On the very border of the Varaždin and Krapina-Zagorje counties, in the village of Pece near Budinščina, sits the Kopjar winery. The border is quite literal here: half of the vineyard lies in one county, half in the other. The story was started by Robert Kopjar, who bought the winery, restored the vineyards and in 2013 bottled his first own wine, a Rhine Riesling.
From the very beginning everything has been subordinated to organic production: no mineral fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used in the vineyard, and in the cellar only minimal quantities of oenological agents permitted under the organic regime are applied. On four and a half hectares of south and southeast facing vineyards, at 250 to 260 metres above sea level, seven white varieties are grown (Sauvignon, Rhine Riesling, Grüner Silvaner, Graševina, Muškat žuti, Chardonnay and Manzoni), while the red side consists of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.
A Riesling helped by noble rot
The house’s flagship is Rhine Riesling. Vintage after vintage, the aim in the vineyard is for part of the grapes to be touched by botrytis, the noble rot which concentrates flavours, aromas and sweetness in the dried berry without losing acidity, so that this small share of concentrated aromas makes the wine richer and at the same time very drinkable. At most around three thousand litres of it are produced annually. It was precisely the Riesling that brought the winery silver at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2017, where the judges described it as fantastically concentrated, and the same competition brought a new harvest in 2021: three silvers and a bronze.
The offer also includes Graševina from old plantings, recognisable for its untypical floral and grassy aromatics, varietal Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cuvée Kopjar, an imaginative blend of Graševina, Manzoni, Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon and Muškat žuti. The newest chapter is a trio of organic sparkling wines: Blanc de Blancs, Pinot Noir Rosé and Muscat, made by the traditional Champagne method of long fermentation in the bottle, available in brut and demi sec versions, with the Pinot Noir rosé ageing for two years on fine lees.
A new wine shop with a tasting room has been set up at the winery, and the wines can be ordered directly from the cellar.
Website: www.vinarija-kopjar.hr