In eastern Slovenia, in the village of Sentjur not far from Celje, lies Urbajs Stajerska, probably one of the most remarkable wineries in Slovenia with its winemaker and namesake Aci Urbajs, one of the greatest originals of Slovenian viticulture. He is only interested in the quality of his wines and in constantly improving them. In his typical modesty, he prefers to stay in the background and take care of his wines, but when he talks about winemaking, he really opens up. He goes to extremes in his work, which is why the trademark of his wines is not an attitude, but underlines his understanding of winemaking. His labels all bear a cross with the words "ORGANIC ANARCHY". You could also describe him as a master of omission, as he has no machinery, as is common in other wineries. Only horses are allowed in his vineyards, he has been producing wine 100% biodynamically since 1998, chemical agents or artificial fertilizers have no place in his vineyards, and he also consistently refrains from using sulphur in his wines, because for him only wine without this addition is drinkable. He cultivates a total of three vineyards, each with a wine cellar so that the freshly harvested grapes do not have to travel long distances on their way to the wine press. He cultivates four white wine varieties in his parcels, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Kerner and Welschriesling, as well as Pinot Noir and Blaufränkisch for red wine. Whether white or red, all wines undergo a maceration period on the skins, true to the methods of natural or orange wines. He expressly allows tannins, especially in white wines, as he believes they give the wine "more bite", which makes the wines extremely popular, especially among fans of these wine styles. As his winery is a boutique winery with only around 4 hectares of vineyards, they are difficult to find, especially as the international market has already become aware of these wines.
Route
