Rovinj & Grožnjan: Istrian Wine Tasting & Family Lunch

Winemakers' tables and cobbled streets: a day in Istria's wine country

You visit an Istrian family winery for a guided tasting with cheese and cured meats, spend free time walking the medieval streets of Grožnjan, then eat homemade pasta and farm meat at a traditional restaurant with wine included. Hotel pickup from Rijeka or Opatija takes the logistics off your hands, and the whole day stays under one itinerary instead of three separate bookings.

Step-by-step itinerary

Istria wine tasting and local cuisine

• Guided wine tasting with local cheese
• Free time in hilltop town Grožnjan
• Lunch with homemade pasta and wine

The experience

You're probably expecting a polished wine bar with a sommelier in black. Instead, you walk into a family winery that's been pressing grapes the same way for decades, and someone's grandmother is already setting out cheese and prosciutto on a wooden board. The guided tasting happens in the kind of place where the wine tastes different because you're standing in the room where it was made, not because anyone's trying to impress you. A plate of locally sourced cheese, dry cuts and prosciutto comes with it: the real stuff, not a tasting portion.

After that, you have free time in Grožnjan, a hilltop town that looks like someone built it out of honey-colored stone and then forgot to modernize it. The cobbled streets are narrow enough that you can touch both walls, and the views drop away on either side toward vineyards and the Adriatic. It's the kind of place where you work up an appetite just by walking, which is exactly the point. You're meant to be hungry by the time lunch arrives at a family restaurant in the region.

Lunch is homemade pasta and meat dishes sourced from surrounding farms, the kind of food that tastes like someone cooked it for their own table and you happened to sit down. Two glasses of wine come with it. The whole day runs from Rijeka or Opatija with an air-conditioned vehicle, and you get a surprise gift at the end: small enough that it doesn't feel like a trinket, the kind of thing that reminds you of the day when you use it at home.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Rijeka or Opatija in an air-conditioned vehicle, a guided wine tasting at an Istrian family winery with cheese, cured meats and prosciutto, free time to explore Grožnjan, and lunch at a traditional family restaurant with homemade pasta, farm-sourced meat dishes and two glasses of wine. A surprise gift is included at the end of the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 45 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Not Another Wine Tour Istria

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to taste Istrian wine without arranging three separate stops and a driver: the fixed itinerary and included transport mean you show up and the day unfolds without you having to coordinate timing or find your way between villages.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

How long is the wine tour from Rijeka or Opatija?

The tour runs for one full day. Pickup is from your hotel in Rijeka or Opatija.

What's included in the wine tasting?

A guided tasting at an Istrian family winery, plus a plate of locally sourced cheese, dry cuts and prosciutto.

How much free time do you get in Grožnjan?

The itinerary includes free time to explore the hilltop town on your own before lunch.

What does lunch include?

Homemade pasta and meat dishes from surrounding farms, with two glasses of wine included.

Is this tour suitable for all fitness levels?

Yes, it's suitable for all physical fitness levels. Grožnjan involves walking cobbled streets, but the pace is your own during free time.

What should I know before booking?

The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers and not suitable for infants.