If you slip over the Italian border heading east through Friuli
to Slovenia, and hug the Mediterranean, you end up in the region known
locally as Kras. The region straddles northeastern Italy and southwestern
Slovenia and is one of the worlds few wine regions to share
countries.
The region is renowned for its rocky limestone,
known locally as kras (Slovenian) or karst (Italian). The word
karst is used the world over to describe landscapes where the rock (usually
limestone) is being slowly dissolved by water, giving rise to a range of
interesting features above ground (such as sinkholes) and below (caves).
This tough land is predominately toiled by farmers growing
what produce they need, and a few brave winemakers. The three local
grapes are Malvazija (Malvasia Istriana), Vitovska (a cross
between Malvasia and Prosecco) and Terran (Refosco). Marko works his
vineyards, one of which is over one hundred years old, entirely by hand without
use of herbicides, fertilizers and systemic treatments. In the cellar the grapes
are fermented on skins for a few days and aged in a combination of stainless
steeel and old oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. These
are characterful wines full of energy made by a true artisan and
they age beautifully.