STREKOV 1075

Winery: Strekov 1075 (Ekológ Hospodár Zsolt Sütő) Location: Strekov, Slovakia (Juznoslovenská V.O. region) Key Style: Natural Wine, Orange Wine, Minimal Intervention

The Philosophy: Terroir and Trust

Strekov 1075 is the life's work of Zsolt Sütő, who has established himself as one of the most significant and uncompromising figures in the Central European natural wine movement. Located in the heart of the historic Pannonian Plain in southern Slovakia, the winery is named after the year (1075 AD) the village of Strekov was first officially documented, emphasizing a deep connection to the land and its ancient viticultural traditions.

Sütő's philosophy is radically minimalist, guided by the principle of Ekológ Hospodár (Ecological Farmer). He views his role as a steward, ensuring the health and biodiversity of the ecosystem rather than manipulating the vines or the wine.

The core tenets of Strekov 1075's approach include:

1. Organic and Ecological Farming: All vineyards are farmed organically, fostering intense biodiversity, and allowing the indigenous flora and fauna to thrive, creating resilient and expressive grapes.

2. Zero-Zero Winemaking: Wines are often made with a "zero-zero" approach: zero additives (including sulfur, fining, and filtration) and zero manipulation. Fermentation is always spontaneous, driven by native yeasts living on the grape skins and in the cellar.

3. Traditional Vessel Aging: Wines are aged in a variety of traditional vessels, including old wooden barrels (typically 500L to 1000L), and occasionally in qvevri (Georgian clay amphorae), allowing for slow, natural maturation.

The Wines: Texture, Time, and Skin Contact

Strekov 1075 is perhaps best known internationally for its complex, layered orange wines (skin-contact whites). These wines are made by leaving white grape juice in contact with the skins for extended periods—sometimes weeks or months—imparting deep color, robust tannin structure, and savory complexity.

The winery champions indigenous and regional grape varieties, believing they are best suited to express the unique loess and clay-rich soils of the Danube region. Notable grapes include:

• Ezerjó and Irsai Olivér: Used for vibrant whites and skin-contact expressions.

• Welschriesling and Veltlín Zelený (Grüner Veltliner): Essential components of their textured wines.

• Blaufränkisch and Dunaj: Used for their structured, often rustic, red wines.

The resulting wines are celebrated for their distinctive savory characteristics, deep texture, volatile acidity, and capacity to evolve dramatically in the bottle. They are wines of time and place, demanding attention and reflecting the true, raw expression of the Strekov terroir.