Frequently asked questions

1. What is the capacity of the Wine Cellar?
The capacity of the Wine Cellar is 18 million litres. However, we produce between 8 and 12 million litres per year.

2. Which countries are your wines exported to?
The largest export market is the USA. This is followed by the countries of former Yugoslavia and recently our export has been expanding more and more to European countries.

3. What do you do with barrels that are no longer of use to you?
We either sell them or use them for promotion activities.

4. Which is the oldest wine in your Cellar?
Rebula 1957.

5. Which is healthier, white or red wine?
Both, if consumed in moderate quantities. Each has its nutritive compounds.

6. What is barrique?
In French, barrique means a small wooden barrel, the design of which originates in Bordeaux, France, where its capacity is 225 litres. In Anjou, France, its capacity is 232 litres, in Cote-D’or, France, 228 litres.

These barrels were mainly used to ship wine from England to America. This is why new barrels were needed every year. Thus, a new technology of red wine production was born, to wit, “barrique wine production” which has been booming WWin recently. The period of wine maturation in barriques varies from 6 to 18 months but only in new barriques. Everything that the wine takes in, has the exchange of air through the wood pores to thank for. The content of gases in the wine drops, aromas which are the result of a stronger effect of O2 are imparted to the wine. Wines treated in new barrels leach from the oak the pirogalic tannin substances which are entirely different from the tannin substances of the wine. These tannins will leave a sweet, velvety flavour and they contain high quality aromatic substances recalling vanilla, chocolate, coffee or cinnamon.

Various types of oak are used in barrel making: French, American and oak from Slavonia. The preparation and manufacturing of the wood for barrels is of utmost importance. Cleft wood is better than sawn; if it is dried naturally it is much better than dried artificially: lengthy drying in natural conditions is very positive. Oak wood needs to be sawn at the temperature of 180º to 230º C. The barrique technology is primarily recommended for good vintage wines and carefully chosen sites which are rich in substances that give a wine the full-bodied character. The length of maturation of wine in a barrique has an effect on the final character of the wine. The processes of oxidation in a barrique progress slowly but constantly. By knowing the process of maturation a vintner can contribute to the final quality of wine.

7. How is the effect of the barrique technology expressed in the organoleptic characteristics of wine?
The appearance of white and red wines is more distinctive. The colour is more intense. In red wines, tannin substances bind with pigments which enhance the colour.

The smell shows the characteristics of wood. It takes on the nuances of roasted coffee, new leather, chocolate and vanilla.
The flavour is less astringent, tannin-like. The period wines spend in new barrels has a positive effect on the restructuring of tannin substances which change into a colloidal form and settle.

Polymerisation of flavones reduces sourness, sweet tannins are obtained.

8. How many barriques have you got in your cellar?
Barrique /barik/ is a French word and stands for a 225-litre wooden barrel, usually made of oak, which we use for red and white wines. The essence of barrique wines is that they are rich-coloured, aromatic and full-bodied. At the moment there are 1,000 such barrels in our cellar.