Mare e Vitovska in Morje

The queen of the Karst at Duino Castle

Some wines tell a story of a land better than any words. Vitovska is one of them: an indigenous white grape variety, cultivated on the Karst plateau between limestone and the bora wind, it has become the oenological symbol of the Trieste Karst over the years. And it is precisely to this grape that Mare e Vitovska in Morje is dedicated, the event that every summer transforms Duino Castle, in the municipality of Duino Aurisina (province of Trieste), into a showcase of the best the territory has to offer.

Twenty years of history

Founded in the mid-2000s on the initiative of the Karst Winemakers Association, the festival will reach its twentieth edition in 2026: an important milestone for an event that has helped make Vitovska known far beyond regional borders. The name itself – "Mare e Vitovska in Morje", where morje in Slovenian means "sea" – tells of the dual soul of this corner of Italy, where Italian and Slovenian cultures have coexisted for centuries and where the Karst slopes down towards the Gulf of Trieste.

Two terroirs, one grape variety

Vitovska grows in different landscapes: on the Karst, with its thin red soils resting on limestone rock, it yields mineral and crisp wines; in the Breg area, on flysch soils, it expresses fuller-bodied and softer bottles. During the two evenings, visitors can taste the different interpretations from the associated producers, discovering the nuances of a wine that has experienced a true renaissance since the years when it was considered minor.

The atmosphere

Duino Castle, perched high above the sea, offers a setting that is hard to match. Under the ramparts and in the gardens, visitors stroll with a glass in hand, pairing wines with dishes of Karst cuisine prepared by local restaurants. The event is the heart of a broader programme of dinners and tastings that, starting in May, brings Karst wines to cities like Trieste, Udine, Milan, and Verona. A festival that is also an act of promotion for the landscape, heroic viticulture, and the cross-border identity of this part of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.