Črnko, "Jareninčan" 2020

In a historical region known as Lower Styria, defined by green rolling hills that extend beyond the borders of northern Slovenia and commingle with the south of Austria (think: the paradisiac setting of The Sound of Music), Silvo & Alenka Črnko are expert farmers who happen to also make a lovely, small range of wines – more than half of whose production is this beautiful, straightforward, house liter of white! Alongside their vineyard land in these hills run fields of aromatic hops, pumpkin farms, & grazing land for precious cattle. The climate is an totally unique admixture of Continental/Alpine/Mediterranean patterns, resulting in a singular growing season – meaning, particular biotypes of grapes that have long-adapted to such an environment, would represent a boon. Well, on the Črnko farm, they cultivate such grapevines of Laški Rizling, Rhein Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Ravenec, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, & Muscat. To get perhaps the clearest picture of what underpins the humble project (ergo that impossible-to-replicate-down-to-earth-approachability of their wines), until 2009 this cuvée in the share was only made for local sale/consumption in the town of Jarenina. It was the town wine, on every lunch & dinner table. Iconic, pure, humble – & now we are lucky enough to have it here to share with you all.

Our favorite format: the liter, or, the mini-mag! A mineral, sharp and lime-zesty blend of  Laški Rizling (Welschriesling), Sauvignon Blanc  and Rizvanec (Müller-Thurgau). Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel. Unfined, unfiltered with a touch of SO2.