Slovenian Istria is also called the land of Refosco. It is definitely true, since the majority of wine is still made of this grape that has been grown here for centuries. It gives robust, food friendly wine because of its appetizing acidity. Recently through modern technology we have been able to soften it bit and make it more accessible to modern tastes.
As a traditional variety it is widely present across all our sites. Perhaps slightly more on the inland ones, because as a native it has no problem with Mediterranean heat.
Since 1999 it has been present in the prestigious Capo d'Istria line. Before it was bottled in both quality 0,75 and table 1 litre bottles.

Even five years ago hardly anyone believed, that our good old Malvasia will become a lady she is today. We've had the good fortune of fashion looking for local traditions and by marrying her off to modern technology we've got a true gem.
Being our traditional variety Malvasia is spread across a majorit of our sites, in particular coastal Škocjan, Debeli rtič and Sečovlje.
A steel fermented Malvasia is bottled in spring after the harvest, and the Capo d'Istria line after 18 months in barrique. There is also a 1 litre table wine bottling, and a sweet late-harvest version.

In Bordeaux there is Cabernet on one side of the river, and Merlot on the other. Traditionally Cabernet fared better, yet recently Merlot with its rounder wines and softer tannins is doing extremely well. We take good care of both and the market likes them both, too.
Merlot was popular in Slovenia before Cabernet, so we have been growing it longer, too. Thus we have the benefit of some old vines giving exceptionally rich wine. They are mostly at the Purissima and Debeli rtič sites.
Merlot has had great success in the bottling branded Prestige, but made only in good vintages since 1990. There is also a 1 litre table wine bottling.

The king of red wine is present all around the world, yet its fame Bordelais seem unbeatable. Their tradition is over thousand years old, while it is relatively new to Californian Napa Valley, Italy, Chile, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand etc.
Vinakoper has a long tradition of growing Cabernet, since we were among the first in Slovenia to plant it as early as 1955. No wonder we've had so much success with it in the red loving 90's. The larger part is grown at coastal sites Debeli Rtič, Purissima and Hrvatini where the fresh breezes from sea take away excessive heat. However, at the more elevated Labor site it develops a more powerful, truly Istrian character.
Apart from the regular varietal bottling it has been elevated into premium Capo d'Istria status in 1998, and paired with Shiraz in an elegant Capris line since 1999.

Nothing seems to challenge the primacy of Chardonnay among the grapes for white wines. It is definitely the consequence of its food friendliness, and the fact that it can be either a light fresh wine or a blockbuster, fermented and matured in oak. Yet it will always stand out.
We haven't had for a long time in Slovenian Istria, Yet at Vinakoper we work on it seriously. It has been given a top Ricorvo site, and there is some at Labor and Sečovlje.
Apart from young variatal wines bottled under their site name (Ricorvo, Labor), there is also a sweet Vinakoper Chardonnay at the Auslese level. And there is also a 1 litre table wine bottling.

Muscats are very popular nowadays the world over, in be it extremely dry as the Loire Valley or fortified as in the south of France. We are more temperate with it, since Slovenians do not like excess.
It grows beautifully at the Purissima site.
Muscat enobles the white Capris blend, and excells solo in 3 different bottling: as aperitif (dry or off-dry) Rumeni Muškat, sweet Sladki muškat or fortied Muškat Tartini.

Pinot grigio was a wine that 2 decades ago introduced to the Collio, the Italian side of Goriška Brda, where also many Slovenians are to be found among top winemakers. It was distinguished by sheer power and unusual freshness that was rare at the time, especially in Italy. Our coastal version is softer and more accessible.
We mostly grow it near the sea, at Purissima and Sečovlje.
It is bottled only in the quality range.

Australia made its international break-through first with shiraz (Syrah in France), a magical red wine combining elegance, lightness and thickness in the mouth that one could chew, fruitiness of aroma and spiciness of flavor. Noone could afford to miss on this hit and now shiraz abounds everywhere, while the traditional one from the Rhone Valley have been tripling their prices.
We have experimentaly planted some near the sea at Debeli rtič.
We are bottling it in a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon in the Capris range.