Istria Open Wine Cellars Day 2026 takes place on May 31: more than 50 wineries and distilleries open their doors to visitors
Istria Open Wine Cellars Day, one of the recognizable wine events on the Istrian peninsula, will be held on Sunday, May 31, 2026. According to the announcement by the Association of Istrian Winegrowers and Winemakers Vinistra, this is the 26th edition of the event, which traditionally falls on the last Sunday in May and brings together wineries, distilleries, tasting rooms and family estates throughout Istria. The organizers announce that more than 50 Istrian wineries and distilleries will open their doors to visitors, with a program that connects tastings, wine stories, cellar tours and getting to know the producers who build the Istrian wine scene on a blend of tradition, modern technology and recognizable terroir.
The event takes place across the whole of Istria, and tourist announcements particularly highlight Motovun as one of the recognizable centers of wine routes and eno-gastronomic experiences. Since the program does not take place in one closed location, but in cellars, tasting rooms and wineries at several addresses, visitors will have to plan their route according to the list of participants that Vinistra publishes for each year. For those who want to stay longer and turn the tour into a weekend trip, an earlier check of options for
accommodation in Istria is also practical, especially near places from which wine roads and local roads toward wineries start.
An event that closes May in the sign of wine
Open Cellars Day is conceived as a direct encounter between producers and the public. Instead of a classic fair format, where wines are tasted at stands, this event takes visitors into the cellars and tasting rooms themselves. There they can talk with winemakers, learn the basic stages of production, see the setting in which wine is nurtured and find out how individual wineries interpret Istrian varieties. In Vinistra’s official announcement, it is emphasized that the event takes place in the spring atmosphere of vineyards, in the period when the vines are in full greenery and wine tourism in Istria enters one of its liveliest seasonal phases.
According to information from Vinistra’s websites, the patrons of Open Wine Cellars Day are the Istria County Tourist Board and Istria County, while the event is coordinated by the Vinistra Association. This association is one of the key professional gathering points for Istrian winegrowers and winemakers, and according to its own data it has more than 120 members from the area of Istria and Kvarner. This is precisely why Open Cellars Day has a broader significance than a one-day tasting: it serves as an annual presentation of the work of producers, an opportunity for direct bottle sales, but also as a promotion of the wine identity of a region in which indigenous varieties, local labels and wine roads are an important part of the tourist offer.
For 2026, the organizers have announced the participation of more than 50 wineries and distilleries, but the detailed list of participants and additional program information were not fully available at the time the announcement was published. In the general information about the event, Vinistra states that the list of wineries is published every year and that appointments must be reserved with the wineries one wants to visit. This is especially important because some smaller family cellars have limited capacity for receiving guests, and visiting several locations in one day requires good route organization.
Istrian Malvasia, Teran, Muscat and blends at the center of the wine offer
The announcement of the event emphasizes that during Wine Day in Istria, the best-known varieties and wine styles will be offered, including Istrian Malvasia, Teran, Muscat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and various blends. Special attention is also drawn to wines that have been awarded or highlighted at the international Vinistra exhibition, given that Open Cellars Day takes place several weeks after the central Istrian wine fair. Vinistra 2026 has been announced from May 8 to 10 in the Žatika hall in Poreč, and the organizers describe it as the largest wine event in the region, with winemakers, distilleries, equipment manufacturers and gourmet exhibitors.
Istrian Malvasia remains one of the most important wine designations of Istria. Vinistra describes it as an indigenous variety that has been officially mentioned in the region since the Zagreb Wine Exhibition in 1891, while ampelographic and genetic research distinguishes it from other varieties that carry the name Malvasia. In the glass, depending on production technology and the position of the vineyard, it can range from fresh, mineral and citrus expressions to fuller, riper and more complex wines with notes of fruit, flowers, Mediterranean herbs and a mild almond-like finish. It is precisely this breadth of styles that makes it suitable for an open-type event because visitors can compare with different winemakers how the same variety changes from microlocation to microlocation.
