Visiting the Skerk Winery was the ideal opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge about macerated wines.
Macerated wines are made following the productive philosophy that pays close attention to respecting the cycles and needs of nature. The producers who share this approach are dedicated to sustainable and organic viticulture, which excludes the use of any synthetic fertilisers, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides in the vineyard, relying exclusively on natural fertilisers.
This style of wine is also known as “orange” and is made from white grape varieties; most of the time indigenous grape variety are used, although the use of international varieties is widespread. The yields are very low, and harvest takes place in late autumn, so that the grapes are fully ripe; all the work in the vineyard and cellar are done manually.
Fermentation takes place thanks to ambient yeasts, in wooden vats or amphorae without any temperature control system, with long maceration times in contact with skins, which can last for many months. These wines are bottled without any filtration and using very low levels of sulphur dioxide; a practice possible thanks to the long maceration times, during which the wine develops natural antioxidant compounds that preserve it, maintaining its organoleptic profile.
These wines are vigorous, of golden colour, but can also have stronger shades towards an amber or copper colour. They usually offer remarkable complexity of “unusual” aromas and flavours, among which stand out being dried and candied fruits, dried flowers and leaves, spices, smoky notes and in the mouth a perceptible and delicate astringency due to the tannin extraction during the maceration process.
The Winery
The Skerk winery is in Prepotto, a hamlet in the municipality of Duino-Aurisina, in the Trieste province with their fragmented vineyards stretching for about 8 hectares in total. This family-own business is now run by Sandi, the third-generation owner, and has always worked hard to follow the traditional ways of viticulture, as well as paying attention to the environment growing local varieties, such as Vitovksa, Malvasia Istriana and Terrano.
The welcome from the winery was extraordinary! The visit began with the tour of the vineyard and then continued into the cellar that has been completely carved into karst rock. The tour then carried on into the area dedicated to the new vats made of local stones located underground and finished with a wine tasting of the entire array of wines, in the cozy tasting room that has a privileged view of the Adriatic Sea.
The Growing Environment
Karst: this is a plateau in the coastal area near Trieste, on the border with Slovenia, well known for its geology features, with limestone rocks that outshine the landscape.
The soil here is arid and tricky; it is thin and made of white-grey rocks with limestone on the slopes close to the sea, while more inland it is flatter, deeper, and more fertile with iron in it. Among its features, the ability to maintain balance between drainage and water retention needs to be highlighted.
What makes this region unique are the geological phenomena that affect it, especially sinkholes, caves and rivers, that sink into the soil depth and then come to the surface miles away.
The climate is strongly influenced by the Adriatic Sea and the Alps, summers are hot and dry, and winters are cold and wet. The winds, such as the Bora, help to keep the grapes healthy reducing the humidity and thus the risk of disease and mildew outbreaks.
Grape Varieties
Vitovska: this is a late ripening white grape variety that is mainly used in blends, but today producers obtain excellent results making single variety wines. This is a natural crossing between Malvasia and Glera, and it is a disease resistant variety, capable of withstanding the strong Bora wind, cold winters, and often dry summers of Karst. The wines typically offer aromas of pear and sage, have high acidity, a medium intensity flavour and are medium bodied; macerated wines show aromas of ripe fruit and hay.
Refosco dal peduncolo verde (Teran): this black grape variety belongs to the Refoschi family, and it is also known as Refosco del Carso, Refosco d’Istria or Sangue del Carso. Refosco dal peduncolo verde is the name of the grape, while Terrano is the name of the wine, that is typically ruby in colour with violet shades and offers lively acidity, moderate tannin, with aromas of raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant.
Malvasia Istriana: this non-aromatic white grape variety is versatile and is characterised by good levels of tanginess and acidity. It can be used to produce different style of wines, from fresh, easy drinking wines with floral aromas to oaked wines that offer greater complexity, and from sparkling wines to macerated ones with aromas of ripe fruit, spices, and herbal notes.
Glera: this is a late ripening semi-aromatic white grape variety that produces fresh wines, with aromas of green fruit, stone fruit, and white flowers.
Sauvignon Blanc: this is a late budding and relatively early ripening white grape variety, suitable for cold climates, that gives its best on poor soil.
Pinot Grigio: an early budding and early ripening white grape variety that can reach high levels of sugar in the berries. It gives subtle and elegant wines if vinified in white, and notes of hazelnut, coffee and ginger if vinified with maceration.
The Tasting
All the wines tasted followed a very similar production process, except for the Glera 18/10.
The grapes are destemmed and then macerated on the skins for ten days in medium-sized wooden vats and punching down is performed several times a day. The fermentation takes place thanks to ambient yeasts and after racking (the process through the wine is separated from the skins) the wine spends 12 months on the lees in wooden vats. The wine is then blended and matures for other 12 months in barrels. The wine without any clarifications or filtrations is bottled and is released after 4-6 months.
