Wine from Both Sides of the Border
Nando is a natural winery founded by Andrej Kristančič in Plešivo, Brda, in the Primorska region of Slovenia — right on the border with Italy's Friuli-Collio. [^156^] [^163^] The farm was started by Andrej's grandfather, Nando, and Andrej has been in charge of the winery for more than 25 years, expanding on his personal style while continuing the family tradition. [^164^] He studied winemaking in high school, allowing him to blend technical knowledge with a true farmer's humility and dedication to tradition, marked with his own personal expression of winemaking. [^156^] Of the 5.5 hectares, 60% are located in Italian Collio and 40% in Slovenian Brda — a vineyard that literally straddles one of Europe's most significant wine borders. [^156^] [^162^]
A Grandfather's Legacy — A Grandson's Vision
The story of Nando begins with a name — the name of Andrej Kristančič's grandfather, who founded the farm and planted the first vines that would become the foundation of everything that followed. [^164^] Andrej grew up in the shadow of these vines, in the hills of Plešivo, where the border between Slovenia and Italy is not a barrier but a bridge — a line on a map that the vineyards ignore completely. He studied winemaking in high school, formalising the knowledge he had absorbed from his grandfather and the land, and then took over the winery more than 25 years ago. [^156^]
Andrej's approach is defined by a low-interventionist style combined with a true farmer's knowledge, humility, and dedication to tradition marked with his own personal expression of winemaking. [^156^] He is not trying to replicate his grandfather's wines; he is trying to honour them by making them his own. The farm is located in the far west of Slovenia, in the Brda region, bordering with the Friuli-Collio region of Italy. [^173^] This is a place where the Mediterranean microclimate meets the influence of the Adriatic Sea and the Julian Alps — warm sea air from the south, cooler temperatures from the north, creating a unique climate that is exceptionally well suited for white wines. [^156^]
The vineyards are terraced at an altitude of 100 to 200 metres, planted in the poor soil of marl — or "ponka," as it is known in the local Slovenian dialect. [^156^] The vines range from 9 to 40 years old, with yields kept low at 4,000 to 6,000 kg per hectare. [^156^] Andrej tends these vines with his own hands, walking the terraces, observing the seasons, and making decisions based on experience rather than algorithms. This is not industrial viticulture; it is a conversation between a farmer and his land.
"Andrej has a low interventionist style, combined with a true farmer's knowledge, humility, and dedication to tradition marked with his own personal expression of winemaking."
— ZRS Wines
Organic Farming, Ponka Soils & Two Countries in One Vineyard
All the farming at Nando is organic, although not certified — a choice that reflects Andrej's belief that the best certification is the health of the vineyard itself. [^160^] The soil is planted with grass, and the harvest is manual, with grapes harvested at full maturity from September to October. [^156^] To protect against disease, copper and sulphur treatments are used sparingly. Chemical agents are not used. [^156^] This is farming as it was practiced for generations before the advent of industrial agriculture — patient, observant, and deeply respectful of the land's own rhythms.
The vineyards are planted with a mix of local (indigenous) and international varieties: Rebula (Ribolla Gialla), Malvasia, Friulano (Tokaj), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. [^156^] [^160^] The focus, however, is on the indigenous grapes that have grown in this borderland for centuries. Rebula — known as Ribolla Gialla in Italy — is the signature white of Brda and Collio, a grape of extraordinary acidity and mineral depth. Malvasia adds aromatic complexity and a distinctive Mediterranean character. Friulano (locally called Tokaj, not to be confused with the Hungarian Tokaji) provides the almond-scented, mineral backbone that defines great wines from this region.
The ponka soils — marl and sandstone, the same geological formation that underlies the great wines of Collio — provide both excellent drainage and a mineral richness that is unmistakable in the glass. [^156^] The terraced vineyards, the low yields, and the manual harvesting all contribute to a level of concentration and quality that is rare in an era of mechanised, high-volume viticulture. Andrej's wines are not mass-produced; they are the product of a single farmer's labour, spread across two countries but unified by a single vision.
