MARE E VITOVSKA IN MORJE

Wine brings people together and few products are so suited for creating parties and events as wine. But no wine event can match this wonderful event ´Mare e Vitovska/Vitovska in Morje´ near Trieste. It takes place every year in June and is one of the most magical and picturesque wine events in a unique setting. In the central space of the castle there are many great local wines and delicious local products from the Karst. And the beautiful gardens around the castle are the place where you can taste other wines and some local fish with fascinating views from high above the sea.
And apart from the fantastic ambience, the event has not one single meaning, it is full of meanings, cultural and historical discoveries. The words Mare and Vitovska are essential: ‘mare‘ means sea in Italian and the sea is the communication channel for mankind everywhere. The sea is the background and makes for a very idyllic setting: especially when the sun sets and you find yourself chatting with some friends on the terraces, sipping a fine Vitovska wine from a local producer when the sun goes down: this is essentially romantic.
Mare & Vitovska (IT) means ‘The sea and Vitovska´. And, another particular feat of this great Italian event that is so well organized and so romantic: everything is in Slovenian too because the event has a strong Slovenian identity, apart from Italian. ‘Vitovska in Morje‘ (SLO) means exactly the same: The sea and Vitovska.

Photo: the Bay of Trieste with Trieste in the far distance, seen from the terrace of Duino castle.

Duino castle
The location of the Mare & Vitovska festival is magical: Duino castle, perched high on the rocks, overlooking the bay of Trieste from its balconies and gardens. There could not be a better place and it contributes much to the ambience and the value of this great event. Once, the place belonged to Austrian noble families, and later, during the Habsburg period, the Thurn und Taxis family build the castle in its present form. The German poet Rilke found here the inspiration for his masterpiece: ‘Duiner Elegien‘. He liked to walk along the high rocks towering above the bay. And now, amid these very romantic gardens, between the trees that saw Rilke passing by, this festival has been created. It allows you to wander around all places, meet people and drink nice Vitovska wines all the way, while enjoying the fantastic view on the Bay of Trieste.

Photo: tasting Vitovska in the beautiful gardens of Duino castle.

The Karst region
The geographical area around Trieste is called the Karst Plateau and is the only region that produces the rare Vitovska wine. The plateau covers 400 square kilometers that go from the outskirts of Trieste all the way to Gradisca d’Isonzo, running parallel to the Adriatic Sea, to the inland towards the Alps reaching the limits of the Vipavska Dolina (Vipava valley) in Slovenia. The biggest part of the Karst is in Slovenia, in Italy only the tiny strip of land that leads from Friuli to the town of Trieste is Italian territory. The Karst is part of a greater geological area that extends from here all the way to Croatia, Kosovo, and Greece. The Karst is a very particular piece of land, originating in the Eocene period. The soil contains high levels of iron oxides and minerals, which mixed with the limestone and carbonate soil creates what the locals call Terra Rossa, a fertile soil with a bright red color. The Karst is famous for its caves, there are more than 8,000 of them. Life on the Karst was always particular, different and also poor because people had to work hard for a scarse income. The Karst is also very multicultural, which is logical with an important port town nearby: Trieste. But the main language everywhere, also in the Italian part is Slovenian and the Slovenian character of the Karst has been well preserved. In its essence this festival is an expression of the Karst, of its products, its people and its lively culture.

Photo: the entrance to the castle of Duino

Vitovska
The grape variety Vitovska is the result of a crossing between Glera and Malvasia Bianca Lunga. Vitovska is also known in Slovenian as Vitovska Grganja or Garganja. The name is of Slovenian origin. The indication Grganja has the same roots as Garganega, but there is no relation with that grape variety. There are several typologies produced, mostly dry white wines. It is rather light with neutral aromas, and a pure character with some acidity, sometimes it may have some aroma of pears and it contains some minerality given the special terroir of the Karst. The natural wine movement is very strong in the Karst, there are many versions that are skin-fermented. Logically, the macerated versions are more intense, strong wines with tannins.

Other products
The Karst is also the land of hams cooked in a bread crust like salumi sfreddo. Ham, or prosciutto, or better: ´pršut´ (Slovenian) is produced everywhere. Pršut from the Karst is wonderful, rather dry. There is also local speck and porchetta. Among the cheeses, the Tabor, made of semi-cooked and pressed pasta is very aromatic and the Jamar, intense and pungent is refined in flask-shaped caves from the Karst is a very special and rare cheese. (Jama in Slovenian means cave).

Honey (‘Med’ in Slovenian)
And did you know that one in 20 Slovenians is beekeeper? This is remarkable and also in the Karst there are so many Slovenians doing it! As a result there are various types of honey and they are used in several products that you can taste at Mare & Vitovska. It makes the event a feast for all the senses.

Photo: the team of Caffe Vatta from Opicina, near Trieste.

The event starts late afternoon and continues after sunset. The central place is filled with a crowd looking for the many unique dishes that are offered and the music starts to play. In the central place and also around the castle in the gardens, the local restaurant owners from the Karst offer excellent local dishes. And next to an Italian restaurant stands a Slovenian winemaker and then again an Italian, speaking Slovenian, Italian and other languages equally.. A unique mix of culture, history and rare local wines! It makes this event one of the most unique and particular wine events with an abundance of rare wines, and delicious dishes without any equal.

Www.mareevitovska.eu
On the website there is the list of all producers of Vitovska participating to this festival, both from the Italian and Slovenian part of the Karst.
There is also a long list of restaurants participating and this list is an excellent overview of recommended places in the area!

Photo: tasting Vitovska on the terrace of Duino castle

Photo: Branko Cotar serves his Vitovska

Photo: view to the garden

Photo: fresh mussles from the bay of Trieste: goes well with Vitovska!

Photo: Vitovska tasting in the evening.

Many thanks and compliments to the organisers of the Mare e Vitovksa in Morje festival!

Do you want to learn more about this wine, and this fascinating region? Read my book NORTH ADRIATIC
(there is an Italian version: ALTO ADRIATICO )
For more information: paulbarolo@gmail.com