ISTRIA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 264

vazija, teran, muscat, and a rosé made with teran grapes (no specific opening times,
but it's best to call before showing up; free tasting, 50-130-kn bottles, Kanal 36, tel.
052/681-717, mobile [phone], www.vina-tomaz.hr ). Continuing along the same
road, you'll go about another mile and a half (following signs, and turning right just
before the village of Brka č ) to reach Vina Fakin. Run by a youthful go-getter named
Marko Fakin (FAH-kin), his brother Alen, and their family, this is a small operation
thathopestobuildatastingroomsometimesoon.Inthemeantime,therealdrawhere
isthechancetochatwiththefamilyaboutgettingarelatively newwineoperationoff
the ground. While many vintners around here focus on their malvazija, the Fakins'
passionis teran. Themoreyoudrink,thedirtiertheirnamesounds...that'ssomegood
Fakin wine! (No specific opening hours, but somebody's usually around; free tast-
ings, 60-90-kn bottles, call ahead to arrange a more elaborate tasting with local foods
for 50 kn/person, Bataji 20, Brka č , tel. [phone], mobile [phone].)
Between Rovinj and Pore č : Just a minute's drive off the Limski Canal (described
on here ) , in the village of Krun č i ć i, Ivica Matoševi ć turns out well-respected wines
and offers tastings in a humble space without pretense. While this is a more rustic,
less polished experience than the others listed here (as it's on the premises of a work-
ing facility rather than in a snazzy showroom), its proximity to Rovinj makes it an
easy choice if you want a winery visit without scouring the back lanes. Matoševi ć
corks up mostly whites, with several varieties of malvazija (which they call Al-
ba—Italian for “dawn”), as well as a red blend of teran and merlot called Grimalda
(after the place where the grapes are grown). They offer free tastings (and sell
60-115-knbottles),oryoucanpayforacellartourandamoreelaboratetastingpaired
withlocalsnacks(150knforagroupofupto5people);ineithercase,it'swisetocall
ahead to let them know you're coming (June-mid-Sept Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat-Sun
10:00-18:00; mid-Sept-May Mon-Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun; Krun č i ć i 2, tel. 052/
448-558, mobile [phone], www.matosevic.com ) . From Rovinj, head up to the
Limski Canal (following signs for Pore č , but without getting on the highway). After
driving along the rim of the canal, then heading inland, watch for the turn-off on the
right for Krun č i ć i and Matoševi ć .
• If you want to head directly to Motovun, you can simply proceed on the road past Završje
and twist down into the valley. Or, for a more scenic approach, backtrack the way you came
for a couple of minutes, turning right to follow signs to Oprtalj.