Valamar Blog

The summer and summer story are over. We will continue our story in the autumn, with ripe fruits, grape-gathering in the vineyards, and searching for truffles. The atmosphere is relaxing, the nature changes its green colour into a palette of copper hues and the colour of very old gold. Everything is full of fragrances and beckoning to enjoy gastronomical delights.

The vineyards are picked, malmsey, teran and muscadine are picked, and on the St. Martin’s Day, there is a tradition of blessing the young wine (must), which then becomes the true wine. St. Martin Holiday is celebrated on November 11, and that date coincidently corresponds to the usual date of racking and filtering of must, after which must becomes young wine. The impatient can drink it immediately, but those patient gourmets are leaving wine to grow mellow until spring – only then its entire qualities are stabilized. St. Martin Holiday – in Istria, that holiday is also known as Martinmas – is just an appoximative orientation for racking of wine, and it is more important that weather is dry with north-eastern wind (so called bura), and that the moon is full. And the most important of all is that the process of fermentation has been completed, because if not, there is no much sense in racking the wine.

Blessing of young wine in Tar in vicinity of Porec is traditionally organized on November 11. After the solemn mass in the St. Martin’s church and the procession, the blessing of wine follows, and then the people are celebrating and treat each other. The wine will be flowing in streams, there will be domestic food (cod-fish, kroštule, fritule), and of course, pastime for all well-intentioned people and worshippers of Martinmas festivity.

Join us and let us together bless young Istrian wines!