Martinje & Open Farm Doors: Your November Food-and-Wine Trail Near Your Istria Villa

If you're settling into a villa in Istria this November, you've picked one of the most delicious periods of the year without even trying. The grape harvest is long finished, the new wine has stopped fizzing in the barrels, and the whole peninsula turns its attention to one very old, very happy ritual tied to St Martin's Day. Layer on top of that a month of open farmhouse doors, and you have a ready-made itinerary of short, rewarding drives from your pool terrace into the Istrian countryside.

What is Martinje, exactly?

St Martin, patron saint of winemakers, gives his name to one of Croatia's best-loved autumn traditions. In Croatian tradition, St Martin is particularly linked to the custom of Martinje – a folk celebration marking the end of the grape harvest and the symbolic "christening" of must into wine. This popular custom is distinct from any formal church blessing of wine, though the two are often mentioned in the same breath during the festivities. The idea itself is simple and charming: the cloudy young juice that's been fermenting since September is declared, ceremonially, to have "become" wine, and is tasted and toasted amid music and celebration. Roast goose is the dish most traditionally associated with Martinje, though whether it actually appears on the menu depends on the individual konoba or household you visit.

Momjan: the original wine village

Head into the hills north of Buje and you'll find Momjan, a small historic town well known among regional connoisseurs of wine and vines. According to the regional events calendar, the 2026 celebrations are scheduled from Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 November, though the detailed programme of cellar visits, tastings and individual activities has not yet been confirmed — it's worth checking the final schedule closer to the date. What is certain is the setting: the surrounding area is home to some of the strongest names in contemporary Croatian winemaking, famous for their malvazija and teran, and Momjan is also the heartland of the sweet, aromatic Momjan muscat. Traditional wine and food activities are expected throughout the celebration, typically centred on the village's cellars and konobas.

Because the celebration spans several days in the village, it rewards an unhurried visit — perhaps a late morning drive up, a long lunch, and a wander through the lanes before heading back to the villa before dark, once you've confirmed which cellars are taking part that day.

Pula's Martinje: wine by the Giardini

If you'd rather stay closer to the coast, Pula hosts its own Martinje from 12 to 14 November, right in the city centre. Winemakers from southern Istria pour young and premium wines, with local food and live music in the city centre. It's a more compact, evening-friendly event than Momjan's village-wide affair — ideal if you're splitting your stay between countryside drives and Pula's Roman streets, and want to cap off a day of sightseeing with a glass of new teran under the open air. You can check the latest programme and dates on Visit Pula's event page before you go.

DOVAI: Istria's open farmhouse weekends

Running alongside both Martinje events is DOVAI — Dani otvorenih vrata agroturizama Istre, the "open farm doors" season. Rather than running continuously through November, it is spread across four weekends: 7–8, 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29 November. This is less a single festival and more an invitation: on those Saturdays and Sundays, family-run agritourism estates throughout Istria open their kitchens and cellars to visitors. Participating farms offer menus based on their own home-grown produce, combined with experiences like visiting the animals on the farm, folklore performances, live music, and presentations of their own and other local family farms' products. These family farms have worked hard throughout the year, and across these November weekends they open their doors to visitors and offer Istrian specialities at promotional prices — though the exact menus and rates for 2026 are still being finalised, so it's worth checking directly with the farm you plan to visit. You'll find participating estates and contact details on the official DOVAI website.

It's a wonderful way to see the working side of Istria that villa guests often miss: the smokehouses, the vegetable patches, the barrels in the cellar. Because each estate sets its own hours and menu, and spots can fill up on popular weekends, it's worth reaching out to the farm directly a few days ahead to reserve a table, rather than simply turning up — reservations are handled by the agritourism estates themselves, not by a central booking office.

Planning your trail from the villa

• Pick one "big" day out — Momjan for the village atmosphere, wine cellars and muscat tastings — and treat it as a leisurely lunch-and-wander trip rather than a quick stop, checking the final programme nearer the date.
• Combine Pula's Martinje with a city evening: sightsee by day, then enjoy the wine stalls and live music once the sun goes down on 12–14 November.
• Use DOVAI weekends to explore inland, choosing a farm estate that isn't too far from your villa and booking ahead for one of the four open weekends (7–8, 14–15, 21–22 or 28–29 November), since tables and tasting menus are limited.
• Dress for the season — November evenings in the Istrian hills are cool, so bring a jacket even if daytime is mild and sunny, which it often still is in early November.
• Don't rush: this is slow travel at its best. One event, a good meal, and a quiet drive home through vineyards turning gold is plenty for one day.

November in Istria rewards guests who like their holidays a little quieter and a lot tastier. Between the Martinje wine celebrations of Momjan and Pula and four weekends of farmhouse hospitality through DOVAI, you'll eat and drink your way through the region's true character — all within easy reach of a comfortable villa to come home to. Browse our villas to find a base that puts this autumn trail right on your doorstep.