Next generation: Why Slovenian wine is the one to watch for 2022 and beyond
Once upon a time, wine lists were literally the domain of historic, established mansions. But in recent years, consumers have become increasingly alarmed by the unorthodox.
While it’s hard to imagine a world where famous Bordeaux and Burgundy crosses avoid commercial cellars, curious wine enthusiasts are increasingly looking for something ‘a little different’.
And while the new region needs a lot of time to establish itself on taste, it is lesser known wine centers such as Slovenia, which will eventually become the choice of a smart drinker.
This is largely due to the growing popularity of natural wines. But there is also a trend for wines that can be drunk, perhaps associated with the end of the closure. Slovenia is really achieving results in both key areas.
One of the Slovenian wine-growing hotspots is the Vipava Valley. And the winemaker with the hottest profile on the market at the moment is Primož Lavrenčič.
Lavrenčič is undemanding, but deeply passionate a vision that is transferred to glass.
“I try to withdraw and understand how to encourage nature, especially the earth, to express its character in my wines,” he says. In fact, his vineyards respect strict biodynamic rules, which he sees as the message of modern winemaking. But he is not at loggerheads, he really believes in principles and his terroir.
He even built a fascinating underground window where basement visitors can see the stratification of the land beneath the vineyard.
The soil in the Vipava Valley developed slowly on more than 50 million years old flysch marl and sandstone. And that’s good news for viticulture.
Natural wines are often described as wines with “minimal intervention” by the human hand. Winemakers like Lavrenčič mostly leave nature alone, adjusting only the fermentation temperature and other winemaking factors, such as the level of oxygen exposure that the wine could have.
The Vipava Valley is in the western part of Slovenia, close to the Italian border. Water and wind are, as usual, a natural factor in vineyards.
The Vipava River flows through the center of the valley on its way to the Soca River, reflecting light and heat that helps the grapes ripen in the sub-Mediterranean climate.
Bura is the strongest wind with gusts that at times exceed 200 km / h, making it the windiest part of Slovenia. And this factor is useful for winemakers who do not want to contaminate their grapes with pesticides. No pest will cling to the vine for long when the bora threatens the landscape.
The wine from the Burja Zelen 2020 estate impressed me the most. Nature, which flows in its own way, is part of the grape selection. Green is not a grape that many have heard of, but it is an indigenous variety and as such has gained wind resistance. You can pick up a bottle of this waxy, sharp, smoked minx for less than € 20.
Relay transfer
One of the most exciting finds among the vineyards of western Slovenia was not so much connected vines but people.
Since 2014, the Slovenian government has sanctioned the initiative for winemakers to transfer their business to their children as the Rural Development Program. It provides a scholarship of € 45,000 per beneficiary. It was set up for young farmers, so not only winemakers were covered, but viticulture really increased. And financially, it makes sense for older winegrowers to hand over the business to their children, while they can still remain part of the business as a consultant. As Andrej Erzetič from Erzetič Wines told Euronews Culture, “the basement is like a kitchen, you can only have one chef.”
A few years ago, Aleksij Erzetič, based in the charming Brda winery, handed over the main winemaking and management of the estate to Andrej, his son, and the young winemaker has never looked back.
Andrej keeps the flag for indigenous varieties such as white and rare ribula nero (it contains some Cabernet Franc), and also enjoys experimenting with classic grape varieties such as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. And there are certainly some serious investments, as a room with amphorae downstairs would not be cheap.
Amphoras have very suddenly become very popular all over the world of winemaking, but they are nothing new. These were the most suitable aged vessels in Georgia, the cradle of winemaking, 6000 years ago.
“Sometimes, due to the shape and presence of microorganisms, I prefer to age the amphora than aging it in a barrel,” says Andrej.
Amphoras are made of clay: more resistant than a steel vessel that does not match the wine at the molecular level, and less variable than oak, which can add its flavors and aromas to the wine.
Erzetič also enjoys experimenting with different woods, so try to find the perfect partnership with his grapes. Again, it’s not cheap, but it’s an interesting place to visit and his passion is clearly visible. Visitors to the estate (highly recommended) you will find a miasma of colors and materials, a true kaleidoscopic forest with barrels of acacia, mulberry, ash and wild cherry.
In Vipava, I meet several young winemakers and join a new local tourist-educational initiative, thus becoming a ‘winemaker for one day’. For many wine lovers like me, this is a rare treat. Tasting is one thing, but learning about all the stages before opening a bottle becomes more and more fascinating when we look beyond the liquid.
Andraž Ferjančič he took over the reins from his father in 2019. He takes visitors through the stages of winemaking all the way to planting real vines.
And it’s not just a symbolic role-playing game, you’re really going to plant a vine that will make wine in three to five years. But first you need to clean the floor. You have to set up hard yards. Well, I am. Obviously this is optional, but I only found out later …
Slovenian winemakers often grow more than one type of grape and thus have the option of mixing. In this experience, I was given three white wines to mix, and in the end I took home my wine, which contained 70% celery and 30% Malvasia.
Although the natural wines of Slovenia will certainly find themselves in a very trendy and growing demand, perhaps all over the world, when there will be more and more interest from customers, there is also a positivity in surrendering to young winegrowers. The penchant for wine with a lower ABV content, which is made so that they can be drinkable, is not a fleeting fad in my opinion, and this viticultural spirit of the time is the perfect arena for the success of young superstars like Andrej and Andraž.