Zavec Brothers, Lost & Found Skin Contact 2023, Haloze, Slovenia

Who - Zavec Brothers Winery

Where - Haloze, Styria, Slovenia

What - Orange Wine - Chardonnay, Welschriesling, Sauvignon blanc & Pinot gris
When - 2022
How - Organic practices. A field blend from a single vineyard with marl / sandstone soils that give minerality and salinity. The grapes were picked in early September, hand sorted at the winery, spontaneous wild fermentation with skin contact of 14 days followed by malolactic fermentation. Matured on fine less in used oak barrels for 12 months. Unfiltered, unfined, vegan.

Great to drink with middle eastern cuisine - think grilled aubergine, aromatic rice dishes. 

Viticulture seems to be ingrained in the Slovenian family way of life. The Zavec family bought their first vineyard in 1995, taking the leap into a professional venture in wine, yet their ancestors were involved in vines for the love of it for many generations. They've since got plots in four different locations across the Haloze region in eastern Slovenia where they grow a combination of local and international varieties, all in a sustainable way with great care for nature. The latest generation of Zavecs, two brothers Aleksander and Patrik are continuing the families passion through making terroir driven wines with minimal intervention. They also keep bees and grow bee friendly plants amongst the vines as well as keeping bird boxes to aid the biodiversity of their land.