The DOBUJE Wine Estate is located in the very heart of the Goriška Brda (Gorica Wine-Growing Hills) wine-growing area in the outermost Western part of Slovenia. Our country borders Italy and our vineyards are intertwined with those of the neighbouring Collio region without a borderline. On one side, our hill region leans against the ridges of the Kolovrat and Sabotin Mountains, and, on the other one, descends towards the Isonzo River and High Plains of Friuli. Long ago, locals discovered that both the soil and climate were appropriate for viticulture. Perhaps they even settled here in order to grow vines and produce wine.
Our farm has been named after the name of the place where the heart of our wine estate, the property including its processing facilities and cellar, is located. Dobuje is a derivative of the Slovenian word dob or pedunculate oak (Quercus robur in Latin), i.e. a strong oak that used to grow in a large part of Goriška Brda. Our wine estate forms part of the Snežeče Village although it is isolated from the other buildings (the closest houses are a hundred steps away and the centre of the municipality a kilometre away). As such, our everyday routine is based on quietude and vineyard work.
We consider Goriška Brda a landscape boasting a unique harmony. Humans have successfully managed to use the slops of its numerous hills, found the best situations for various varieties and skilfully drawn curves of vineyards in addition to allowing the forest to reach the village. To the South, you can see the sea, and, to the North, you are greeted by the rocky ridges of the Julian Alps. When you close your eyes, you get to surrender to the mellowing sounds of singing birds and enticing smells. The Dobuje Wine Estate is thus committed to express this world, these sensations, this harmonious co-existence of man and nature, in our wines, produced with a passion and responsible attitude towards man and nature.
During the past 35 years, we have dedicated a lot of our time and efforts to studying, examining, observing, researching situations and selecting the perfect grape varieties for our wine estate. In 2009, when the wine estate was expanded and vineyards were restored, grape varieties were planted in ideal situations in a deliberate manner. Substantial efforts (also manual labour) are made to ensure a calm growth of the vine which reduces the yield but boosts its quality. Grapes are harvested manually when they become fully ripe, ensuring a high concentration of all ingredients therein. On about 25 acres (10 hectares) of vineyards, we continue to grow grapes and produce wine in a natural and traditional way.
