The Štoka family organically farms their vineyards in ruddy-red, iron-rich soils in the Kras/Carso wine region, which straddles southwest Slovenia and northeast Italy. Primož Štoka bottled his first wine in 1989, just before Slovenia’s separation from the former Yugoslavia. Today, his son Tadej works with him, carrying on a 200-year family tradition. Teran or (Terrano in Italian) is part of the wide-ranging Refošk / Refosco group of wine grapes. “Izbrani Teran” is a Slovenian appellation, with “Izbrani” designating the historical heart of the zone, similar to “Classico” in Italian appellations. The wine undergoes a long and slow indigenous fermentation in large oak barrels, after which it ages in used barrels for a year. It’s unfiltered and only 12.3% alcohol. The wine has dark and brambly fruits, with a lovely bitter twinge and salty, iron-y, and herbal notes. The dark fruit and great acidity make this a great food wine: prosciutto and other cured meats, rare beef, and herby dishes, for example.
