Črnko

Website: Črnko Winery
Country Location: Slovenia
 
The Črnko farm is located on the eastern side of Slovenia, north of Maribor and just south of the Austrian border. It is a breath taking environment of endless rolling green hills striped with vineyards that stretch the length of the horizon. (If you follow this link http://tiny.cc/JoBCP and zoom in you can see it quite clearly.) Until 1918 the larger collective area was known as Lower Styria and had been for many centuries. Grapes have been cultivated here for over 2,000 years but they are not alone, the region is also famous for its aromatic hop fields and ethereal pumpkin seed oil; a real treat with the local wines.
  
  The rich agricultural diversity of Slovenske Goric or Slovenian Hills (the appellation) owes itself to its special soils and the unique convergence of Continental, Alpine and Mediterranean climate that Slovenia is known for. In large part it is the balance between these climates that make the wines of Slovenia so regional and so interesting. The growing season at Črnko brings warm, sunny days and cold nights, resulting in intensely flavored grapes. Winter snow comes early allowing for the production of ice wine in most vintages. The nutritious sedimentary soil, or marl provides an ideal vineyard medium. 16 million of years ago the region was part of the Pannonian Sea and exploding with life. Today it is 2.5 miles thick of sedimentary soil.
  
  The two south/south west facing vineyards the Črnko family farms are planted to a specific form of marl. It looks a lot like slate but is brittle and silty to the touch. This unique soil is common to the famed vineyards of Brda, on the western side of Slovenia bordering Italy and lends the same mineral complexity to the wines; especially the whites. Jareninski Vrh is the hill the Crnko farm lies at the base of. Behind it 3.5 hectares total of Yellow Muscat, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Laski (Italian) Riesling, Riesling and Pinot Gris rise quickly to about 400 meter above sea level. The vineyard is pretty and steep. Even Silvo Črnko, who grows the grapes and makes the wine, gets winded during a stroll. Half a mile away is the equally steep vineyard Slatinek; 2.5 hectares of Yellow Muscat, Mueller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Laski Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Together these sustainably farmed vineyards produce a total of 10,000 bottles, Črnko’s entire production.
  
  Growing grapes and making wine is the main business of Silvo Črnko and his wife, Alenka but not the extent of what they do. Both are university trained agronomists who would doubtfully be content farming only one thing. So in addition to the wines, they also raise a variety of livestock for milk, meat, cheese and eggs, preserve a wide range of fruits and vegetables from their own garden and orchards and bake bread daily, from wheat they grew and milled themselves. This is done with the assistance of their daughter Tamara and their parents, Srečko and his wife Jožica. The wines are spectacular but if you visit the Črnko farm, beware! This is a fantasy inducing environment that will make you want to sell everything you own and buy a farm.
  
  1984 was the first vintage bottled. Today they split their production between the eminently drinkable Jareninčan, their estate blend (until the 2009 vintage it had only been sold locally in the nearby village of Jarenina from where the wine takes its name). The other half is divided among their world class line of dry, late harvested and ice wine; the combined passion of the estate.
  
  Silvo Črnko beams with happiness and so do his wines. They are universally forward and fragrant but with an elusive mineral underpinning that demands serious attention. Črnko wines are an absolute joy to drink and as appropriate for the inexperienced and curious, as the serious enthusiast.
 

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