Once in Istria, Croatia’s region well known for its delicacies and long winemaking traditions, you might find yourself at a wine tasting (or two), and the one wine you shouldn’t sleep on is Veralda Blanc de Noir Brut sparkling wine. The only Croatian blanc de noir made from Istria’s native Refosco grape is one of those sparkling wines you want to treat yourself on a very special occasion, and here’s why.

Unique Method Behind Blanc De Noir

Blanc de noir translates from French as “white from black” and stands for a white sparkling wine made from black grape varieties. Although this winemaking method may sound unusual, it’s one of the traditional ways of producing sparkling wines in France, and lately we’re starting to witness the expansion of blanc de noir wine labels outside of its country of origin. It takes a lot of expertise and creativity to produce blanc de noir, since the key lays in skilful and gentle pressing that extract the white juice from dark-skinned grape varieties without allowing their dark skin to colour the wine. For this reason, blanc de noir labels are rare to find outside of France, where they are traditionally made from Pinot (Noir and Meunier). The pioneer of blanc de noir in Croatia is Veralda Winery, located on the Buje hills, one of the most famous wine growing positions of northern Istria with microclimate like no other. Veralda Winery maintains the family tradition that began in 1938, and its wines have gained international recognition, confirming winery’s high-quality production with several awards and medals.

Revelation of Refosco’s Unexplored Potential

Veralda Blanc de Noir Brut is made from a local grape variety native to the region of Istria (Refosco d’Istria), and it originates from Refosco, anold Venetian family of dark-skinned grape varieties. Introducing this sort of grape to the complex French wine making method resulted in a harmonious andauthentic sparkling wine, unlike any other you can find in Croatia. Refosco d’Italia turned out to be the perfect choice for this type of traditional wine production due to the grape’s noble organic fruit acids that balance out wine’s structure. “The basic characteristics of Refosco, which are high acidity, fresh and fruity aromas with lower alcohol levels, is exactly what makes Refosco a perfect choice for producing top-notch sparkling wine” –explained experts from the family owned Veraldawinery. Enologists claim that Refosco has the same role in Mediterranean sparkling wines as Pinot Noir in continental sparkling wines. Veralda Blanc de Noir Brut is a perfect example of this, highlighting Refosco’s natural potential.

Characteristics and Pairing

Bright golden-yellowish colour with refined and persistent perlage is what you can expect from Veralda Blanc de Noir Brut. The scent is fresh, with dominant fruity aromas that perfectly foretell the rich fruitiness in taste. Hints of fresh apples and grapefruit are later developed to a rich and creamy sensation in the mouth with a long-lasting after taste. Veralda Blanc de Noir Brut is a dry, mid-body sparkling wine with long aromatic persistence and well-balanced tannins. Considering its gentle alcohol levels, it can be a perfect, refreshing aperitivo on a hot summer day, or it can be paired with white meat, fish, and seafood. It pairs wonderfully with codfish and salmon, as well as with hard and aged cheese, as long as it is cooled and served at 8 – 10 Celsius.

If this bubbly treat sounded intriguing and got you thinking about summer, we suggest finding Veralda Blanc de Noir Brut at any bigger distributor in Croatia to evoke summer just a couple of sips!