Working with natural wine means accepting that some things just unfold on their own. It is what it is. However, we also make very deliberate choices. For sustainability. For community. For the future. It shows in the way we trust in life. And simply let nature be itself.
We take things as they are. With our wines, there’s really no other way. They tell the story of where they come from. And they do so without embellishment. Or rather: because of it.
Our vineyards are located in the Maribor and Haloze appellations. For us, fertile ground in every sense.
We tend our vineyards in Haloze and Maribor biodynamically. And in a way very personally. Because everything that can be done by hand is. Partly out of necessity – but mostly because it’s what gives our wines their quality.
We keep biodiversity high. The many different plants found in our vineyards, and the animals that find shelter there, create a natural balance. And healthy soil. The vines grow stronger. The grapes more expressive.
Our vineyards are home to more than just vines growing upward. Terraces stretch out across the slopes. Flowers bloom. A breeding ground for biodiversity.
Haloze is a particularly good place for diversity. Partly due to the terraced layout and the low number of vines we’ve planted: just 2,000 per hectare. That gives each vine around ten square metres of space. Room to grow. On average, we harvest 0.9 kilograms of grapes per vine per year. We also mow the embankments in Haloze just once annually. All of this adds up to a positive nutrient balance. We give back more to the soil than we take. Which means it’ll be there for a long time to come.
The hilly landscape of Maribor is entirely its own. It shapes the nature of our wine. We follow its lead.
Maribor is a little different from Haloze. Without terraces, we are even more deliberate about nurturing agricultural diversity in our vineyards. That includes the trees and shrubs, the water sources. We also leave plenty of space between our vineyards and the surrounding forests. Room for untouched nature.
We don’t influence the development of our natural wines or their flavour. But we do accompany it. In the vineyards. In the cellar.
The wines require no additives during processing. They ferment spontaneously. Are aged on full lees for a long time and moved no more than twice before bottling. We don’t filter them. We don’t add sulphur. There are exceptions, of course, when they’re needed. But our goal is always the same: to intervene as little as possible. What might look like doing nothing is actually called low intervention. And yet it’s this very restraint that gives the wines their complexity.
Slovenia has been our home for many years now. We belong among the vineyards of Štajerska Slovenija. Our little family has long since put down roots here.
Ours is a special bond, built on deep mutual trust. An honest friendship. The joy of parenthood. And of course, our work. You can only call it luck.
Being connected to our surroundings means for us: growing together.
Together with other winemakers in Gorca and Maribor we want to explore what else is possible. In harmony with nature. In a diverse agriculture that doesn’t only benefit us humans, but also provides a fertile ground for plants and animals. Our hope: to support small-scale farming in our region. To break up monocultures. Through close collaboration, we also want to contribute to ensuring that vineyards in our neighbourhood can continue to be cultivated in the future.
That’s why we consciously source organically grown grapes from our surroundings for Hisno Vino, Stajerska Kollektiv and Flein, our grape juices. At a fair price. For some that might not seem like much. For us, it’s the essence of what we do.
You’re always welcome to visit us.
Just make sure to get in touch beforehand.
Give us a call: +43 (0)664 820 61 79
Or drop us a line: hello@vinogross.com