JNK winery – Kristina Mervič

The winery Mervič - JNK is a small family-run business, which by choice produces exclusively macerated wines, or, if you prefer, orange wines.

All this favors excellent results in the extraction of wines, in aromas and acids, while thanks to the composition of the soil the wines are also rich in minerals.

We cultivate 3.5 hectares of vineyards that grow on land consisting of an alternation of layers of marl and noble clays, at an altitude ranging from 100 to 350 meters above sea level. Their position, with slopes of 30–45%, covered by terraces, is oriented towards south-southeast and enjoys a particular microclimate: in this area cold winds from the north and mild currents coming from the nearby Adriatic mix.

We mainly produce white varieties including ribolla, chardonnay, jakot (this is the name we gave to the old tocai, which today in Italy is called friulano), pinot bianco, malvasia, sauvignon and the Sveti Mihael, a blend of sauvignon, pinot bianco, ribolla and malvasia.

This year, for the first time, we will also be breeding vitovska, an indigenous variety of our area.

Our reds are cabernet sauvignon and merlot, as well as a blend of these two varieties.

Through an organization, authorized in Slovenia, we are part of the system of integrated cultivation and production of grapes and wines which involves a low production per plant, of about 1.5–2 kg for the white varieties and 2 kg for the red varieties.

When harvested, the grapes are carefully selected. The grains separate delicately and undergo maceration on the skins which lasts 3–5 days for the white varieties, 1–14 days for the rebula varieties, and 4–60 days for red varieties.

The wines mature on their own sediment—as long as the raw material is healthy—in oak barrels for 1–2 years. With this process we obtain wines that are ideal for aging, ready for sale after a minimum of 3–5 years. The wine then rests in the bottle for at least one year.

Our philosophy is founded on the belief that only top quality grapes can produce superior wines. Our pride is to deliver to our customers a wine produced with the utmost care and love, without haste, in full respect of Nature and its times.