Vitovska – Venezie Giulia I.G.T. – 2021
100% Vitovksa
The vines are trained as single Guyot or as a bush vine (Alberello). The yield is of about 35 – 40 q/ha. Harvest took place in the last ten days of September.
- Look: slightly hazy, medium gold.
- Smell: medium aroma intensity of jasmine, chamomile, linden, apricot, peach, apple, quince, thyme, hay and eucalytus.
- Taste: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, medium flavour intensity and medium (+) finsh. Pleseant astringency.
- Pairing: roast veal with apples.
Malvasia – Venezia Giulia I.G.T. – 2021
100% Malvasia Istriana
The vines are trained as single Guyot or as a bush vine (Alberello). The yield is of about 35 – 40 q/ha. Harvest took place in the last ten days of September.
- Look: slightly hazy, medium gold with amber reflections on the rim of the glass.
- Smell: medium (+) aroma intensity of jasmine, chamomile, gooseberry, apricot, peach, apple, honey, sage, rosemary and mint.
- Taste: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, medium (+) flavour intensity and medium (+) finish. Pleasant astringency.
- Pairing: casarecce with swordfish and aubergines.
Ograde – Venezia Giulia I.G.T. – 2021
Vitovska, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio
Ograde is the name of a small plot of agricultural land, which is often fenced with dry stone walls to prevent access to aniamls, but it is also the name of a toponym of the plot in which the Skerk winery is located and where Vitovska, Malvasia and Glera are grown. The vines are trained as single and double Guyot. The yield is of about 30 – 40 q/ ha. Harvest took place in the second decade of September.
- Look: slightly hazy, deep amber.
- Smell: pronounced aroma intensity of jasmine, chamomile, linden, gooseberry, apricot, peach, apple, quince, honey, rosemary, sage, green tea and mint.
- Taste: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) body, pronounced flavour intensity and a long finish. Pleasant astringency and tanginess.
- Pairing: gnocchi with aromatic herbs and black truffle.
Terrano – Venezia Giulia I.G.T. – 2021
100% Refosco dal peduncolo verde
The vines are trained as single Guyot or as a bush vine (Alberello). The yield is of about 35 – 40 q/ha. Harvest took place in the last ten days of September and in the first ten days of October.
- Look: clear, medium ruby.
- Smell: medium (+) aroma intensity of rose, violet, cherry, redcurrant, raspberry, bramble, liquorice and black pepper.
- Taste: dry, medium (+) acidity, low alcohol, soft medium tannin, medium body, medium (+) flavour intensity and medium finish.
- Pairing: jota, Trieste soup.
Terrano – Venezia Giulia I.G.T. – 2018
100% Refosco dal peduncolo verde
This was an exceptional vintage that allowed fully matured grapes to be had and the wine is the selection of the best fruit from the oldest vines. The vines are trained as single or double Guyot with a very low yield. Harvest took place in the last ten days of September and in the first ten days of October. The wine spent one year in the bottle before being released.
- Look: clear, medium garnet.
- Smell: pronounced aroma intensity of rose, violet, cherry, redcurrant, raspberry, bramble, liquorice, black pepper, anisette, cinnamon, tobacco and coffee.
- Taste: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium smooth tannin, medium body, pronounced flavour intensity and long finish.
- Pairing: Karst style beef filet.
Glera 18/10 – Ancestral Method – 2018
100% Glera
The vineyard where the grapes for this wine are sourced is near the village of Prosecco, on terraces sustained by dry stone walls, near the castle of Miramare and overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. The vines are trained as bush vines (Alberello) on sandstone and flysch soil. The yield is of about 25 q/ha. Harvest took place in the third ten days of September and in the first ten days of October.
The name of this wine is a tribute to the tradition. In the past, the appellation Prosecco in Karst, required that in order to call the wine Prosecco, harvest had to take place after the San Luca celebration (18th October). However, because of climate change, unfortunately this custom can no longer be respected, but the producer wanted to keep it alive; in fact, the harvest of Glera takes place around mid-October.
After being destemmed, the grapes are macerated on the skins for 2 weeks in medium-sized wooden vats, with several punching downs performed daily. Fermentation takes place thanks to ambient yeasts and after racking the wine spends 12 months on the lees in wooden vats. The effervescence is made through the ancestral method; part of the must of the new vintage is added directly into the cask, just before bottling, to create the second fermentation. The wine then matures for 36 months on the lees until disgorgement. The bottles are then filled up with the same wine, without any dosage.
- Look: slightly hazy, medium amber.
- Smell: pronounced aroma intensity of chamomille, linden, lime, grapefruit, peach, quince, honey, sage, rosemary, bread almond, hazelnut.
- Taste: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, pronounced flavour intensity and long finish. Creamy foam and delicate tanginess.
- Pairing: Ombolo and Tabor cheese.
For more information on the wines tasted, here is the producer’s website: Azienda Agricola Skerk