Nando’s Andrej Kristančič is a winemaker on the border; half of his vineyards are located in the hills of Collio, at the westernmost tip of Slovenia in the region of Brda, and the other half, just steps away, in Italy’s Friuli region. All of the vines are grown in rocky flysch soil, or “ponka” as it’s known in the local Slovenian dialect. Indigenous white grapes: Rebula, Sauvignon and Zeleni Sauvignon, (Friulano in Italian), along with a Chardonnay that has been adapted over the years to take on specific local traits. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the only red varieties, per former government edict.

 There are currently two Nando lines in his range of wines: The Blue Label, grapes vinified in stainless steel after skin contact from 12 hours and up to 8 days and bottled one year after the harvest, and the Black Label, which includes red and white varieties characterized by maceration of at least 7 days but arriving at 40 days for some wines, spontaneous fermentation and refining on the lees in wood barrels of 500L Slavonian oak for at least 18 months, depending on the vintage.

 A true farmer’s knowledge of the land, humility and dedication to the tradition of making great wine are what make Nando’s wines the modern incarnation of a bygone era.