Benjamin Zidarich is one of the most famous winemakers in the Trieste Karst region. The winery is located in Località Prepotto di Duino Aurisina, in small hamlet above the city of Trieste, in the heart of the Karst plateau. Viticulture in this area has ancient origins, and all farmers have always had a vineyard to produce some wine for family consumption or to sell in bulk. Zidarich is part of the first generation of vigneron who decided to devote themselves completely to the vine, with the desire to enhance small-scale but high-quality production. The knowledge that he could make great wines drove him to believe tenaciously in a venture that was not easy and to begin bottling his wine made from the native grape varieties that have been present in this land for centuries.

The Karst area of Trieste possesses absolutely unique characteristics. It is a thin strip between the sea and the Slovenian border. The climate is sunny and Mediterranean, mitigated by sea breezes, but cooled by the bora, which blows vehemently from the northeast. The soils are stony, composed of white limestone rocks. In order to create a vineyard, one must first patiently prepare the soil. The rocks are crushed and ground with special machinery. This limestone crushed rock is then combined and mixed with soil taken from dolines, natural depressions of the karst plateau. Once this layer of soil and rocks is spread, the rootstocks can be planted. Vineyards are often built with terraces supported by dry stone walls, to avoid slopes that are too steep and to avoid erosion phenomena. These are extremely poor soils, forcing the vines to reach deep with their roots in search of water.

In these extreme conditions, the grape varieties that have adapted best are the historical ones of the area, Vitovska, Istrian Malvasia, Glera, Teran and the international Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. After many years of work, in 2009 Benjamin Zidarich opened a new winery, entirely underground and dug into the rock to a depth of 20 meters. A space not only of great architectural charm, but also perfect for aging and storing wines, in naturally constant temperature and humidity conditions. Benjamin Zidarich's wines are pure expressions of the rock of the Karst, made without compromise, keeping faith with traditions and indulging and enhancing an extraordinary terroir.

Ruje Zidarich 2017

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