Lovrec Sustainable Viticulture

About twenty minutes northwest of Čakovec and an hour and twenty minutes north of Zagreb the rolling hills of Sveti Urban summon guests with their lovely views and delicious wines. Lovrec is a charming family winery in an ancestral manor, with a spirit of tradition and history. Located on the highest peak in the St. Urban wine village, their winery features an outstanding view of miles around. Their winery rests under the shade of two ancient sycamore trees inside serene landmarks including a beautiful building that acts as both a museum and their wine cellar. Lovrec still uses their ancient wine barrels, one of which is hundreds of years old.

The wine-making tradition in Međimurje goes back to the Croatian-Hungarian noble family of Zrinski who ruled from 1546-1671, the family was known for cultivating grapes into wines and then vintaging them in cellars. You can experience a stunning example of one of their cellars in the Lovrec Winery. Century-old oak barrels are kept intact inside the vaulted atmospheric cellar whose walls keep the mold patina for optimum conditions. Outside the cellar, you’ll be wowed by 300-year-old sycamores planted as a natural cooling system for the cellar. Jasna Lovrec will take you on a fascinating journey of wine-making rituals through time.

Jasna’s ethnographic collection includes an old room-size wine press and quirky tidbits of information. We came for a wine tasting in their traditionally made wooden lodge which was handcrafted from recycled old wine presses, used barrel staves, and other pieces of traditional cellar inventory.

Their vineyard incorporates high-density planting, and short pruning on the steep hill slopes to create the necessary insolation for producing the best grape quality, which is reflected in the wine. Their rigorous attention to detail and exceptional effort are detectable in the quality of the wines.

The wines are subdued, with moderate acidity and lightly elevated levels of alcohol, stable and fantastically aged. Their wines come in two key categories: sweet and regular semi-dry/ dry wines. The quality of the aged Pinot Grigio is rich, soft, delicious, and lush. We enjoyed their Pinot Grigio so much that we bought several cases of their one and a half year aged 2016 version.

The Wines

  • Pušipel- smooth, green and fresh without being tart.
  • Graševina- tart and green, fresh
  • Sauvignon- green and fresh
  • Pino Grigio 2016 is a fantastic, lovely, aged wine, we loved this wine so much that we bought several cases for the collection.
  • Rose is Pino Grigio, then soaked in its skin, dry, and crisp with a smooth lovely aftertaste.
  • Late Harvest/ Ice wine is a sweet mild syrup perfect for an aperitif, we bought several of these bottles too.

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