OUR STORY
TENUTA TRE TERRE
TENUTA TRE TERRE estate was established in 2019 at the initiative of Ivan Catalano, director of Uni.Kom d.o.o. construction company. It is located in the small Dragočevac valley, a village near the municipality of Momjan, a charming Istrian area known for its wine cellars and the prestigious Muscat wine variety.
In love with agriculture since he was a child, Ivan Catalano bought a 4-hectare area in 2005 as a place to live, and in time turned it into an agricultural holding.
After preparing the soil by digging more than a meter and a half in depth and excavating the original soil of the area, following a rainy day and a sunny afternoon, three different soil colours came to light for the first time. Red typical of this area, white clay and classic brown. After the research, it turned out that no adjacent several hectare surface area featuring 3 different soil colours exists. Hence the name TRE TERRE.
8000 vine plants of various Istrian indigenous varieties, such as Muscat, Teran and Merlot, were planted. From the very start, the agricultural focus has not been on wine production, which was already very popular in the Momjan area, but on the processing of domestic wines. Wines are turned into wine and apple cider vinegar. The company sees its core business as the adventure of producing vinegar from aged must based on the ancient balsamic process formula used in Italy.
During his professional experience in construction and travelling through the Emilia Romagna region, Ivan Catalano first came across Modena balsamic vinegar in 2000.
After studying the product and meeting the experts in the production of traditional Modena balsamic vinegar, Mr. Maselli, owner of Monteremellino Acetaia, instructed and trained Catalano in the process of a serious and proper production of traditional vinegar.
He started purchasing barrique barrels from France in 2019 for wine vinegar processing as well as typical barrels of different weight and wood for traditional vinegar production.
A year later, in 2020, 1,500 lavender seedlings were planted for the production of essential oil for making cleaning products with vinegar. In fact, vinegar has always been used for cleaning because of its antibacterial properties, the method passed down from the grandmothers around the world to new generations. TRE TERRE company produces a full range of products for environmental disinfection and handwashing as well as lavender anti-mite bags.
Three years after starting the business, in 2022, the first three vinegars produced on the Tenuta Tre Terre estate emerged: strong red wine vinegar, apple vinegar and 3-year aged must vinegar.
THE TEAM
For production, marketing and sales, Ivan Catalano joins with three friends and partners with whom he begins to select other agricultural products from Istria and beyond, refine lavender and vinegar products and market them.
The experience of winemaker and wine producer Valmi Coslovich helps in the various stages of grape processing to its turning into vinegar.
Dean Spećina’s experience in the field of hospitality industry helps the company promote products at fairs, festivals and catering affairs for which the products are intended.
Sandro Markežić, whose entrepreneurial experience helps the company grow, is in charge of accounting and administrative management.
These 4 friends and partners are looking together for products in small local and national companies to link with and market under the Tre Terre brand in the future.
COOPERATIONS
Several collaborations with local family farms have emerged from this research. Thanks to Coslovich Wines and Truffles, a selected line of truffle products has been designed.
The original Istrian fresh truffle, a hallmark of the entire Livade and Oprtalj area, not far from Tenuta, is processed to produce specific products.
Salt, butter, oil, truffles, dried truffle powder, mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, honey, salami and cottage cheese, these are all products made solely with the Istrian truffle.
From the collaboration with Italian companies, Tre Terre selected three Veneto prosecco wines: Brut, Dry and Rose.
Also, thanks to the collaboration with Fraccaro Dolci Castelfranco Veneto, Istrian truffle panettone and Istrian pinza or focaccia will be produced for Christmas and Easter.
Pasta, sauce, jam, Istrian olive oil, honey and brandy are future products selected from domestic companies and marketed within the large Tre Terre family.