Orsag Edo Winery

Orsag Edo Winery

The roots of winemaking and viticulture in the Orsag family reach far into the past, but the first written record was left by Janko Orsag (1894 – 1950) in his Notebook about the work in the vineyard, where he diligently recorded data from 1927 to 1947. His time on Goli otok and his resulting early death thwarted his further intentions. The tradition was continued by his son Ivica (1928 – 1979) with his mother Ana, called Nanika, (1901 – 1981) and his wife Ružica, who grew grapevines on a fourth of a hectare, extensively and mostly for their personal needs. After his father’s death, the care of the vineyard and the cellar was taken over by Ivica’s son Edo, later joined by his wife Nada and children Ana and Janko. Over the years and with much patience, they have enlarged the estate parcel by parcel, acquired mechanization and equipment, and in 2010 they cleared the old vineyard and planted 1 ha of new vines. The cellar at the upper end of the vineyard, built in 1927 and renovated in 2008, had become too small and was no longer functional, so in 2013 the family’s building in Martinečka Street in Zlatar was made into a winery and wine cellar.
After 7 years, the new vineyard in full fruition is infected with golden yellows, and the family is forced to completely clear out most of the plots. In 2019, they are replanted with new German crossbreeds of noble lineage, resistant to most basic diseases, and also suitable for ecological cultivation. The first vinification of grapes from the restored vineyard in 2022, using a combination of tradition and new technologies, achieves significant results. In 2023, the winery start producing sparkling wines using the classic method. By expanding the area and building a parking lot and bus access, the winery is turning to tourist offer and sales at its own doorstep.