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Vinakoper d.o.o. Smarska 1 6000 Koper phone: +386 66 33-733 fax: +386 66 33-768 |
The Vinakoper winery is the largest producer of the Koper area, cultivating 420 hectares (1038 acres) of vineyards, the majority planted with red varieties particularly suitable for the warm Mediterranean climate: Refosk, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their dominant white grapes are Malvazija, Chardonnay, and Rumeni Muskat, and some sites have been newly planted with Sivi Pinot.
The winery produces 3500 tons of grapes in its own vineyards and buys a further six hundred tons from contract growers. This suffices for the production of 35,000 hectoliters (924,700 gallons) of wines per year, 10,000 hectoliters (264,200 gallons) in the high-quality range, the rest quality.
The characteristic red wines of Vinakoper are full-bodied, rich in extract, and quite heavy. Refosk is the lightest, displaying the youthful liveliness of a wine with moderate acids, and does not gain with age.
Vinakoper Merlot - prepared both as quality and high-quality wine - is probably the most popular red wine in Slovenia. The wine is matured in aged oak barrels and has a very balanced taste. Vinakoper's Cabernet Sauvignon is a richly coloured wine, very noble, and immaculately matured in oak - a good vintage Cabernet Sauvignon from Vinakoper is probably the best of its variety in Slovenia. Connoisseurs particularly value the 1983, 1989, and 1993 vintages.
Malvazija is the winery's dominant white, a typical wine of the Istrian peninsula: fresh, not too strong, with a neutral bouquet and unobtrusive flavour. Vinakoper's specialty is Malvazija produced from overripe grapes, a semi-dry to semi-sweet wine of characteristic varietal flavour. Rumeni Muskat is even sweeter, although not as fragrant as those of the Podravje region; this strong wine should be offered as a dessert wine.
The Vinakoper cellar takes special care with Chardonnay, producing two types: wine made from grapes grown in vineyards up to ten meters (24.7 ft.) above sea level are processed separately and marketed as ricorvo, while wine from higher sites is known as labor.
The winery produces some excellent blended wines. Koprcan, a blend of Merlot, Refosk, and Cabernet Sauvignon, is a pleasant wine in the quality range.
Beli Capris is a high-quality blend of Malvazija, Chardonnay Sivi Pinot, and Rumeni Muskat; it is a semi-dry wine, rather strong, with a distinctive taste and rather rich bouquet.
Rdeci Capris is a Bordeaux-style red blend prepared from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Frank. The wine is rich in extract and heavy in taste, and a raspberry fragrance is dominant in its strong bouquet - a wine with great character. Rdeci Capris is quite robust when young and achieves a special nobility after five to ten years in the bottle.
Vinakoper's best vintages are 1983, 1989, 1990, 1992, and 1993.
