Pivnica BRHLOVCE

Pivnica BRHLOVCE (which translates to "Cellar Brhlovce") is a small artisanal winery located in the village of Brhlovce, Slovakia, in the Nitrianska region.

The Winemaker and Philosophy

The winery was founded by winemaker Ján Záborský (the name Zev Rovine is also associated with the initial establishment in 2011, but Ján Záborský is consistently named the current winemaker).

Ján Záborský was inspired by his childhood, where winemaking and vineyards were an everyday part of family life. After initially studying photography and working in the corporate world, he returned to his roots in 2011 to establish the craft winery, embracing winemaking as his profession and destiny.

The winery's mission is to preserve the winemaking tradition and cultural heritage of Slovakia, viewing their craft wine as a form of artistic creation—a manifestation of emotion rather than a cold, perfect technological process. Ján works based on intuition and experience, constantly "listening" to the wine and observing nature, the moon, and the stars to find the right moment for bottling.

Location and Terroir

Pivnica BRHLOVCE is situated on the northern limits of vine cultivation in Central Europe. The vineyards are located on the Ipeľ Hills and the southern slopes of the Štiavnica Mountains, which is a magical place where the hot Pannonian Plain ends and the cold Western Carpathian mountains begin.

• Volcanic Subsoil: The vineyards sink their roots deep into volcanic subsoil, created by the ancient Sitno stratovolcano. The soil consists mostly of tuffs (volcanic ash) and andesite (volcanic lava), which provides excellent drainage and high minerality.

• Cellar: The cellar itself is located in one of the famous rock dwellings of Brhlovce, a UNESCO village, carved directly into the volcanic tuff bedrock. This cave was once used by the winemaker's grandmother.

Winemaking Style

Pivnica BRHLOVCE specializes in natural, low-intervention wines produced exclusively in the traditional artisanal way, without the use of industrial oenological preparations.

• Practices: The winery adheres to organic/biodynamic farming principles and utilizes spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts.

• Finishing: All wines are typically unfined and unfiltered, often with no or minimum added sulphites before bottling, resulting in wines with a bold mineral spine and robust acidity. They are also described as being vegan.

• Varieties: They work with local and international varieties including Grüner Veltliner, Pesecká Leánka, Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch, and Pinot Blanc.

The small winery produces around 8,000 bottles a year, and the collaborative effort of the entire community—from working in the vineyards to bottling and packing—is highlighted as key to the final wine.