Winemaking from ancient times to the present
Archaeological sites and various historical records prove that Vižinada was inhabited since prehistoric times. Through the ancient history and the Middle Ages until today it has always been an authentic Istrian village with unique geographical structure and climate. It has also always had an autochthonous production that its inhabitants have nurtured for generations through family traditions. One of the most recognizable features of Vižinada is the long history of local winemaking which developed together with folk traditions, historical and economic changes and with the development of new technologies.
The whole area of Vižinada is located on a hilly land intersected by valleys with numerous springs and watercourses passing through. The geomorphological configuration of its soil has not changed significantly over the centuries and has always been suitable for the development of various agricultural crops. However, it has always been given a lot of attention to cultivation of olives and vines, both for personal use and for trade.
Since ancient times, there has always been a strategically important intersection of roads in the area of Vižinada. For instance, Via Flavia, the most important ancient road that used to connect the three Roman colonies in Istria – today the cities of Trieste, Poreč and Pula – passed through this area.
Winegrowing and winemaking in Vižinada were already mentioned in medieval written sources, while in the 17th century as many as 15 wine varieties growing in this area were named. Prospero Petronio (1608-1688), a doctor and historian from Trieste describes Vižinada as “a place abounding in healthy air and good territory where, along with grain and other crops, excellent wine in large quantities is produced”, in his work “Delle memorie dell’Istria, sacre e profane” (1681).
In the 18th century, wine sales took place here more actively. Vineyards then occupied almost 600 ha of the municipality territory while production even exceeded local needs and the surplus was sold mainly in Trieste.
In the 19th century, in Istria a crisis in winemaking occurred. Pests and vine diseases threatened the cultivation of many varieties. In the struggle for survival, the Poreč agricultural institution decided to invest in scientific research and education of the population regarding agriculture after which numerous innovations were introduced. Consequently, ancient methods were abandoned forever and winemaking as we know it today started to develop.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a complete economic recovery of the restored vineyards occurred which made the wine trade flourish. Undoubtedly also because of the construction of the Trieste-Poreč railway, known as the Parenzana or Vinogradska pruga (Vineyard railway), passing also through Vižinada.
At the beginning of this new period of Istrian viticulture, in the twenties of the last century, Don Michele Facchinetti wrote in his publication about Vižinada as one of the most viticultural areas of the Istrian province that produces “excellent wine with a high alcohol content and an expressive color.”
At that time vineyards, along with cattle farming, represented the biggest source of income for the inhabitants of Vižinada while wine also played an important role in folk traditions.
For the Patron Saint Day of St. Jeronim, Facchinetti writes about the gathering of the locals as “about a cheerful gathering that takes place in a carefree atmosphere, when friends get together for some time and laying on the grass they have a hearty meal and drinkrefosco wine, while children happily jump around…” About this folk tradition in the period before the Second World War, A. Fragiacomo, born in Vižinada, also writes: “During the breaks of the orchestra, the famous wine from Vižinada was drunk in abundance so that the music and dance became even more ecstatic and dynamic.”
The revival of Istrian winemaking in the 20th century also brought about a significant change – while earlier about 90% of the vineyard area was occupied by black varieties, from the middle of the 20th century the ratio turned in favor of white varieties, mostly white Istrian Malvasia. However, foreign varieties such as white and gray Pinot, Traminac, Cabernet Sauvignon, White Muscat, Semillon, Muscat rosè and others also thrived very well.
In the 1990s, winegrowers and winemakers gathered through the association Vinistra, which allowed small winemakers to gradually conquer the wine scene. The quality of the wine continued to grow, and recognitions began to arrive also from abroad. The first significant recognition arrived precisely in Vižinada – Marijan Arman’s Malvasia was the first Istrian Malvasia to win the “Gran Menzione” recognition at the international Vinitaly wine competition and exhibition in Verona in 2010. In the meantime, winemakers from Vižinada have become permanent participants in various national and international wine competitions and continued to win medals and recognitions, thus confirming the importance of their role within the winemaking field of Istria.