Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with a leaning tower and a colorfully painted Baroque altar. But the EU has taken notice
of this precious little burg, and has invested in restoring its pretty pink schoolhouse (at the
base of the hill, near the parking lot) and posting informative English descriptions along the
street through town. Walk up through the village on this cobbled lane, peering into ruined
stone houses and pondering their potential. Thanks to its priceless setting, convenient loca-
tionashortdrivefromMotovun,andinherentcharm,Završjewon'tbeoverlookedforlong.
If I were an entrepreneurial Istrian restaurateur, I'd set up a fancy truffle restaurant here
posthaste. A stroll through here today will have a big payoff a decade from now, after little
Završje has been rediscovered and repopulated with artists, hotels, and restaurants—as it
surely will. You'll be able to say, “Yeah, I was there back when it was a ghost town.”
Istrian Wine-Tastings
While still far from a major player, Istrian wines are beginning to get some attention
on the world stage. A few high-class restaurants in New York and London are adding
vintages ending in
-i
ć
to their wine lists, and German, Austrian, and Italian tourists
are starting to discover Istria's wine roads. In the past few years, some wineries have
openedclassytastingroomsthatinvitepassingmotoristsinforasample.Asthisisan
emerging scene, wine lovers will want to do some homework before arriving. But if
you simply want to splice a few sips into your itinerary, the options below are worth
considering. At most places you can drop by for a few free tastes, though they'd like
you to buy a bottle or two for your picnic. They understand that it's tough for Amer-
icans to carry wine home, so producers that are exporters hope you'll look for their
winesfromstatesidedistributors.Ifyouwantamoreseriousvisit—withaguidedtour
of the cellar, and local cheeses and other bites paired with each wine—you'll pay a
modest fee and should call ahead to reserve. I've organized the wine-tasting options
below by area within Istria.
Near Momjan, just north of the Hill Town Loop:
Just an easy 10-minute detour
frommyrecommendedhill-towndrivingloopisthevillageofMomjan,whichissur-
rounded by some of the most striking vineyards I've seen here. While humble Mom-
jan itself doesn't have much to see, it's flanked by two well-regarded wineries with
state-of-the-arttastingfacilities.Classy
Kabola,
nearthevillageofKremenje(justto-
ward Buje from Momjan), owns the most striking setting, with a cypress-lined drive-
wayleadingtoaclusterofpicture-perfectstonebuildingsoverlookinggorgeousvine-
yardtableaus.OwnedbyMarinoMarkeži
ć
,Kabolaproducesawidevarietyofwines,
including several
malvazijas, pisak
(pinot grigio), muscat,
teran,
cabernet sauvign-
on, and a rosé that blends
teran
and muscat (free tastings, 50-90-kn bottles, summer
