Zavec Brothers, Pet Nat White 2023, Haloze, Slovenia

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.

Their Pet Nat is a field blend of Chardonnay, Welschriesling and Sauvignon Blanc from a single vineyard at 420m above sea level on marl and sandstone, bringing great minerality and salinity to the wine. Fermentation is wild and spontaneous in stainless steel, then bottled so the last 1/3 of fermentation finishes in the bottle, unfiltered. This is a delicious bottle of bubbles with aromas of quince and white flowers followed by a palate packed with fresh citrus and subtle herbal notes of fennel and tarragon. Great on its own in the sun or would be great with Middle Eastern food. 

Producer - Zavec Brothers Winery
Country - Slovenia
Region - Styria
Sub-Region - Haloze
Variety / Blend - Chardonnay, Welschriesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Wine Style - Sparkling Wine
Farming - Organic Practices
Vegan