Teran is the second important pillar of the Istrian wine story, but also a variety with a special regulatory context. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries states that the name of the Teran variety may be used for wines with the protected designation of origin “Hrvatska Istra”, under the prescribed labeling conditions. According to that instruction, the labels “Hrvatska Istra” and “Teran” must be in the same field of vision, and the name “Teran” must be written in smaller letters than the name of the protected designation of origin. For visitors, this is not just an administrative detail, but a reminder that behind every label there are rules of origin, varietal identity and quality that shape the market recognizability of Istrian wines.
Wineries and distilleries are an increasingly important part of Istrian eno-gastro tourism
Open Wine Cellars Day is not limited only to wine. In the most recent editions of the event, distilleries and producers of spirits have increasingly been included, and the announcement for 2026 again mentions wineries and distilleries as participants. This means that, along with wines, some hosts will also offer distillates, brandies and liqueurs from their own production. In the Istrian context, products such as biska, medica and teranino are particularly recognizable, often made in smaller series and directly connected with the local gastronomic identity.
Such a combination of winemaking and distilling fits well into the trend in which visitors increasingly seek an experience, not just the tasting of a single label. A cellar tour includes the story of the vineyard position, varieties, harvesting method, aging, production philosophy and family heritage. In authentic tasting rooms and on smaller estates, hosts often explain how modern oenological procedures build upon knowledge passed down through generations. It is precisely this direct conversation with producers that is one of the main differences between Open Cellars Day and a classic visit to a restaurant or wine shop.
For Istria, the event also has tourist value because it encourages movement toward smaller places, rural parts of the peninsula and family farms that are not always in the foreground of mass tourism. Motovun, central Istria, the Poreč area, the Buje area, the Rovinj area and other wine areas can be connected into thematic one-day or weekend routes. In such planning, the logistical aspect is also important: since tastings include alcohol, it is recommended to arrange transport in advance, agree on a driver or organize an overnight stay. Visitors who plan several tours can review
accommodation near Istrian wineries in good time in order to avoid unnecessary driving after tastings.
Support for planting a new Teran vineyard gives the event additional symbolism
The tourist announcement of the event also highlights the invitation to support the planting of a new Teran vineyard by participating. This message builds on the broader work of Istrian winemakers on preserving and strengthening local varieties, especially Teran, which in recent years has been the subject of professional, market and regulatory discussions. Teran in Istria is not only a red wine of stronger character and more pronounced freshness, but also part of a regional identity in which viticulture is connected with soil, climate and a long production tradition.
On its pages, Vinistra particularly highlights the clonal selection of Teran as one of the topics of Istrian viticulture. Such projects are important because they enable a better understanding of the variety, the preservation of quality planting material and the adaptation of viticultural practice to contemporary challenges. In a time of climate change, changing weather extremes and an increasingly demanding market, local varieties can be a strategic advantage if they are systematically researched, planted and presented to the public in an understandable way.
For the wider public, support for a new vineyard can be read as a message that the wine event is not only a consumer event, but also an investment in the future of Istrian viticulture. Planting a vineyard is a long-term process: from soil preparation and the selection of planting material to the first more serious harvest, several years pass, and the full potential of the site is often seen only later. That is why the symbolism of Teran in this program goes beyond the framework of a single tasting and points to the continuity of the work of producers who want to preserve the recognizability of local wines.
How to plan a cellar tour on May 31
Since Open Wine Cellars Day takes place at several locations, the most important step will be the choice of route. In the general instructions, Vinistra states that visitors should reserve an appointment with the wineries they wish to visit. This means that random movement from cellar to cellar without checking availability is not recommended, especially if it involves better-known wineries or smaller tasting rooms with a limited number of places. When the organizers publish the final list of participants for 2026, it is useful to check opening hours, tasting conditions, the possibility of buying wine, any food offer and parking availability.
