Wine from the Cosmic Forces of Pohorje
Božidar Zorjan, alongside his wife Marija, operates a biodynamic winery in the Pohorje region of Slovenia, near Tinjska Gora. [^205^] Their estate spans approximately 7 hectares — 4 hectares of vineyard, 2 hectares of forest, and 1 hectare of grassland and orchard — situated on volcanic soils at the edge of the Pohorje primeval forest. [^204^] Božidar transitioned from a career in law enforcement to winemaking in the 1980s, initially producing wine in amphorae. By 1995, he fully embraced natural winemaking, focusing on biodynamic principles and integrating livestock into their farm to enhance biodiversity and soil health. [^205^] Their cellar, dating back over 400 years and once part of a Carthusian monastery, is used for ageing wines in amphorae and oak barrels. [^205^] Božidar has been quietly making orange wines in amphora since 1995 — well before Gravner and Radikon embarked on their more famous journeys down this route. [^204^]
From Law Enforcement to Amphora Pioneer — A Spiritual Inheritance
Božidar Zorjan's path to becoming one of Europe's most singular natural winemakers was not a conventional one. He began his career in law enforcement before inheriting the 7-hectare farm from his parents in 1980. [^203^] [^205^] In the beginning, he and Marija continued traditional farming, but it did not content them fully. In order to make progress, they decided to start organic production. In 1995, they decided to grow grapes in amphoras — and here began their path of living with nature. [^203^]
The farm lies on the southern slopes of Pohorje, where there is a strong bond with Žiče monastery — a Carthusian monastery that is part of European culture and history, intimately fused with the places and people of this region. [^203^] More than a thousand years of Charterhouse history ended in 1782, when Emperor Joseph II closed down one of the leading Carthusian monasteries, which had large estates. Thus, vineyards spread out over the Pohorje region from Slovenske Konjice to Maribor, where they also had stocked cellars for storing wine and residing. [^203^] After the closure of the monastery, the clergy sold its land and buildings. Zorjan's ancestors bought part of the land and a small cellar for wine storage — part of which is still preserved. [^203^]
This rich tradition of viticulture binds Božidar to continue production of natural wines with spirit, body, and soul. [^203^] The cellar, with its impressive arched ceiling, now hosts some of the special biodynamic preparations and brandies made from the grape skins. The farmhouse has been built on top of it, and a new cellar has been built next to it. [^204^] Božidar is not merely making wine; he is continuing a spiritual and agricultural lineage that stretches back centuries — a lineage that was interrupted by politics but never extinguished by the land.
"Cosmic forces turn grapes through the winter into wine and thus give us a unique live wine, where the man with his ego is just a mere observer."
— Božidar Zorjan
Demeter Biodynamic, Igneous Rocks & The Number Seven
The Zorjan farm is certified biodynamic by Demeter, emphasising organic farming, composting, and herbal treatments. [^205^] The estate comprises 4 hectares of vineyards, 2 hectares of forest, and 1 hectare of grassland and orchard — a holistic ecosystem where every element contributes to the whole. [^204^] The land sits on the igneous rocks of Pohorje, a medium-high mountain range in northeast Slovenia. The rocks are covered only by a very thin layer of fertile soil, so much of the region is wooded. On the edges of the forest, on clearings, there is a thicker layer of fertile soil where the vineyards spread out. [^203^] [^204^]
Božidar is obsessed with the number seven — and it appears everywhere on the farm. As you drive into the property, you are greeted by seven geese. [^204^] The vineyard grows seven white varieties: Laški rizling, Renski Rizling (Riesling), Chardonnay, Rumeni Muskat, Muskat Ottonel, Ranina, and Sylvaner — plus two reds. [^204^] There are seven amphorae buried in the grounds around the winery, and there are seven deer in an enclosure in the forest. [^204^] This is not numerology for its own sake; it is a reflection of Božidar's belief in the cosmic order, the rhythms of nature, and the interconnectedness of all things.
The soil is reanimated through biodynamic preparations made from yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, and valerian — buried in separate spots in the three vineyards. [^204^] There are compost heaps at the foot of each parcel. Božidar spends a long time talking about the health of the soil and how composting connects the animal manures, vines, and soil. [^204^] He believes that if you have healthy soil, it will attract fungi and mildew to the ground — diseases only go onto grapes when the soil is unhealthy. [^204^] However, he does also spray with various teas, sulphur, and copper when required.
