Ales Kristančič is a true pioneer, and legend, of Slovenian - and Brda - winemaking. Movia dates back to the early 18th century and the Kristančič family has taken care of the estate since 1820. Ales, Vesna, Lan, Ela and Lan's partner Nina tend 25.5 hectares of organic vineyards farmed with biodynamic practices producing around 145,000 bottles of superb fine - fully organically certified - wine.

If you were to draw what you imagined a biodynamic vineyard would look like it would look like Bozžidar Zorjan's. Set in Upper Styria (Stajerska) in the North East of Slovenia this a former Yugoslav special forces policeman turned biodynamic natural winemaker farms just 4 hectares but happens to make Decanter Magazines Best Orange Wine In The World, amongst others, in clay amphora's buried in his garden. This article from wine writer Chris Boiling says it better than we can. A natural wine mecca.

Image Credit : Slovenian Tourism Board / Suzan Gabrijan

Stojan Ščurek and his five sons tend to 23 hectares of vineyards in the Slovenian and Italian Brda/Collio region. Each year the family releases up to 120,000 bottles of fresh but full-bodied wines. These wines need a little time to develop in the glass, but once they do it is hard to stop them. They are particularly proud of Rebula, Stara Brajda cuvee's and their UP and Kontra. They won a Platinum Decanter World Wine Award for their sparkling Zero in 2022.

Oton Reya doesn't really do websites, or bio's, or email. But you can't say you know Brda winemaking if you don't know Oton. A true micro producer of 3 hectares producing just 10,000 bottles per year and they go quick so you'd better hurry as we have a very limited supply for the UK. We can't write more, but a night in Oton's tasting room is something you really HAVE to do so why not come and visit in person?

Borut is a 4th generation winemaker on land dated back to 1890. New state borders after World War II divided the farm between Slovenia and Italy. The border was guarded and not easily crossed and it took great perseverance, hard work and dedication from Borut's parents, Ferdinand and Danica, whose legacy is that the farm is still standing and continues the story. Their first vintage bottling was 1993 and together with wife Simone (an amazing cook by the way) Borut produces around 30,000 bottles of very special natural and skin contact wines a year from 10 hectares of land.

In Lower Styria in the South East of Slovenia is one of the countries most exciting young winemakers. Miha says it best "I am grateful to my father Marijan, who took our more than 240-year-old family winemaking tradition on the fertile hills of Bizeljsko to a new level 30 years ago. These solid foundations today allow us to stand proudly behind our wines, across 5 hectares and producting 30,000 bottles, which are produced according to the principles of biodynamics."

Father Marko and daughter Maja - now the 6th generation winemaker of the family - make wonderful fully biodynamic and organic wines in a hidden corner of Brda on 7 hectares of their family farm that dates back 250 years. Fully Demeter biodynamic and, organic certified these 20,000 bottles a year are as 'natural' as they come but with balanced, rounded, complex flavour profiles not the 'funky' characteristics sometimes associated with biodynamic wines.

Widely considered to be one of the best producers in Slovenia (and most camera shy), Edi Simčič wines rival several better known French counterparts. Three generations are still at work here. Edi, now in his eighties, enjoys a well deserved semi-retirement with his son Aleks driving the vineyard forward, across 13.5 hectares producing around 60-70,000 bottles per year. Taking the winery into a new era are his two sons Jure and Jakob. They have an un-apologetic disregard for trends and complete commitment to quality. An essential taste of Slovenian wine.

Roman Štekar founded the current vineyard, alongside a small agriturismo, back in 1985 but the family history on the property dates back to the 1700's. Today, his son Jure runs this organic winery in the Brda hills of western Slovenia. He farms 11 hectares of vines producing around 35,000 bottles nestled within another 22 hectares of cherry orchards and forest. In 2006, the winery received its organic certification - the first in the region. With no filtration or fining, the Štekar wines are a pure expression of the local grape varieties.

Edvard has been running the family vineyard on his own since his fathers passing in 2006 and has been fully organically certified since 2016. He does literally everything by himself on his 10 hectares producting around 35,000 bottles of wonderful skin contact 'orange' wines a year and is widely regarded as one of the best sparkling winemakers in Slovenia. The view from Edvard's terrace is one of our must see highlights of any trip to Slovenia.

Kabaj winery started when French winemaker Jean Michel Morel met his wife Katja Kabaj. They decided to bottle wine from the Kabaj estate instead of selling their grapes. It was a good decision. The US elite magazine Wine & Spirits recently classified Kabaj wine cellar as one of the 100 best wineries in the world for the fourth time. Kabaj is located near the village of Dobrovo, in Brda Slovenia. Jean Michel produces 100,000 bottles a year from 15 hectares of vineyards. All of Jean Michel's whites are left on the skins for at least two days and aged in oak for a minimum of two years. The reds and his wine made in Georgian qvevri (amphora) and aged for longer.

Emerging from the diversified farm of Andre's grandfather Mirko - as most farms were once - it was in 1987 his father Stojko decided to focus only on viticulture and wine making bottling their first vintage in 1993. Today Andrej leads the estates production of approximately 36,000 bottles across 9 hectares, situated in the Slovenia Brda region, and on the Italian side, in the Collio region. Ronk wines present tremendous price performance.

Image Credit : Aleš Beno