some believe Refosco is the same as the grape Teran, while others believe they are different grapes. This was an impressive wine, complex and delicious, with smooth tannins, rich black fruit flavors, subtle spice notes and a touch of earthiness. Highly recommended. 

The 2021 Veralda Malvazija Dorata, with a 13.5% ABV, was not aged in oak. It was fresh and aromatic, with a round mouthfeel, and tasty notes of apple and citrus, hints of spice, and a touch of salinity. 

The limited edition Veralda Pet Nat, with a 10.5% ABV, was produced from Teran. As the word "pet" in Croatian means "5," they decided to put that number on the label. The wine had 20-22 grams of residual sugar and was first fermented was conducted in the bottle. It was fizzy and fruity, with bright flavors of strawberry and cherry, with almost a candy taste although it was still basically dry. Easy drinking and delicious. 

The 2019 Veralda Malvazija Ambra, with a 14% ABV, was harvested about two weeks later than usual. The grapes were macerated for about a month and then spent a year in oak.  With a pleasing amber color, this wine with compelling, with a complex blend of savory, spicy and floral notes, well integrated tannins, and a lengthy finish. Such a fascinating wine, this was said to be a great pairing for lamb and veal. Highly recommended. 

We also got to taste one of their more experimental wines, similar to the Ambra but instead with a 10 month maceration. It possessed a fruity but almost medicinal aroma. On the palate, it was complex and tannic, with more subtle spice and savory notes, hints of that medicinal nature, and a lengthy finish. 

We ended our tasting here with the NV Veralda Blanc de Noir, made from Refosco and which was the first such wine made in Istria. It was important to them to use indigenous grapes so this bubbly would be unique. With a delightful aroma, it was dry and crisp, refreshing and fruity, with a lengthy, satisfying finish and fine bubbles. Quite delicious. 

After our visit to the winery, we adjourned to the Restaurant Morgan for dinner, where we would continue to drink more of the Veralda wines. This is a famed restaurant in Croatia, specializing in game and poultry, creating both modern and traditional cuisine. There is a nice patio section outside, although the weather was too chilly when we arrived to dine outside. Inside, it's basically a small restaurant, which provides a cozy vibe.

Our table was located near their wine cellar, with its glass doors, and is stocked with many Croatian wines, and you can see the cases of Veralda wine just outside the glass doors.

Chef/owner Ana Morgan, who has worked here for about ten years, has a great reputation, and is included in many lists of the best Croatian chefs. 

During dinner, I sat near Maria Visintin, who is a nutritionist and works in sales/administration for the winery. Her daughter, Olga, also sat further down the table, and she has a degree in enology, and is very knowledgable of the winery. Maria noted that the "most important thing is to make good wine," and that guides their winemaking. Their basic winemaking philosophy is "clean, pure, natural freshness" and terroir is extremely important to them. 

Their wine cellar was built in 2002, and has a capacity of 350K liters. Currently, they have 14 labels, from three indigenous grapes, including 3 white, 3 red, 5 bubbly, 2 dessert wines, and 1 rosé. They export about 30% of their wine, mostly to Europe although Canada has become a good export market as well. 

They co-brand with Ana Morgan, and in some ways, she represents them, pairing their wines with her food. She did so for our dinner, which concentrated on seafood, different from their usual game and poultry menu. I'd love to return here another time to try their signature game and poultry dishes. 

Our first course was a Skampi Tartare with Zucchini and olive oil, paired with the NV Veralda Blanc de Noir. The shrimp were silky smooth and flavorful, and the bubbly was an excellent pairing. 

Our next courses was Orado, a type of bass, with a shrimp reduction, which was also silky smooth, light and tasted like the sea. This was paired with the 2021 Veralda Malvazija Dorata, and it too worked very well with this seafood dish. 

The third course was an Open Ravioli, made with catfish, artichokes and a Beurre Blanc sauce, and it was paired with the 2019 Veralda Malvazija Ambra. Another delicious dish, with the delicate pasta cooked perfectly, and the seafood being tender and flavorful. The wine also did well with this dish. 

The fourth course was Blue Fin Tuna, accompanied by Arancini with anchovies inside. The meaty, tender tuna was cooked perfectly, and tasted excellent. The Arancini were superb, with the a taste of the sea, a fine crunchy exterior, and some creaminess inside as well. And it was beautifully plated as well. 

With the tuna, we enjoyed the 2018 Veralda Xtrian, made from 100% Refosco and with a 15.5% ABV. They only make this wine in excellent vintages, and it possessed an inky dark color. It was a big, concentrated wine, but it wasn't overpowering. Rich black fruit flavors, from ripe plum to black cherry, a spicy backbone, well integrated tannins, and a lengthy, pleasing finish. Power and elegance. It worked well with the tuna, and would be great for beef or wild game. Highly recommended. 

Dessert was a Strawberry Gelee and Mousse, which was creamy, bright, and fruity, without being overly sweet. An excellent way to end our dinner. 

The final wine was the Veralda Xtrian Brut, a Sparkling Rosé made from Teran. It spent about 4 years on the lees, and was dry, bright and bubbly, with rich red fruit flavors. Tasty and refreshing, and was another fine pairing for the food. 

The Veralda Winery is a great representative for the Istrian wine industry, showcasing indigenous grapes, being certified organic, and embracing innovation as well. And the Restaurant Morgan is also an excellent culinary destination for anyone in that region of Istria.