The area around the Paríž stream, now fully regulated, was densely settled in the past. Archaeological sites in this region line its course. A little to the north, in the municipality of Svonín, a rondel stood 5 000 years ago, perhaps an ancient observatory. Only about 5 km south of it, on the warm western slopes of a hill in the gently rolling Hron Hills called Drieňová hora, there are vineyards. By the vineyards stand wine cellars, and in one of them is the Mátyás family winery. Authentic, natural wines are made here. In the past, winegrowing in this region was only a sideline. Today the Mátyás family devote themselves to it fully.
There is no legal support for natural wines in Slovakia yet. At least there are binding rules for the Authentists - those who embrace the legacy of their ancestors and want to use their native soil as the mother of genuine wines, and to preserve it and pass it on to their children healthy and beautiful. The Authentists regard Pannonia (part of the Roman Empire) as the cradle of their winegrowing and wine culture. Thanks to the Romans, the character of the landscape, winegrowing laws and winemaking methods grew from the same Pannonian root for all the wine-loving nations surrounded by the Alps and the Carpathians.
With this approach to growing and making wine, yields are lower and there is less wine. All the more emphasis is placed on authenticity: certified organic grapes, spontaneous fermentation on the skins without bentonite, and names and labels for the cuvées chosen with love and wit. That is what makes the wine unique.
The quality of the wines also depends on thinning the grapes on the vine so that all the strength goes into the best bunches. Early harvesting reduces losses caused by pests. Green cover between the rows protects the soil and the life in it.
„At this winery we came to understand that the quality and taste of wine are closely linked to the health of the vineyard and the health of the soil in which the vines grow„, noted Farma živá committee member Lucia Baľáková
The locals are trying to recreate the specific conditions for Pannonian species that developed on Drieňová hora back when it was grazed. Together with the conservation association BROZ, they are trying out grazing sheep on pastures threatened by overgrowth. This remnant of the original steppe communities of the Danubian loess hills has a chance of surviving, just as winegrowing and wine culture have survived here since Roman times.
Farma živá committee member Bruno Jakubec added in conclusion: „The Authentists are more than brave. They draw on the character of the landscape and its unique combination of rocks, soils and climate. As far as possible, they use traditional grape varieties and yeasts found naturally in the environment. There is much less control over the final product, which is why such wines are regionally specific, vary from year to year and can never be repeated. It is a textbook example of how values change when the philosophy changes.„
The Krajina živá programme was financially supported by VÚB banka.
