Cigoj

Presentation
In the heart of the Vipava Valley, under the slopes of the Trnovo Plateau, lies the town of Črniče. The terrain, once only in flysch, was covered time ago in certain points by a landslide of rocks, which came down from the slopes of Mount Čaven, making the surroundings of the village only partially suitable for intensive agricultural use. Is this a limitation? It depends on us: we can always turn natural resources to our advantage, if only we choose the right activities to develop on each single piece of land.

The Cigoj farm has never been limited to one branch only. We follow the ancient wisdom that our parents passed on to us, according to which a farm to be solid needs a bit of everything: a field and a vineyard, stables and a forest, a meadow and a vegetable garden. Most of the food and fodder (corn, barley, clover, pumpkins) we use is produced on our 40-hectare estate. Even the water our pigs drink is spring water from our estate. We strongly believe that a generous amount of clover in the forage and spring water with no added chemicals are crucial for the quality of the meat which, following a long family tradition, we transform into selected cured meat products. The unique climatic conditions, characterized by the bora wind, the rising winds and the proximity of the sea, allow the cured meats to mature in the traditional way, thus adding a touch of natural nobility to the products.

Varietal wines from the Vipava Valley
Viticulture with winemaking is the second pillar of our farm. We cultivate 6 hectares of vineyards, favouring indigenous white varieties such as Klarnica, Ribolla, Zelen and Malvasia. We focus on the production of wines that are fresh and dry, yet rich in structure. In exceptional vintages, a part of the grapes is macerated. Maceration is an ancient process of “cooking” on pomace, though which the more and more appreciated orange wines are obtained. Our wine selection is complemented by red wines, a part of them aged in wooden barrels, and occasionally enriched by some special editions.

Fresh white wines
All fresh wines are produced following the same procedure. When optimally ripe, grapes are harvested by hand and stored in a cooling chamber at a temperature of 4°C for at least one day. Then the grapes are ground in a crusher/destemmer and squeezed in a press. It is important to squeeze the grapes very cold to prevent various types of oxidation, thus preserving the natural aromas and colour of wine.

Macerated wines
The perfectly ripe and 100% healthy grapes are harvested by hand and kept in a cooling chamber at a temperature of 4°C for at least one day. Next, they are ground into larger containers and macerated by cold maceration for 5-7 days. The slurry obtained in the process is then squeezed and the mucus is eliminated in stainless steel containers. At the first racking it is poured into acacia barrels and left to mature for at least 1 year. After the maturation period, the wine is bottled.

Red wines
When optimally ripe, grapes are harvested by hand and stored in a cooling chamber at a temperature of 4°C for at least one day. Next, they are ground into larger containers and macerated by cold maceration for 2-3 weeks. The slurry obtained in the process is then squeezed and the mucus is eliminated in stainless steel containers. At the first racking it is poured into oak barrels and left to mature for at least 2 years. After the maturation period, the wine is bottled.