God makes wine. Only the ungrateful or the purblind can fail to see that sugar in the grape and yeast on the skins is a divine idea, not a human one. (Father Robert Capon, The Supper of the Lamb)
Wine is made in the vineyard
Our family embraced the idea that great wine starts in the vineyard. Therefore we produce wine only from our own grapes, even if it means delays due to the tedious acquiring of the fragmented land, having multiple-owners, planting of new vineyards and tending to them, while waiting three years for the first vintage. We intend to plant in Sucha altogether 10 ha of vineyards which should yield about 50-60 000 bottles of, as we hope, high-quality wine. However, that is still a long way to go.
Unique terroir
The combination of soil and climate in the Rose and the Wolf valleys of Sucha are exceptionally favorable for cultivation of high-end red wines, as well as of crisp and spicy white wines. Deep loess soils with a high proportion of minerals, especially calcium, coupled with the arid climate where rainfall is well below the Slovak average, encourage the vines to grow deep and vigorous roots. At the same time the large proportion of sunny days, which is typical for Sucha, allows the grapes ripen to perfect maturity. These conditions are at the origins of complex and interesting grapes reflecting the unique “flavor of the Sucha terroir“.
Organic viticulture
Our goal is to produce healthy grapes with skins populated by living micro-flora of bacteria and yeast and with rich and balanced content of substances in the berries; free of any chemical residues. Therefore we switched to organic viticulture since 2012 and have certified organic production since 2015.
The major difference is that organic viticulture does not make use of the modern pesticides. Hence, excluded is the application of systemic pesticides, which penetrate into the plants’ tissues from the roots to the fruits, but alternative eco – preparations are used that strengthen the immune system and natural defenses of the plants. To the limited extent also contact sprays based on copper and sulfur compounds are used. To fight of the pests bio – agents are used such as settlement of predatory mites in the vineyards. The use of herbicides is also excluded, even if it puts increased demands on the mechanical working of soil in the strips under the vines, which however, thanks to that grow in “living soil” rich in diverse soil organisms.
The varieties
We are focusing on varieties yielding expressive varietal vines while reflecting also the terroir and vintage specifics, suitable for longer maturing and archiving. We cultivate varieties typical for Sucha (BlauerPortugieser, Frankovka (Blaufränkisch), Green Veltliner and Welschriesling) complemented with those specifically bred for the Slovak conditions (Dunaj, Devin, Hron and Rosa). Still planned is planting of Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer.
Get acquainted with our vineyards
Rose Valley- Hugo’s Vineyard
Rose Valley – Maxim’s Vineyard
Wolf Valley- Old vineyards
