Old indigenous grape variety revived at Brda

Brda, the land of invigorating moments in the west of Slovenia, is known for its romantic hills, wine and the love of grapes. The “EDEN” Destination of Excellence is proud of its autochthonous wine variety rebula, a light white wine. The winery of Erzetič has set a new milestone, putting a red variety of rebula on the market, known as pokalca. The wine is made from an old grape variety from Brda, which almost completely disappeared from the area in the last century.

Brda is a first-class gastronomic Slovenian region and a winner of the European Destination of Excellence 2015 award. Visitors can enjoy the breath-taking views of endless green vineyards, which are at their best in the late summer when they are full of sweet grapes. The most widespread wine variety is the native rebula, giving a light white wine with an inviting golden amber colour.

Winemakers are also aware of Rebula Nero or Pokalca, an old red variety which was widely grown during the Middle Ages but almost completely disappeared from Brda in the last century. Aleksij Erzetič from Erzetič winery, known for its line Amphora, has brought Rebula Nero back onto the market: “Since I was a child, I have dreamed about Pokalca. We really want to focus on old, abandoned varieties.”

The name Pokalca originates from a wordplay; “pok” means a small pop in Slovenian and you can hear this sound when you crush a grape in your mouth and taste the sweet juice from it.

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