Viticulture
Bringing together land, grapes and people
Our viticulture secrets
Terroir, grapes and people
The key element of every vineyard is the terroir-grapes-people trifecta, giving each wine its distinct flavour and character.
Terroir
The terroir, which is in essence the unique combination of location, climate and soil, influences the taste and personality of the wine.-
The vine
The core of winemaking, the vine is what it’s all about. -
People
Delivering knowledge, experience and passion to cultivate the finest grapes in top-tier vineyards.
Climate
Climate of the
vineyards
The continental climate, in which the sloping vineyards covering the rolling hills grow, receives the most sunshine in summer and autumn. The summers are thus hot and dry and the winters cold. Ample rainfall is typical in spring and autumn.
Continental climate
up to 1,200 mm of annual precipitation
200 m – 400 m above sea level
2000 hours of sunshine per year
Soil
Vineyard soils
In terms of geology, the vineyard sites are made up of limestone, marl, sandstone and clay. The mineral rich soil provides effective drainage and retains warmth. This in turn significantly influences the development of the vine’s roots and its above-ground parts, whilst also playing a crucial role in terms of the yield’s quantity and quality. Last but not least, the aroma of the wine is also greatly shaped by the soil.
Sites
Vineyards
Wine-growing district
Dolenjska
200 ha
Vinogradov naših kooperantov
Proprietary vineyard
Sremič
8 ha
lastnih vinogradov
Wine-growing district
Bizeljsko-Sremič
5 ha
Vinogradov naših kooperantov
Winegrowing district
Separated by the Sava River, the winery is nestled at the intersection of two wine-growing districts: the hilly Dolenjska wine-growing district stretching across the eastern part of Dolenjska region on the left bank, and the Bizeljsko-Sremič wine-growing district flanking it from the right.
Winegrowing district
Dolenjska
Winegrowing district
Bizeljsko-Sremič
Winegrowing district
Dolenjska
Winegrowing district
Bizeljsko-Sremič
The vine
The heart of the vineyard
The very heart of viticulture is the grapevine, and all operations are centred around it. We take pride in the range of varieties cultivated in the vineyards operated by us or our cooperators, running the gamut from whites such as Kraljevina, Welschriesling, Grüner Silvaner, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay to reds such as Žametna Črnina and Blaufränkisch. Each with its own distinct character, every variety produces a wine that is a reflection of its aroma and flavour profile.
People
Our wine story would not exist without the dedicated winegrowing families.
At the heart of our winery are people who also imbue it a soul. An integral part of our story ar the cooperators whose vineyards grow the grapes for the bulk of our wines. The quality of the harvest is being ensured by nearly 200 winegrowing families on a total of 200 hectares. Together, we are crafting the compelling story of Klet Krško, upholding the tradition of viticulture of Dolenjska and Posavje.
People
Wine growers of Klet Krško
Year round, our proprietary vineyard estate is diligently looked after by our winegrowers. Together with our oenologist, the ultimate aim is to produce the highest quality grapes for our premium wine lines.
Working in the vineyard
Each winter, after the vines have finished their vegetation, we start pruning. Pruning determines the vine training system and is used to manage the growth/yield ratio. The right training system and professional pruning are key to suitable yielding capacity. The single Guyot training system is used in our vineyards and those of our cooperating winegrowers, which means that the pruning leaves 6-8 buds on the cane and 2-3 buds on the spur.
Every vineyard has a certain lifespan, which is why we make sure to regularly renew our vineyards. The average planting density is between 4,000 and 5,000 vines per hectare, which gives the vines enough space and light to grow and develop. Planting takes place either in the spring months, when there is no longer a risk of frost, or in autumn.
In May or the first days of June, and certainly before the grapes flower, the grapes are pruned, leaving only those parts that are viable, while removing the rest. This ensures that the leaf wall area has more air, reduces the chance of diseases, and gives the other young vines greater access to nutrients.
The flowering stage starts when the first petals, which have grown together to form a flower cap, separate from the flower base. Around here, this is typically in the second half of May or early June. After flowering, when the berries are roughly pea-sized, the leaves in the grape zone are pruned to increase air circulation in the leaf wall and reduce the incidence of disease.
Spanning approximately a month, the harvest is the most important part of the year for us, typically commencing in the last days of August and lasting until the beginning of October. Harvest time depends on the variety, weather conditions and the grapes’ ripeness, which we track through chemical analyses in our in-house lab. In this way we are able to establish the ideal grape ripeness and time the harvest perfectly for each grape variety.
