Article from 12 December 2019, wine

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We have brought some special wines from three trips through Slovenia down to the Italian border.

However, some descriptions of wines have left us rather puzzled: are they called “orange wines” for their colour, and “natural wines” because they haven’t been treated? Does the term “quevri wine” refer to its Georgian origin and storage in amphorae?

Nor do specifications like “skin contact”, “macerated” or “mash-fermented” bring any light into the darkness: they describe only partial aspects, and certainly not in terms that everyone can understand. Tasting these wines has aroused interest, irritation, sometimes disappointment.

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The Gorizia Hills, or Goriška Brda in Slovene, are different in every way: located near the Soča valley, they offer a cherry festival and other culinary delights. The hilly Brda is a traditional wine-growing region. Vines have grown here for centuries, with vineyards arranged in horizontal terraces side by side.

Vintners told us that 80% of work is done on the very vine stocks in order to avoid the use of pesticides and sulphites in the vineyard or wine cellar. They all stand in the tradition of Joško Gravner and Stanko Radikon, pioneers of natural wine in the region, who favour experimentation over certification. Some vintners with small vineyards have taken the same path, growing for example Malvazija, Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Jakot (Tokai Friulano) wines alongside the autochtonous Verduc and Rebula grapes.

We also learned that these wines are best served at cellar temperature (i.e. at 14°C to 16°C), and will take a while to develop their full aroma. Gone are the days of ugly wine coolers and constant topping up.

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Our current offer (for sale or tasting) includes:

Janko Štekar’s
Rebula Prilo 2015, Re Piko 2015, Jankot 2017, and Pinot Draga 2013,

Aleks and Simona Klinec’
Rebula 2015, Jakot 2015, and Malvazija 2015

Oton Reya’s
Rebula 2017, Beli Pinot 2017, and Chardonnay 2017

Edi Simčič’s
Rebula 2017, Triton Lex 2017, and Chardonnay 2016