 | Zali Breg - 'Pretty hill' is quite a daring name for a place in already wonderful landscape! I was thinking about that as I was on my way to Sosolič family from Zali Breg, who produce fine fresh and elegant wines in the heart of Brda, on the position with a name Šturenšče. Their cellar is placed on the top of the slope planted with vine stocks that face the sun all of their days. Above that cellar, on the point with wonderful view, young master Dominik prepares a space for guests. »We won't have an agritourism, but a place for people to be able to retreat from the crazy world,« he tells about the actual plans in realization that merge with the orientation already set a while ago. »Production of wine is present here for generations. On the place of the cellar the old house stood already two hundred years ago. My father Izidor is a typical representative of generation, which kept farming while they were working in firms as well. He started to leave more and more grape sat home to produce wine,« he shortly describes turns of the history of the farm, which changed orientation to be exclusively viticultural and represents a full-time employment for him.
|
| They grow some olive and cherry trees on the property to round up the image of coexistence of nature and people. They know how to distribute powers in the family. Fathers Izidor still takes a part of Dominik's burden, and in a few years they can count on the grandchildren as well. "Experiences are shared from generation to generation, knowledge from mouth to mouth. I advance my knowledge every single year. Practice gains the feeling and ability to foresee the actions. Wine can be made in perfectly natural manner, if you only minimize interventions," he tells about his approach and feels sorry for some consumers not to understand that natural wines can produce some sediment and some other natural side effects that bother the people used to buy only sterile, always same, industrial products. Wine, can not be that way! Wine is a living substance! One of the most mysterious and complex created by nature! |  |
| »Our vineyards are spread over slopes and tops of the hills exposed to the sun. Also cabernet sauvignon and merlot give splendid results, although there is a belief they are more appropriate to grow in flat lands. So, I have to say - not every belief should be considered true without further argumentation! A decision has to be met with some sense for reality about every thing you do,« says Dominik, a kind, moderate and easy partner to talk with. Spontaneously he places a strong word in right moment and surprises with it. So you can laugh or have a difficulty. Or both! At some occasion while having a presentation of his wines he was involved in a conversation with the first lady of Slovenia. The lady stayed a little longer the protocol would allow. Attendance made the lady aware of that fact, so she suggested Dominik to escort her to the car. He replied with a commonly said and heard phrase in some other situations: »I have no time!« Surprised at first and than in difficulty were both of them. But everybody around them laughed. Dominik just wanted to proceed with the 'work' he came for! But situations usually come spontaneously. |