Klinec

Klinec is a biodynamic winery in Medana, a village situated in the hills of Goriška Brda in Slovenia, less than a mile away from the Italian border. The winery was founded in 1918 and today, the fourth generation winemaker, Aleks Klinec runs the farm and the family-run inn and restaurant together with his wife Simona and their children.

Along the 6 hectares of vineyards, the family has livestock, including geese, chickens, pigs and donkeys. There is also a horse that Aleks uses to work in the vineyards. This concept encourages a holistic way of farming, rather than the use of chemicals. The vines are sprayed only using natural preparations. Vineyards are fertilized with manure that comes from the farm.

All vineyards are grassed and covered with bushes and trees to live as an ecosystem that is worked in accordance with the biodynamic calendar. It is this environmental approach that creates a closed circle that allows for a very sustainable way of life at Klinec. This is reflected in interesting wines, full of life and character, expressing the complete natural environment of Brda, with Aleks’ tweak, adding charm to the wines.

​​However, it hasn’t always been like this. Klinec enjoyed success in its early years after World War I, but after World War II, Slovenia, with the rest of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, became a part of the Communist Federation of Yugoslavia. During these times private ownership became public, and the quality was replaced by quantity, seeking for the highest yields possible. Klinec was really reborn in 1991 when Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia.

However, the historical reputation of Goriška Brda as a great region for winegrowing was never forgotten. The region was under the sea millions of years ago, leaving behind many marine fossils, and thick layers of marl and sandstone. On the surface, this rock disintegrates quickly and turns into fertile, mineral-rich soil, while under the surface the layers alternate and thus the ground has low permeability and is good at retaining moisture.

Because of such favorable conditions, Medana has been a long-established area, dating its first mentions to the times of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1787, it was designated as one of the best terroirs of the empire. Their classification ranked vineyard areas from “I. to X”. And Medana was designated as “I.”, which is equivalent to Grand Cru status in Burgundy. This old classification document decorates the background of Klinec’s labels.

Klinec built on what his father started, introducing many biodynamic principles in his work. The biggest change though happened in 2005, when he decided to focus on skin-macerated wines made from local white grapes. This decision led to loss of many old customers, but Aleks never looked back.

Local grapes like Rebula, Malvazija, Verduc and Friualano (Tokaj or Jakot), as well as Pinot Grigio are used for the production of these amber wines, while Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Caberbet Sauvignon produce the reds. Wines spend three years in oak, acacia, mulberry, and cherry wood barrels. They are then racked into stainless steel tanks and then bottled unfined and unfiltered, adding only a small dose of sulfur.