A flock of Ouessant sheep from Brittany and a gaggle of geese graze freely among the vines. A small herd of deer is corralled in an adjoining forest. [^204^] Božidar uses their meat for food and their bladders for the yarrow preparation. Each animal contributes a unique quality of manure to the soil. [^204^] Božidar often comes to the forest to watch the animals, learn from their behaviour, listen to the land, and learn from nature. He bought his part of the forest to add biodiversity to the farm and make it an integrated, whole, living organism made up of many interdependent elements. [^204^]
Certified biodynamic by Demeter. Organic farming, composting, herbal treatments. Biodynamic preps from yarrow, chamomile, nettle, oak bark, dandelion, valerian. [^205^] [^204^]
Volcanic igneous rocks of Pohorje with thin fertile soil. Tonalite rock retains moisture, unique green marble Čizlakit, white marble (used by Romans), and trace gold. [^203^] [^204^]
Seven amphorae (500-2,500L) buried in pits outside, around the winery. Buried under the open sky, in direct contact with soil and stars. [^204^]
Ouessant sheep from Brittany, geese, seven deer, mini sheep living year-round in vineyards. Each contributes unique manure. Forest adds biodiversity. No plastic nets. [^204^]
No Mobile Phones, No Vintage Dates & Cosmic Amphora Ageing
Božidar Zorjan's winemaking is governed by principles that most modern producers would consider eccentric — or revolutionary. He does not allow mobile phones in the vineyard, winery, cellar, or tasting room, in case they "disturb the energy." [^204^] [^209^] He also advises against customers having their phones out while drinking the wine. The back labels on the bottles carry a "no mobile phone" illustration. [^204^] He believes phones affect human thinking, fertility, and health, and will "kill" a living wine. [^204^]
Božidar also does not put vintage dates on his labels — deliberately. [^209^] He doesn't want anyone to be distracted by the year, or to form preconceived ideas about the wine on that basis. [^209^] When Simon J. Woolf first tasted the wines, he couldn't find any clue as to the vintage. It transpired this was deliberate. It turns out to be quite a smart move, because when Woolf discovered that one wine was from 2008 and others from 2014 and 2015, he was shocked in an entirely positive way — all of the wines seemed to be in the first flushes of youth. [^209^]
In the cellar, Božidar's approach is: "We do what we absolutely need to, everything else is clutter." [^204^] Whole bunches are put in the amphora. Native yeasts are used for fermentation. Punchdowns are too brutal for delicate grapes, so there is only gentle stirring — "as if you were making soup." [^204^] The wine stays on skins for six months before racking to a smaller amphora. It completes malolactic fermentation naturally. The wine stays in the second amphora for another six months — basically until the next harvest, so the amphora is never empty for long and never needs to be cleaned. [^204^]
After a year in amphora, the wine is pumped into the cellar for ageing in an old 1,200L Slovenian oak barrel. [^204^] It ages for a minimum of three years in barrel because that's how long the yeasts need to complete their journey from life to spirit to decay (a year for each). [^204^] The wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with no added sulphites. It ages in a screw-capped bottle for another year (at least) before release. [^204^] The result is wines of extraordinary longevity and vitality — wines that seem to exist outside of time, immune to the conventions that dictate when a wine should be drunk and when it should be forgotten.
Dolium Muskat Ottonel — "The Best Orange Wine in the World"
The Dolium Muskat Ottonel is Božidar Zorjan's most celebrated wine — an orange wine that has been proclaimed one of the two best orange wines in the world, alongside Austrian family Heinrich's Graue Freyheit. [^204^]
Made from Muskat Ottonel grown on the Muskat Ottonel vineyard planted in 1993 — surrounded by trees, at a density of 4,200 vines per hectare, with a yield of merely 0.5kg per plant (about 1,000 bottles a year) — the grapes are hand-harvested and placed whole in amphorae. [^204^] Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts over the winter, as cosmic forces turn the grapes into wine. After six months on skins, the wine is racked to a smaller amphora for another six months, then aged in an old 1,200L Slovenian oak barrel for a minimum of three years. [^204^]
In the glass, it is golden and slightly hazy orange. The nose speaks of subtle honey and dried orange peel. The palate immediately strikes with a bone-dry, elegant texture and an amazingly long finish — often described as "a deep embrace." [^213^] [^204^] For a wine that has had six months' skin contact, a year of ageing in amphora, and several more in oak, it has a light, elegant texture that defies expectation. It is the best orange wine many have tasted — and the only wine they have craved long after the last sip. [^204^] ~€55–€65 / ~$60–$70.
The Božidar Zorjan Range
Božidar Zorjan produces a focused range of biodynamic natural wines from 4 hectares of vineyards in Tinjska Gora, Pohorje. All wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in amphorae buried under the open sky, then in old Slovenian oak barrels, and bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no added sulphites. The portfolio is built around seven white varieties and two reds, with a strong emphasis on extended skin-contact maceration. No vintage dates appear on labels. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.