Landscape
The Šavrin region, the outskirts of Slovenian Istria, is full of history and interesting stories and is permeated with the sweat of hard-working locals.
Many generations have cultivated the landscape, which was once completely covered with terraces. Over time, they were wrecked by erosion and overgrown with acacia trees. However, in recent decades, many of them have been brought back to life, and vines and olives, the most culturally important plants of Istria, are growing there again.
The estates of the local communities of Bertoki, Pobegi – Čežarji and Sveti Anton are located on the western ridge of the Šavrin hills, which is spread from the Adriatic Sea at the Škocjan Bay to Dvori, where it reaches a height of 390 meters.
The area covered by Vinol’s members lies on flysch, which is a suitable base for growing vines, fruit, and olives. The plains and the valleys, where more soil covers the flysch, are also suitable for growing vegetables, which, like wine, fruit, and olive oil, shaped the traditional agricultural image of this area and enabled their inhabitants to survive. Istria is in the sub-Mediterranean climate zone.
The changing weather of the last decade, mostly higher temperatures and longer dry periods are destroying the long-term climatic image of the landscape and require farmers to pay special attention and to find solutions for the lack of water supply, so that the plants can survive in the summer. The farmers also make sure to carry out the most natural cultivation possible, so that both the crop and the environment remain healthy.
Our members’ wines
The wines that the members of Vinol present every year at the traditional Tasting are quite colorful and diverse.
Malvasia and Refosco, the main white and red varieties in Slovenian Istria, are always in the foreground. They are most often produced as fresh dry wine, but the winemakers are more and more frequently playing with other styles of wine, sparkling wines, extended macerations, and aging in wooden and other barrels.
A specialty from the vineyards of Vinol members is Cipro. With the help of a few vines from the vineyard of Ido Kocjančič from Pobegi, the almost forgotten Cipro was revived and is now proudly presented at various fairs, but it feels most at home in Slovenian Istria.
The variety range of the wines also includes the native yellow Muscat and other native and domesticated varieties.
Our members’ olive oils
Olive growers are also very active in the association. They present their extra virgin olive oils from Slovenian Istria in various domestic and international competitions.
The variety range is dominated by the Istrian Belica variety, which produces an oil rich in antioxidants. Old Istrian varieties such as Buga, Črnica and Štorta are also found in local olive groves. They are also used to produce table olives, and some Italian varieties such as Leccino have also been domesticated.
Other domestic products
In addition to wine and olive oil, some members engage in other activities.
They might offer you homemade cheeses and cured meats, excellent grape skin and wine distillates, seasonal vegetables, various jams, or pickled delicacies.