It's time for harvesting

The main activities of Radgonske gorice are viticulture and winemaking. They are distinguished by their rich history and long tradition, since they have been producing and storing wines in their unique cellars since year 1852. “We cultivate about 500 acres of our own vineyards. The wine is obtained from grapes grown in our vineyards, and some of the grapes are also purchased from the surrounding subcontractors, “says Gorazd Kovačič – winemaker from Radgonske gorice, adding that the entire production process is regularly monitored, controled and inspected. “There are many factors and circumstances that affect the quality of the vine and the grapes themselves,” Kovačič says. Their variety is very diversed, from ranina which is an indigenous variety, to traminec, sauvignon, gray and blue pinot and among the sparkling wine . the indispensable chardonnay. They produce between 5 and 6 million kilograms of grapes annually, which amounts to about 4 million liters of wine. The basements have a capacity of 4.5 million liters.

The pride of the house is represented by the oldest and most awarded Slovenian sparkling wine, Radgona Golden sparkling wine. It is made according to the traditional or classical method by boiling in bottles, after which real champagnes are prepared. “Radgona Golden sparkling wine is the recipient of more than 10 champions and more than 100 medals from international evaluations, which is a guarantee and confirmation that we are doing well and that we are successful,” says director Borut Cvetkovič proudly, adding that all the awards received are a confirmation of the work done so far and at the same time an encouragement, but also a great commitment for the future. He is particularly pleased that the wine-growing and wine-making tradition has been gaining in importance and reputation in recent years, and that the wine and sparkling wine culture in the region is increasingly evolving.

The company employs 125 people. During high season, seasonal workers come to help. They are aware that growing grapes requires a lot of knowledge, skills and manual work, so they are constantly investing in human resources and development. Furthermore they also want to simplify and facilitate and optimize production processes and are therefore actively investing in modern technology. In recent years, they have upgraded their fleet and acquired a number of new machines that give them greater productivity and a consequent competitive advantage. “Working with new machines not only contributes to greater efficiency, but also to greater safety and comfort at work,” points out Kovačič. The purchase of a grape harvesting machine has also proved to be a very welcome and effective solution in the high season in recent years. “Machine harvesting has the capacity of about 50 good grape harvesters, which means faster harvesting with less cost in volatile weather,” says Kovačič, adding that such a machine also harvests 4 ha a day, which in practice means 40 tons of grapes.

The soil in the vineyards is regularly fertilized with organic fertilizers in pellets. For now, the grape residue are not composted and returned to the vineyard, even though they are suitable for composting due to their composition. “It is precisely because of the desire for a more comprehensive and affordable solution to the spread of organic fertilizers that we are looking at the Variofex vineyard manure spreader, which we want to test as soon as possible in practice,” Kovačič says, who believes that the solution will meet their needs and conditions in the long run.