Wine growing and viniculture as the main businesses of northern Istria, in the time of the Venetian Republic

     In region called Slovenian Istria (Koper, Izola, Piran) vinegrowing and viniculture in early middle ages was the basic business when in the era of trade based on exchange of goods played the role of the main means of exchange. Of this also the Venetian Republic was very well aware when towards the end of the 13th century it seized the towns mentioned above. Whit a number of statutory provisions it tried to direct as much income from wine trade as possible into its own treasury. The Istrians tried to resist this mainly through increased smuggling. The Venetians made efforts to reduce it, mainly trough different repressive measures, which did not always prove successful. Various lists of fiscal income from the production and the sales of wine treaded, which in the 18th century exceeded 18.000 hectolitres (about 1.580.000 gallons) a year.