The name has actually two meanings. Used loosely, Pikolit (also spelled "Pikulit") denotes the "straw wine" of the Primorje region, wine made from grapes dried on straw mats, hay, or specially woven wooden trays. The berries dry out, the acids mature, and the resulting wine is somewhat similar to the Italian passito.
Used precisely, Pikolit denotes a type of grapes (and the wine made from them) that was revered in Roman times. The vine pollinates very poorly, so only some fifteen to twenty berries are left in any ripe grape bunch. The regular harvest must is very aromatic, but these grapes can also be left on the vine for a "late harvest" wine: the water slides off the sparse berries so even heavy rain does not cause rot.
Pikolit is a very aromatic wine, rich golden yellow to amber, high in alcohol, and usually semi-dry to semi-sweet. The wine has a full bouquet with a plethora of surprising aromatic suggestions reminiscent of various field flowers; the most intense is the aroma of white peaches. The taste is sweet, noble, and lasting - a truly harmonious ensemble.
Aging produces an astonishingly noble and rich wine, comparable only to the Ice Wines of the Podravje region. Due to the poor yield of the vine, Pikolit is very rarely grown - if at all, mostly just around the house to produce minute quantities of this ambrosia of wines. Being so rare, Pikolit is outrageously expensive if offered for sale.
Pikolit is grown in various parts of Primorje, but very rarely; since cultivation has hardly been tried in all the suitable sites, judgement on the best sources must remain reserved. However, Pikolit seems to favour the warm sites of the Koper and Brda areas.
If you get a chance to enjoy it, try Pikolit on its own - a wine of such excellence needs no company. It should be served at 10 - 12 °C (50 - 53.6 °F).