Roka Winery is a two-hectare winery in the Jeruzalem/Ormoz region of eastern Slovenia, part of the larger Stajerska Slovenia region. The winery is located in the hills of the village of Kog at 328 meters above sea level and produces three single-vineyard bottlings: Furmint (Sipon), Laski (Welschriesling) and Blaufränkisch (Modra Frankinja). Total production is low at around 3,000 bottles per year and the wines are sold out every year.
No herbicides or pesticides are used in the vineyards, which are on average 50 to 60 years old. Only the Blaufränkisch, which was planted in 2012, is significantly younger. Yields are low at 1 to a maximum of 1.5 kg per vine. Manual vineyard work is the norm, with many hours spent working with the vines - thinning and defoliating - to improve air circulation and create a healthy environment. Biodiversity is at the heart of the concept: wild plants are allowed to thrive between the vines, and the vineyards are home to a variety of flora and fauna.
The work in the cellar is carried out on a natural basis. The white wines are pressed and ferment spontaneously on the lees in open 500-liter barrels made of old oak. It is not unusual for it to take five to seven days for fermentation to start. The red wine is lightly destemmed and also ferments spontaneously in open fermentation vats. Fermentation takes place slowly and usually lasts 40 to 50 days for white wines. The red wine is gently pressed to avoid excessive extraction and is pressed after around 25 days. All wines are then stored for up to a year in large oak barrels without the addition of sulphur. They are then transferred to steel tanks and stored there for a further three months before being bottled, with only a small amount of sulphur added.
The aim of the Roka Winery is to produce wines that people here enjoy drinking themselves - and if others enjoy them too, then the circle of creation is complete!
Route
