Wine from the Red Earth of the Karst
Vina Čotar is a father-and-son natural wine estate in the village of Gorjansko, in the Kras (Karst) region of southwestern Slovenia — just five kilometres from the Adriatic Sea and a short drive from Trieste. [^290^] [^294^] The Čotar family — Branko, his son Vasja, and daughter-in-law Andreja — tend 7 to 8 hectares of certified organic vineyards across seven sites: Pečina, Olarija, Dražna, Dušče, Polje, Kot, and Ivanji Grad. [^290^] [^292^] Branko began making wine in 1974 to supply his family restaurant, and the estate bottled its first vintage (1988) in 1990, evolving from a hobby into a full-scale organic winery that now exports to 35 countries with 90% of production going overseas. [^290^] [^294^] Their wines are recognised by distinctive fingerprint labels — Branko's for reds, Vasja's for whites — symbolising their personal commitment to quality and authenticity. [^290^] [^304^]
From Family Restaurant to Natural Wine Icons
Branko Čotar's wine journey began in a restaurant — not as a sommelier, but as an owner. In 1974, he was running two local trattoria restaurants that were considered the best in the region, and he began making a little wine for home consumption and to serve to guests. [^290^] [^294^] This was not unusual in the village; making wine for the table was a tradition. But Branko fell in love with viticulture and winemaking in a way that transcended hobby. He became so good at it that he gave up the restaurant business and devoted himself full-time to grape growing and winemaking, with his son Vasja quickly joining him. [^290^]
The first vintage was bottled in 1990 (from grapes harvested in 1988), and the estate evolved from a hobby farm into a full-scale organic winery. [^290^] [^294^] The winemaking journey coincided with the formation of the Triple A group in Italy and a connection with Nicolas Joly through the Renaissance des Appellations group. Together, they went out into the world in 2002 at the first Verona Triple A fair, where they met their first three importers and began exporting to Germany, Italy, and the USA. [^290^] [^294^] Today, Čotar exports to 35 countries, with 90% of production going overseas — a remarkable trajectory for a family that never set out to build an export business, but simply to make wines they loved to drink. [^290^] [^294^]
The Čotar philosophy is rooted in simplicity, patience, and intuition. As Andreja explains, "The wines have never been made with a certain market or audience in mind, nor were they made with any sort of commercial strategy or business plan. Rather, there was one simple goal: to make wines they love to drink." [^294^] That goal remains unchanged. The family still runs the restaurants on weekends and special occasions, offering guests a chance to experience their hospitality alongside their wines. [^290^] The wines are not high in alcohol — around 12% ABV — but they have good acidity, which means they can age for 20+ years with no problem. [^294^]
"We don't make wine for others."
— Andreja Čotar
Certified Organic, Terra Rossa & 30cm of Soil on Limestone
The Čotar estate is certified organic, with cultivation carried out entirely by hand. [^290^] [^300^] No herbicides or pesticides are used, and yields are kept very low — marketed as one bottle per vine, with vines planted at 7,300 plants per hectare. [^290^] The family farms 7.5 hectares across seven vineyard sites — Pečina, Olarija, Dražna, Dušče, Polje, Kot, and Ivanji Grad — each with its own microclimate and character. [^290^] [^292^] The vineyards sit on terra rossa soils — iron-rich red limestone topsoil overlaying limestone bedrock, with an average of just 30 centimetres of soil on top of the rock. [^290^] [^300^] This thin layer of fertile earth makes vineyard establishment difficult and expensive, but it also forces the vines to struggle, producing grapes of extraordinary concentration and mineral intensity.
The Karst plateau is a landscape of extremes — bright white limestone formations, fierce winter Bora winds, and the moderating influence of the Adriatic Sea just 5 kilometres away. [^290^] [^294^] The terra rossa soil has a high content of aluminium oxide, with its characteristic red colour coming from iron oxides (hematite). [^290^] These soils provide excellent drainage and high nutrients for viticulture, while the Burja (Bora) wind — a harsh northeasterly — challenges wine growing but reduces fungal disease pressure. [^290^] The region experiences Mediterranean, alpine, and continental climate influences, creating a complex environment that shapes the wines in profound ways.
