The EU member Slovenia has been known as the origin of interesting and remarkable wine for a long time, but is still considered somewhat exotic among connoisseurs. The Puklavec family, with its innovative strength and passion, is doing all it can to give the modern Slovenian wine a new, unmistakable profile.
It quite often happens that members of a co-op at some point start bottling and selling their wines themselves and this often denotes the beginning of a new star in the wine universe. Vladimir Puklavec and his family did it the other way around: In 2009, the entrepreneur, who had been working for 42 years in the plant construction industry, purchased a winemaker co-op, consisting of two cellars and one vineyard, and turned it into one of the most modern vineyards in Slovenia. A newcomer? The motto should probably be: “Back to the roots”, because Vladimir’s father Martin Puklavec had been the secretary of the winegrower cooperative in Jeruzalem-Ormož for many years and his smart decisions had significantly contributed to the cooperative’s increased quality in the 1950s. This is why Vladimir Puklavec also picked some active former co-op members to help him and his family make his vision a reality: To continue the tradition of Slovenian viniculture in an innovative and modern manner.
The young oenologist Mitja Herga trained in Ljubljana and, with international experience, was exactly the right man for this job. Puklavec’s daughters Tatjana and Kristina brought their experience in the design industry and international gastronomy to the table. Even though Tatjana lives in Holland, and Kristina in Germany, the team works well together. Vladimir Puklavec is full of ideas. The cellar, which was built in the 1950s, is equipped and designed on the basis of the most modern criteria; with its seven (!) floors, the wine is transported solely with the help of gravity.
The wines are stored below ground at consistent temperatures. They are crisp and fruity. In addition to the 600-hectare vineyard area, another 600 hectares are cultivated by contract winegrowers. Cultivation is based on environmentally friendly principles. The vineyard is located in the hilly Podravye region in the northeast of Slovenia. The soil there is calciferous, and gives the white wines of P&F their refreshing, mineral flavour. Mainly Welschriesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, white Burgundy varieties and Chardonnay are cultivated. The wine lines include “puklavec & friends”, “Popular Premium”, “Premium” and the premium line “Gomila”.
Information
Contact in Germany:
p&f wineries GmbH
Kristina Puklavec
Mildred-Scheel-Straße 1
53175 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: +49 228 6044884
Fax: +49 228 60448234
