Južnoslovenská

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyards are planted on loess hillocks, in places on rich, clay-loam soils with good water retention, which provides the vine with sufficient moisture even during the hottest and driest periods.
• The soils are of brown-earth type with sandy to loamy material in the lower part of the deep soil profile, transitioning into a clay horizon with a high mineral content, giving an overall medium-heavy to heavy soil.
• The region belongs climatically to the continental climatic zone, with total annual precipitation of 350 mm distributed relatively evenly throughout the year.
• The average altitude of the vineyards is 140 m above sea level, average air temperatures during the May-to-September period range from 13 °C to 23 °C, and average annual sunshine duration is 2,200 hours.
• Vines are grown on south-, south-east- or south-west-facing slopes, with cultivation on flat terrain also permitted, at a maximum density of 11,000 vines per hectare.
• The region has a current planted area of 4,673 ha and is divided into 8 wine-growing districts (rajóns) and 114 wine-growing communes.

• In this region, dark-skinned varieties destined for red wine production are processed by maceration on the skins, and malic acid is converted to lactic acid either by the controlled addition of an Oenococcus oeni strain or spontaneously.
• Modern grape-to-wine processing is carried out reductively, through a controlled reductive fermentation process, enabling the production of wines with an elegant bouquet and harmony, with dark-skinned varieties aged in stainless-steel tanks or oak casks.

• Dark-skinned varieties are aged in stainless-steel tanks or oak casks, and through ageing the wines acquire a velvety smoothness and fullness.
• Wines of exceptional extract richness, body, ripeness and aromatic complexity can be produced in vintages where the cumulative heat sum exceeds 3,100 °C.
• Sparkling wines from this region display heightened aromatics; they are fresh, characterised by persistent effervescence and a golden-yellow colour.

• The higher average temperatures in this region promote greater accumulation of sugars in the grapes, which is expressed as greater body in the wine.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Slovakia

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — upv-sr
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-SK-A1356
• Official trade body site — ZVVS — Južnoslovenská oblasť