The Čotars cultivate indigenous varieties that belong to this place: Vitovska, Malvasia Istriana, and Teran (the local Refosco biotype), alongside Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. [^290^] [^300^] Teran is a protected designation under Slovenian and EU law, reserved exclusively for wine made from this local Refosco biotype grown in the Kras region. [^290^] It is a very dark, highly acidic red wine made from grapes planted in the region's red iron-rich soil. Vitovska — a cross between Prosecco Tondo and Malvasia Bianca Lunga — is the signature white of the Karst, known for its thick skins, crisp acidity, and distinctive salinity. [^290^]
Certified organic viticulture. No herbicides, no pesticides. All work by hand. Very low yields — one bottle per vine. 7,300 plants per hectare. [^290^] [^300^]
Iron-rich red limestone topsoil over limestone bedrock. Average 30cm of soil. High aluminium oxide, iron oxides (hematite). Excellent drainage, high nutrients. [^290^] [^300^]
5km from the Adriatic. Mediterranean, alpine, and continental influences. Fierce Bora wind reduces disease. Cooling sea breezes moderate temperatures. [^290^] [^294^]
Vitovska, Malvasia Istriana, Teran (protected PDO). Plus Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes that have adapted to the Karst over centuries. [^290^] [^300^]
Wild Fermentation, Long Barrel Ageing & Minimal Sulfur
In the cellar, the Čotars follow a philosophy of minimal intervention that has remained consistent for decades. Fermentation takes place underground in barrels from 200 to 2,000 litres, spontaneously without the introduction of selected yeast. [^290^] [^304^] Until its first decanting, the wine rests on the lees without any added sulfur. [^304^] Both white and red wines are made with skin maceration in the very traditional way — whites get 4-10 days, reds 10-20 days. [^290^] No enzymes are used during maceration, and only indigenous yeasts are used in fermentation. [^290^]
The wines mature in wine-soaked oak barrels of various sizes: whites a minimum of two years, reds between four and five. [^290^] [^304^] This extended maturation builds complexity and stability naturally, without the need for additives or manipulation. The wine descends deeper into the cellar, which is dug into the natural rock, offering natural climate control. [^290^] The Čotars do not filter their wines and do not consider sediment a wine fault — the fine lees and natural deposits are seen as part of the wine's living character. [^290^] [^304^]
Sulfur is used minimally — only a tiny amount is added to some wines right before bottling, about 10 mg per litre for both whites and reds. [^290^] This represents one of the lowest sulfur levels in commercial winemaking. The decision to reduce sulfur came from a personal place: Vasja is allergic to sulfites and gets awful headaches, so the family decided to make wines differently. [^294^] They realised the wines also tasted better — they liked them a lot more. "It was always about quality, not quantity," Andreja notes. [^294^]
The fingerprint labels on every bottle — designed by Marijan Močivnik — are perhaps the most visible expression of the Čotar philosophy. [^304^] Branko's fingerprint appears on the reds, Vasja's on the whites, symbolising authenticity and a personal promise of quality. [^290^] [^304^] "With this symbolic signature we want to show our conviction for our product, expressing in this way also their mutual originality and diversity," Vasja explains. [^305^] It is a gesture of accountability: every bottle carries the literal imprint of the person who made it.
Vitovska — "The Best Available Among Kras Wines"
The Vitovska is Branko & Vasja Čotar's most celebrated wine — a skin-contact white that has been proclaimed the best available among Kras wines by critics, and that represents extraordinary value for its quality and price. [^290^] [^306^]
Made from 100% Vitovska Grganja — a cross between Prosecco Tondo and Malvasia Bianca Lunga — grown on the terra rossa soils of Gorjansko, the grapes are hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in underground barrels ranging from 200 to 2,000 litres. The wine undergoes 4-10 days of skin maceration, then ages for a minimum of two years on lees in wine-soaked oak barrels, developing a complexity and depth that only time can provide. [^290^] [^304^]
In the glass, it is golden-orange and slightly hazy, with intense structure and energising minerality. The nose offers wild herbs, citrus peel, and a distinct saline freshness from the proximity to the Adriatic. The palate is textured and tannic from the skin contact, yet crisp and vibrant — the thick skins of Vitovska providing both structure and a savoury depth that is unmistakably Karst. It is a wine that speaks of the red earth, the white limestone, the Bora wind, and the sea — a pure expression of a place that has been making wine since before recorded history. Critics consistently rate it as the benchmark for the variety, and it remains one of the great values in natural wine. ~€30–€40 / ~$33–$44.
The Branko & Vasja Čotar Range
Branko & Vasja Čotar produce approximately 25,000-30,000 bottles annually from 7-8 hectares of certified organic vineyards in Gorjansko, Kras. All wines are spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, macerated on skins, aged for extended periods in wine-soaked oak barrels (whites 2+ years, reds 4-5 years), and bottled with minimal sulfur (~10 mg/L) and no filtration. The portfolio spans white, red, sparkling, and special cuvées, each bearing the family's fingerprint label. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.