The first written records of Malvazija cultivation in Istria date from 1891, but the sort was probably brought over much earlier, by Venetian merchants from Greece. Known all over the Mediterranean, and especially so in Italy, this white sort of grapes thrives on the largest Croatian peninsula and has become somewhat of the Istrian wine country signature. A gem in many local winery collections, Malvazija is a true summer delight: straw yellow with hints of golden or green, and a unique flower-fruit potential, Malvazija most often features apple, plum, and apricot, but can venture all the way to acacia flower fragrances when grapes are grown on sunny hilltops.