All farming is organic. No chemical agents. Copper and sulphur used sparingly. Grass planted between vines. Manual harvest. The certification is the vineyard itself. [^156^] [^160^]
Poor marl and sandstone soils — ponka in local dialect. Excellent drainage, mineral richness, and the distinctive backbone that defines Brda and Collio wines. [^156^]
5.5 hectares: 60% in Italian Collio, 40% in Slovenian Brda. Terraced at 100-200m elevation. A vineyard that straddles one of Europe's most significant wine borders. [^156^] [^162^]
Rebula, Malvasia, Friulano (Tokaj), plus Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. Local varieties at the centre, international grapes at the periphery. [^156^] [^160^]
Spontaneous Fermentation, No Selected Yeasts & Minimal Sulphur
In the cellar, Andrej Kristančič practices a low-intervention approach that is the natural extension of his farming philosophy. Fermentation is spontaneous, without the addition of selected yeasts, sulphur, or other chemicals. [^156^] The wines ferment with the indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins, in vessels that allow the natural process to unfold at its own pace. A minimal amount of sulphur dioxide is added only at bottling — the absolute minimum necessary to ensure stability, without compromising the wine's living character. [^156^]
Nando is widely famous for its excellent, authentic orange wines — skin-contact macerations that have become the winery's signature. [^165^] [^169^] The Jantar — the Slovenian word for amber — is the benchmark: Rebula, Malvasia, or blends thereof, macerated on the skins for extended periods, creating wines of extraordinary complexity, texture, and depth. [^168^] These are not gimmicky orange wines; they are serious, structured wines that prove — as one reviewer noted — that orange wines can be at least as complex as Burgundy. [^168^] The skin contact extracts tannins, phenolics, and aromatic compounds that would otherwise remain locked in the skins, creating a wine that is simultaneously white and red, ancient and modern.
The Jakot — the Slovenian name for Friulano (Tocai Friulano), renamed after the European naming dispute — is vinified with spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks, producing a white wine of purity and precision. [^166^] The Blu Label and other cuvées explore different aspects of the estate's terroir, from the fresh and immediate to the deep and contemplative. Andrej also produces red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, handled with the same light touch — spontaneous fermentation, gentle extraction, and ageing in vessels that preserve the fruit rather than mask it.
The result is a range of wines that are unmistakably of the Brda-Collio borderland — wines that carry the minerality of the ponka soils, the aromatic complexity of the indigenous varieties, and the gentle, patient hand of a vignaiolo who has been tending these vines for more than 25 years. They are wines that do not shout; they are wines that whisper, that reveal themselves gradually, that demand attention and repay it with layers of flavour and a sense of place that is rare in the modern wine world. Nando is not just a winery; it is a testament to the fact that the best wines are made by farmers, not factories.
Jantar — "As Complex as Burgundy"
The Jantar is Nando's most celebrated wine — an orange wine that has earned the estate its reputation as one of the finest producers of skin-contact wines in Europe. [^165^] [^168^]
Made from Rebula (Ribolla Gialla), Malvasia, or blends thereof, grown on the ponka soils of Plešivo, the grapes are hand-harvested from terraced vineyards that straddle the Italian-Slovenian border. The wine undergoes extended skin maceration with spontaneous fermentation using indigenous yeasts, then is aged in vessels that allow the wine to develop complexity without the influence of wood. [^156^] [^173^]
In the glass, it is amber and luminous, with a depth and structure that challenges preconceptions about what orange wine can be. The nose offers dried apricot, wild herbs, and a distinct mineral salinity from the marl soils. The palate is textured and tannic, with layers of almond, citrus peel, and a long, savoury finish that speaks of the border terroir. As one reviewer noted, Andrej proves that orange wines can be at least as complex as Burgundy — a testament to the potential of this ancient style when handled with patience and skill. ~€28–€38 / ~$30–$42.
The Nando Range
Nando produces a focused range of natural wines from 5.5 hectares of organically farmed vineyards in Plešivo, Brda, with 60% of the vines located across the border in Italian Collio. All wines are spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, made without selected yeasts or chemicals, and receive only a minimal amount of sulphur at bottling. The portfolio is built around indigenous Brda-Collio varieties and reflects the unique character of this border terroir. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.