Kmetija Štekar "Belo" White Blend 2022

Belo is a lively, fun wine with incredible drinkability. Lean and vegetal, with a unique purity of fruit in a kind of brash, honest, vibrant and most importantly, delicious character. 

Belo is a field blend, which means it comprises grapes from a particular plot but one that has been planted with many different varieties such as Chardonnay, Rebula, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Polsakica, Glera, Friulano, amongst others. All hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation with native yeast, unfined, unfiltered, no added sulphur dioxide.

Janko Štekar and his wife Tamara has been cultivating five hectares of vineyards for several generations in Goriška Brda, in western Slovenia between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea, just over the border from Italy. The vineyards have the perfect location facing south and southwest on the terraces of the steep slopes. They are protected from the cold winds from the north, while the Burja wind from the east helps keeping humidity down.

Janko has a holistic approach to life and a goal of being self-sufficient while producing genuine wines that evoke emotions and reflect both the area and the winemaker himself. In the vineyard, he lets common sense rule in respect of nature. Harvesting is done by hand and the cultivation is organic, even though not all wines are certified.

The philosophy behind Kmetija Štekar is to explore the proud local traditions of winemaking through spontaneous fermentations and long macerations. Nothing is added in the cellar except a little sulphur before bottling to protect the wines from the transportation. This is orange wine, as it has always been made in the region. Untamed and wild, while balancing between great drinkability and structure from the maceration.