Derenda

Family

Beti and Dare Derenda are relatively newcomers to Kras. Forever smitten by Kras, in 1996 they bought an old hose and a plot of land in Hrusevica. The work on rebuilding the house and planting the vineyard were going on at the same time. With every stone set into the right place, with every vine planted into the soil their connection to Kras deepened. The home was built, the vines grew stronger. In 1999 the first vintage was ripe for picking. With a lot of help from their winegrowing friends they overcame many a barrier and soon they were able to present their first vintage – pure Teran. Today, they are already transferring their experience and knowledge to their daughter Nina and the son Andrej. Both like to join Dare and Beti in vineyard work, in the wine cellar, and at wine presentation events.

Vineyard

The Derendas are strong advocates of natural way of growing grapes. Therefore, their vineyards are grass covered, the “rozge” are bent according to the system of single guyot, the distance vines is one meter, and between rows is two meters ten centimeters. The yield of a single vine is enough for just one bottle of wine.

Cellar

The cellar and production areas permit a respectful and careful treatment of grapes, cider and wine. An old pneumatic press squeezes the grapes gently, from here the juice flows into stainless steel tank, where it ferments, and is transferred to wooden barrels, where the wine matures for two years. After the bottling steps, the wine is given six month to rest – before its is ready for sale. For our prime wine – the house label Noema – these times are longer. Noema is a harmonious blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and Teran. During the maturing process the wines reach a rounded blending of fruitiness and the softening of tannins – while retaining the freshness. This results in fullness, reached at a relatively low alcohol content levels – thus very suited to accompany every meal – especially the servings containing meat and tomatoes.