Fun fact: Slovenia is home to the world’s oldest grape vine. With a multi-millennial winemaking past, Slovenia is home to 28,000 wineries today, producing upward of 80 million liters of wine annually. We are thrilled to offer two Slovenian sparkling wines from Gabernik 23, a small family-owned winery. Read more below about Gabernik’s pét-nat and red piquette! Shop in-store daily from 11AM to 8PM or reserve online for easy pick up.

ABOUT GABERNIK 23

Janko Bogatic spent his youth working alongside his father in the family vineyard. Eventually Janko moved away to pursue dairy farming, but at the age of 18, he returned home to manage the vineyard following the sudden passing of his father. Fast forward 30 years: Janko expanded the vineyard to 9 hectares, bottling his own wines under the Gabernik 23 label in 2018. Focusing on the less fashionable varieties, like Yellow Muscat and Zweigelt, Janko’s aim is to show that with a little love and respect these grapes can produce some stunning wines.

Gabernik 23 Rumeni Muškat

This is the wine that first made Janko notice that Rumeni Muškat had a higher calling. The grapes are hand-harvested, minimally sulfured and slowly pressed getting just a touch of skin contact at the press. An organic, vegan-friendly pét-nat with lively, juicy, mouthwatering, sparkling yumminess! Aromas of lemon, lime, white flowers
and honeyed yeasty tones on the nose lead to a textured palate with zippy acidity and a tropical finish.

Gabernik 23 “Pikola” Red Piquette

The perfect introduction to piquette! Janko takes the pressed skins of the red blend he produces, which includes Zweigelt, Pinot Noir and a bit of Riesling, then adds a bit of water to extract any remaining sugar. After an initial fermentation, it’s pressed, blended with unfermented juice and bottled for a final fermentation, resulting in a light, low-ABV wine. More than a by-product, piquette is a fantastic thirst-quenching drink for summertime.

Enjoy aromas of mulled wine and briary raspberries. Ripe plum and black raspberry flavors continue on the palate, along with herbal tones, as well as a touch of wet rock thing. Peppery spiciness completes the finish.