Articles of Mastication

A Recollection of Istria

Heading from Zagreb to the Istrian peninsula is a bit like bidding farewell to a tipsy uncle at a boisterous family gathering as you retreat to the peace of a rustic cottage in a cool, quiet forest. I’d arrived in Croatia’s easygoing capital a few days earlier on my first research trip for the book, and on this journey west I was beginning to understand that the slowly developing republic’s remarkable diversity isn’t reflected only in its food, dialects and microclimates, but also in the distinctive moods that dawdle on the air of each and every locale. While Zagreb chuckles mischievously behind a deceptive façade of imposing architecture and lingering Austro-Hungarian formality, the soul of Istria whispers dark green aromas of sea mist, pine smoke and herbs from the crisp silence of wooded hills flanked by ancient stone fences.

I heard the whispers of that soul when I arrived on a dark, rainy night in the sleepy Istrian village of Smoljanci, just a short drive from the fairytale city of Rovinj. My hosts were Rolf and Drazenka Moll of Stancija 1904, an idyllic getaway tucked back from the winding labyrinth of unlit country roads that snakes through the countryside. Upon exiting the car, that first full breath of pure Istrian air produced a euphoria that reached into every cell of my being, confirming that I was most certainly no longer in Zagreb. The only sounds audible on the sprawling estate were those of a scattered choir of frogs and the massive boughs of a solitary oak creaking and groaning under the force of a chilly, wet wind.

As I entered the resort’s rustic stone dining hall, I was greeted in the traditional fashion with krostule – a crisp, fried pastry dusted with powdered sugar – and a snifter of superb, locally distilled herb brandy to whet the appetite. Drazenka and her tiny staff of assistants were busy in the wood-fueled outdoor kitchen putting the final touches on our late supper, and so I discussed Croatian cuisine with another guest, BBC wine critic Jilly Goolden. The light tasting menu of Istrian delights came in courses, concocted entirely from local ingredients. Jilly and her daughter Verity had even lent their hands in rolling the pasta earlier that evening. Notable highlights included the fresh cheese accented with nettles, a salad of arugula and wild strawberries, and a bottle of Istrian Teran with the most striking herb aromas I’ve ever perceived in a wine. Istria is enchanting not only for its magnificent landscapes, Roman and Venetian architecture and heavenly cuisine, but also for its wines, and your first taste of a regional vintage will transport you to an entirely other world of oenophilia. In addition to Teran, I’ve come to love Malvazija, which carries whiffs of meadow grass and wild flowers under a bold bouquet and mild pucker of green apple.

Malvazija is a semi-sweet white typically served as a dessert wine, though I’d consider complementing it with an uncomplicated salad of arugula, grilled fowl, tart green apple and rosemary. It is wrought from the must of overripe grapes which, like some Montepulciano vintages, are air-dried to concentrate flavors. If you can’t find it in your area, inform your local wine merchant that Malvazija and a few other exceptional Croatian wines are (thankfully) available in the US from Blue Danube.

All told, the expertly prepared food, exquisite wine, warm conversation by firelight and five-star accommodations at Stancija 1904 combined to make the night far more than memorable. If it’s the mystical serenity of Istria you wish to experience, you’ll most definitely find it there in Smoljanci as I did.

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