Kvarner Wines

1. How did you come up with the idea to produce wine exclusively from the Masbola grape variety, for the vast majority of which is an unknown variety?

Like most residents of Zvoneća, our family has been involved in viticulture since ancient times on the "Zvoneća Field" - an area that was granted the status of a registered cultural monument in 1994. This picturesque area of ours hides a natural treasure in the form of old indigenous varieties of agricultural crops. One of them is the grapevine variety - Jarbola. This grapevine variety has been present in Zvoneća for more than a century (the first records date back to the 16th century), but it was not until 2003, at the initiative of a few people and the Municipality of Matulji, that a contract was signed with the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism in Poreč with the aim of implementing the "Project for the Preservation of Indigenous Varieties - Jarbola". It was determined that it is an indigenous variety, and Jarbola was included in the National List of Recognized Grapevine Cultivars.

Inspired by this "discovery" in 2005, a pre-parent plantation was planted in the Zvoneća area, and with the development of new planting material of the Jarbola variety, planting will continue in the following years. Due to its uniqueness, we decided to produce quality wine from a pure variety.

2. Where exactly is the geographical location of the mast plantation? What are the advantages and dangers of the location with regard to the climate where the Zvonje presidi are located?

«"Zvoneće njivi" is an area located on the southeastern slope, on a steep slope that rises from the village of Zaluki to the village of Perka, on the southwestern side it borders the Zvoneća-Mune road, and on the northeastern and northern side it borders the forest towards Brgud, at an altitude of 350 to 450 m. It covers an area of about 60 ha, of which about 10-15 ha are currently cultivated.

The fact that all the vineyards are located in one microlocation certainly represents a certain danger, because the possibility of damage from weather conditions is greater, that is, it is possible that up to 100 % damage can occur in one year. Also, changes in climatic conditions from late frosts to rainy periods and summer droughts represent a big challenge for production.

3. How did you come up with the idea of producing sparkling wines?

When we managed to make quality wine from our first grapes for several years in a row, with pronounced citrus and fruity aromas and pleasant acids, we knew that it would be the ideal base for the production of sparkling wine and decided to try our hand at production. We started with only three hundred bottles, and now we are already producing around 1,500.

We produce our sparkling wine using the classic method of secondary fermentation in the bottle, which is aged on the yeasts for a minimum of two years. We are extremely pleased with how this story is developing, and silver medals from several local competitions confirm that we are on the right track.

4. Can your wines be tasted at your farm?

Absolutely, we are very happy to organize a tasting of our wines at our family farm, and we organize tastings for groups of up to 15 people, with prior notice.

5. What are your plans for the future?

In the future, we plan to increase our production, that is, expand the sales channels of our wines both locally, in the municipality of Matulji, but also throughout the entire Kvarner region, which would ensure greater recognition primarily of the Jarbola variety, and also of our products.