Clai winery

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Clai winery Authentic Istrian wines, made organically, on ancient terroir
Tuesday 8-16
Wednesday - Monday 10-17 Our principal goal is to enhance our terroir. Giorgio Clai

Our business lies in Krasica, village in “white” Istria, 40 km across the Croatian border from Trieste . It is a family business encompassing 6 hectares of vineyards and 2 hectars of olive trees. Our wine-growing approach respects the nature in its fullest and is inspired by the principles of our grandparents. The geographic and climate situation is particularly propitious: the air from the Ucka mountain and the sea air that goes up the river Mirna meet here and create an ideal microclimate to cultivate vines and olives. We produce no wine out of international grape varietals alone. Our 6 labels are wines made of native grapes - Malvasia, Refosco and Muscat - or their blend with international varietals. Our work in the vineyards is all about quality, not quantity. The density of culture system is high (5,700 plants / hectare) and the yields are kept low. The fertilization is minimal and occasional, using only organic and natural manures. We do not use any systematic treatments - herbicides, insecticides, commercial fertilizers...

After coming to our cellar, the grapes are vinified in a natural way, with spontaneous fermentation on the skins and without the addition of enzymes, added yeasts or malolactic bacteria. The wines are mellowed in wooden barrels of various sizes, with a long stay on the lees. After nearly a year the wines are bottled without micro- or sterile filtering. We believe that no year is "good" or "bad" if you work in a natural way - the vintages are just different. They depend on seasonal climatic factors that determine the absolute value of the wine: its quality.

07/10/2026

We spend most of the year talking about grapes.

Then October comes, the nets go down, and the olives demand their share of attention.

Fair enough.

Olive harvest at Clai.

Gen V: The new face of IstriaMeet the organisation of young w**emakers taking Istrian w**e production into the future.De...
23/09/2026

Gen V: The new face of Istria

Meet the organisation of young w**emakers taking Istrian w**e production into the future.

Decanter

"...Tim Whitfield, originally from South Africa, and now the director of w**e at Clai Wines, joined the Gen V group because he genuinely believes that working together will put Istria firmly on the world map. He says, 'Coming from South Africa I've had the opportunity to see what helped a young w**e generation grow internationally and, just as importantly, what didn't work. I hope I can contribute some of those lessons.

For Whitfield, the biggest challenge for the next generation is not merely following in the footsteps of the pioneers, but about building businesses that are sustainable in a world of rising costs, labour shortages and increasingly competitive markets."

Thursday. Rain.Tim calls Ottocento the workhorse of the w**ery.Good. Somebody should be working.We suggest you don’t.And...
17/09/2026

Thursday. Rain.
Tim calls Ottocento the workhorse of the w**ery.
Good. Somebody should be working.
We suggest you don’t.
And yes, open that bottle.

P.S. Yup. We know. Not a rainy picture.

Your quick stop still has a problem.There’s w**e.There’s a table.Bottle & Plate is on the menu.And the view has not impr...
28/08/2026

Your quick stop still has a problem.

There’s w**e.
There’s a table.
Bottle & Plate is on the menu.
And the view has not improved your chances of leaving early.

See you in Krasica.

A vineyard survives for as long as somebody has a reason to keep working it.We talk a lot about preserving varieties, vi...
24/08/2026

A vineyard survives for as long as somebody has a reason to keep working it.

We talk a lot about preserving varieties, vineyards and landscapes.

Sometimes the simplest way to do that is to make sure the people growing the grapes can continue growing them.

Tasel and olive oil vanilla ice cream are still living rent-free in our heads.So we did the sensible thing and put them ...
14/08/2026

Tasel and olive oil vanilla ice cream are still living rent-free in our heads.

So we did the sensible thing and put them on the Bottle & Plate menu.

The Sweet Finish.
Tasel + Olive Oil Vanilla Ice Cream.
€44 for two.

Dinner? Dessert? Poor planning?
We’re not here to judge.

Krasica is not really on the way to anywhere. Good. You have to mean it a little. We’ll take care of the w**e when you g...
12/08/2026

Krasica is not really on the way to anywhere.

Good.

You have to mean it a little.

We’ll take care of the w**e when you get here.

Tim calls Ottocento the workhorse of the w**ery.We consider that a compliment.It also has a new job: keeping the slow-ro...
10/08/2026

Tim calls Ottocento the workhorse of the w**ery.

We consider that a compliment.

It also has a new job: keeping the slow-roasted pork belly company on our Bottle & Plate menu.

Apparently, the workhorse doesn’t get weekends off.

Some stops take a little longer than planned, A table. A bottle. An afternoon in Krasica. That’s usually how it starts.
08/08/2026

Some stops take a little longer than planned,

A table.
A bottle.
An afternoon in Krasica.

That’s usually how it starts.

The bottle needed backup. Good w**e deserved company. So Bottle & Plate is officially on the table at Clai. Pick one of ...
05/08/2026

The bottle needed backup.

Good w**e deserved company.

So Bottle & Plate is officially on the table at Clai.

Pick one of Tim’s matches, or ignore him and build your own.

Address

Brajki 105
Krasica
52460

Opening Hours

Monday 10:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 17:00
Thursday 10:00 - 17:00
Friday 10:00 - 17:00
Saturday 10:00 - 17:00
Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+385916026109

Website

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