Lovrec winery is in Sveti Urban, about twenty minutes northwest of Čakovec and an hour and twenty minutes north of Zagreb in Northern Croatia. The rolling hills of Sveti Urban welcome guests with lovely views, and delicious wines. If you’re looking for Croatian organic wine, then be sure to add this winery to your list. They will wow you with their aged Pinot Grigio, smooth Pušipel, fresh Sauvignon, and lovely Rosé.

The wine-making tradition in Međimurje Croatia goes back to the Croatian-Hungarian noble family of Zrinski who ruled from 1546-1671, the family was known for cultivating grapes into wines and then vintaging them in their original cellars from their time. One example of these cellars can be found at Lovrec. Century-old oak barrels are kept intact inside the vaulted atmospheric cellar whose walls preserve the mold patina for optimum conditions. Outside the cellar, you’ll be wowed by 300-year-old sycamores planted as a natural cooling system for the cellar. Jasna Lovrec will take you on a fascinating journey of wine-making rituals through time in their museum then her brother will help you relax and taste wines in their traditionally made wooden lodge which was handcrafted from recycled old wine presses, used barrel staves, and other pieces of traditional cellar inventory.

The wines are subdued, with moderate acidity and lightly elevated level of alcohol, stable and fantastically aged. Their wines come in two key categories: sweet and regular semi-dry/ dry wines. Their aged Pinot Grigio is rich, soft, delicious, and lush. We enjoyed their Pinot Grigio so much that we bought several cases of their one and a half year aged 2016 version.

The Wines

Pušipel- smooth, green, and fresh without being tart.

Graševina- tart and green, fresh

Sauvignon- green and fresh

Pinot Grigio 2016 is a fantastic, lovely, aged wine, we loved this wine so much that we bought several cases for the collection.

Rose is Pinot Grigio, then soaked in its skin, dry, and crisp with a smooth lovely aftertaste.

Late Harvest/ Ice wine is a sweet mild syrup perfect for an aperitif, we bought several of these bottles too.

Take a quick trip to Lovrec if you’re in Sveti Martin na Muri.

Read more about Lovrec check out the SightingSarah post: Lovrec Sustainable Viticulture.