Label Grand Karakterre Ljubljana 2014

Event dedicated to Winemakers who work by the »Nature friendly« principles

by stasa cafuta trcek (text & photo)

Where: Ljubljana Castle, Slovenia

When: 12. December, 2014

What: Label Grand Karakterre

Ljubljana was a host to Label Grand Karakterre for the second time already. It was na.othing new for organisers Marko Kovač and Primož Štajer that the Winelovers like to attend the event dedicated to Winemakers who work by the »Nature friendly« principles. This year they decided to continue the story on the same location – magic Ljubljana Castle, and make the event bigger.

Starting with the Label Grand Conference (new this year) where the winemakers and guest speakers tried to present the »Terroir Wines«, and to be honest we were trully interested in participation. However, in the end we were a bit disappointed as it sounded kind of anarchistic and without the tail and the head. Organisers announced elite guest speakers from Austria, France and USA. We believe the conversation will be more structured and focused next year.

The festival, which opened the door for visitors at the noon time, hosted over 70 Winemakers from Argentina, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and Slovenia. Beside, it offered the tasting of Sakes from Japan.

»Wines offered for the tasting were made from grapes from ecologic or biodynamic Vineyards, and later vinificated in the cellar by the traditional method with own yeasts and without the use of mechanical oenologic process,« told Štajer. And what were the wines like? It were over 250 samples. Some of them were precise and beautiful representatives of specific varieties, but also we found many problematic and unstable samples. The day after Label Grand Karakterre moved to Zagreb, Croatia.

My TOP

• • Atimo Malvazija 2012, dry, 13%, Filip Koletnik (produced & bottled by Valter Sirk, Goriška Brda Wine District, Primorska Wine Region, Slovenia.

  • Vinon(e) 2011, dry, 17.5%,Tavčar Emil & Ken, Kras Wine District, Primorska Wine Region, Slovenia.

  • Malvazija 2010, dry, 13.5%, Tavčar Emil & Ken, Kras Wine District, Primorska Wine Region, Slovenia.

  • Chardonnay 2009, dry, 13%, Terpin, Delle Venezie, Italy