Pošip Smokvica 2019
Dalmatia, Croatia
Type: Orange
Vintage: 2019
Sulfites: 10 mg/L
Alcohol: 13.5%
Varietal: Pošip
Production: Organic
During fermentation, the wine was macerated for three days, then matured on the lees in stainless steel for one year before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Toasted almond flavors along with a rich herbal flavor, and a light finish.
Pairing Suggestions: White Fish, Pasta, Octopus
Producer Profile
Situated on the southern Croatian island of Korčula, Negotians Vinarius is a collaboration between the Marinovic family, local organic farmers led by a father in his 60’s, and Marko Kovac, the founder of Austria-based Karakterre wine salon. The story is one of inspiration by historic Korčula winemaking, as well as of building the island’s agricultural future through natural terroir-driven winemaking. “Marinovic family has two vineyards – just over a hectare in total – of local Pošip and Plavac varieties. They are organic farmers out of conviction on an island that’s still finding its way to organic agriculture. They used to make wines in their garage for themselves, and then sold some at the door to those that passed by – never really actively or outside the island itself,” says Kovac. Kovac engaged with the project in 2019. He altered the initial winemaking process by picking earlier (end August-early September), eliminating any additions at fermentation or during the vinification process, as well as lowering overall sulphur. “The family saw a return to tradition in what I suggested. We agreed quickly.” The vineyards are located in a sun-soaked valley of Smokvica. This is a well-known Croatian vineyard site rich with underground water thanks to its history as a lake in Jurassic times. The soil here is one of terra rossa mixed with sandstone on a base of dolomite limestone. The visual and the feeling is one of deep a Mediterranean, warm climate. The island capital is a UNESCO World Heritage site. At Negotians Vinarius, following short skin contact, grapes are hand-pressed in an old, restored mechanical press. The juice is then vinified, racked and kept in stainless steel for somewhat less than a year. The goal is to use historic wine knowledge in making natural wines that honestly express the local varieties. The labels are paintings kindly provided by Kovac’s friend, Matt McClune, an American artist and coffee roaster based in Saint Romain, Burgundy. “I’ve asked Matt for permission, as the labels reminded me of what was in the bottle.” Winegrowing on Korčula predates Christ. In fact, it was one of the key islands of today’s Croatia to supply the Roman court with grapes and wines at the height of the Empire’s rule. The traders of wine between the islands and Rome were called Negotians Vinarius.
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About Natural Wine
Great question! There are a lot of definitions for natural wine with the main term you'll hear being that it has had minimal intervention. To be more specific, our definition is that the wine must first be sustainably farmed, which typically means it was organically or biodynamically farmed.
Then, in the cellar the natural winemaking process has some differences as well! The wine is typically unfined, unfiltered, and goes through spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. If you want to know more about what natural wine is, we have an entire guide under our reference section!
The short answer is that natural wine can taste like any other kind of conventional wine (we like to call these stealth natural wines) or it can taste quite a bit different, as production methods can vary and potentially be lighter, or in a style you've never had before (like orange, pet-nat or amphora).
The natural wine community is also more accepting of some qualities in wines that conventional would consider a flaw, like Brett, some oxidation, or volatile acidity. We would consider these in high amounts to also be a flaw, but in many cases a touch of these qualities can ultimately improve their flavor and texture and be happily accepted in a natural wine.
To find out more about what natural wine tastes like, check out our full blog and podcast on the topic here.
The short answer is, no! But many are. Glou-glou describes winesthat are easily chuggable, impossible to put the glass down, and seductively delicious! They tend to be young and fresh, designed to be drunk early with an average ABV of around 10%. Check out different styles or glou glou natural wine here on our site.