Vina Cotar

Čotar (pronounced "Chotar") is a winery located just 5 minutes from the border with Italy. In fact, this part of Slovenia is an extension of the Carso region, known as Kars. The winery was founded over 25 years ago. At that time, the Čotar family's two restaurants were the best in the region. The family dreamed of their own winery and, having given up the restaurant business, began their wine journey. On 7 hectares of land, they grow varieties that have been cultivated here for centuries - mainly Teran (locally known as Refosco) and Malvazija (Malvasia Istriana). The soils in this region are very specific - a very thin surface layer of Terra Rosa (limestone with a high iron content), under which there is an almost solid layer of limestone. Cultivating vineyards in this region is very labor-intensive, since a lot of effort is needed to break up the dense subsoil layer of limestone. Čotar uses the Guyot method of vine training, with a planting density of about 7,300 vines per hectare. No herbicides or pesticides are used in the vineyards. As a result, approximately one bottle of wine is produced from one vine. The sulfur dioxide content in all Čotar wines is extremely low (12-20 mg/l). The wines are not filtered and are aged only in large oak barrels.