Route planning is especially important for guests who want to visit several parts of Istria on the same day. Distances between wineries on the map may look short, but local roads, climbs toward settlements on hills and time spent with hosts can easily extend the schedule. In practice, it is better to choose a smaller number of cellars and leave enough time for conversation, tasting and shopping than to try to visit too many locations. For visitors who want to stay near Motovun or central Istria, it is useful to look earlier for
accommodation for visitors to Open Wine Cellars Day, especially if the arrival is planned for a weekend when several eno-gastronomic events are taking place.
In the context of responsible alcohol consumption, it is important to emphasize that wine events of this type require thoughtful transport organization. Tasting several wines and distillates in different cellars is not compatible with driving after consumption. The safest options include organized transport, a taxi, a local transfer, a driver who does not consume alcohol or an overnight stay near the selected wineries. This preserves the safety of all traffic participants, and the experience itself remains more relaxed and of higher quality.
Open Cellars Day as a continuation of wine-filled May in Istria
May 2026 in Istria will be especially marked by wine. First, from May 8 to 10, the 32nd Vinistra, the central fair of Istrian wines and spirits, will be held in Poreč, and then on the last Sunday of the month follows Open Cellars Day. These two events logically complement each other: Vinistra gathers producers and the professional public in a fair format, while Open Cellars Day takes the public into the field, into the spaces where wine is made, aged and gains its market identity.
For wineries, this is an opportunity after fair evaluations and presentations to show visitors the broader context of their own work. Wine that is tasted in a glass at the fair gains an additional story in the cellar: the position of the vineyard, the method of cultivation, family tradition, the decisions of the oenologist and the atmosphere of the place it comes from. For distilleries, meanwhile, inclusion in the event means stepping out of the shadow of the wine story and presenting spirits as an equal segment of local production.
At the same time, the event strengthens Istria’s position as a destination in which eno-gastronomy is not viewed as an addition to the tourist offer, but as one of its main contents. Wine roads, authentic tasting rooms, family estates and local products create a reason to come outside the peak of the summer season, and Open Cellars Day is precisely an example of an event that connects agriculture, tourism, hospitality and local culture. For visitors planning a multi-day stay,
accommodation offers in Istria can be a practical part of preparation, while the final route is best determined after the publication of the official list of participants and tasting appointments.
What is expected from the 2026 program
According to currently available information, the detailed program of Open Cellars Day 2026 will be published subsequently. It is known that the event will be held on May 31, that it takes place throughout Istria and that more than 50 wineries and distilleries will participate. It has also been announced that visitors will be able to taste Istrian varieties and labels, including Istrian Malvasia, Teran, Muscat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and blends, as well as wines that stand out within the Istrian wine scene after Vinistra.
It is expected that the central content will remain the encounter with producers, cellar tours, tasting, conversation about production and the possibility of buying wine directly on the estates. That is also the main appeal of this event: it does not reduce wine to a product on a shelf, but places it in a landscape, a cellar, a family story and a production year. On the last Sunday in May, Istria thus presents itself through what its winemakers and distillers know best — work in the vineyard, patience in the cellar and the ability to turn local varieties into an experience remembered longer than a single weekend.
Sources:- Vinistra – official announcement of Open Cellars Day 2026 with the date of the event and information about more than 50 wineries and distilleries (link)- Vinistra – general information about Open Cellars Day, patrons, reservations and the tradition of holding it on the last Sunday in May (link)- Istra.hr – tourist announcement of the event Wine Day - Wine Day in Istria, with the location, date and description of the offer of wines, wineries and distilleries (link)- Vinistra – official information about the Vinistra 2026 event, the date in Poreč and the role of the fair in presenting winemakers, distilleries and gourmet producers (link)- Vinistra – data on Istrian Malvasia, its history, indigenous character, colors, aromas and oenological features (link)- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries – instruction on labeling wines with the PDO “Hrvatska Istra” with the Teran variety designation (link)
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