Lepa Vida's Rosé wine is crafted entirely from red grapes, but the winemaking process is closer to that of white wine. The key difference between red and white wine production is the duration of skin contact. Red wines require prolonged skin contact to achieve their deep color, while white wines have little or no skin contact.

To create the gentle pink color of Rosé wine, winemakers must avoid prolonged skin contact. Instead, they press the black-skinned grapes quickly or with minimal skin contact (a few hours), resulting in hues ranging from pale salmon to almost purple.

At Lepa Vida, the majority of our Rosé is made from directly pressed Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with smaller portions of Barbera and Merlot. These grapes undergo a brief skin contact of 8-10 hours before being pressed. The wine is then fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks, resulting in a crisp and refreshing Rosé.

Sivi Pinot, also known as Pinot Gris, Grauburgunder, and Pinot Grigio, is an international grape variety that is believed to be a mutant clone of Pinot Noir (red grapes). The grapes are distinguished by their greyish-blue to brownish-pink color, although greenish-yellow grapes can also be found. The grape is grown all around the world, with northeastern Italian wine regions such as Friuli and Veneto being particularly famous for producing Pinot Grigio.

At Lepa Vida, Sivi Pinot makes up around 20% of all the vines. In the Sivi Pinot vineyards we practice "cordon speronato" cultivation to lower yields but still maintaining the grape's crisp acidity. During the harvest, the grapes are carefully picked by hand and gently pressed, not to extract the pigment from the skins of the berries. The Lepa Vida Sivi Pinot wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and always bottled as a single-variety wine, ensuring that the unique fruity characteristics of the grape are preserved.

Mi is a wine that embodies love, teamwork, and balance. The husband and wife duo behind Lepa Vida, Matija and Irena, have different wine preferences. Matija loves the local variety Malvasia Istriana, known for its floral and fruity character, while Irena has a soft spot for Sauvignon Blanc with its tropical fruit aromas and crispness. It's no surprise then that we decided to blend the two.

The resulting wine is a delightful combination of 70% Malvasia Istriana and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, perfectly balancing the two. The aroma is a harmonious blend of stone fruit and tropical fruit, combined with floral notes and a hint of herbs. It's a great example of how the Mediterranean character of Malvasia Istriana blends with the international character of Sauvignon Blanc.

Mi is 100% fermented and matured in stainless steel, but it's not a typical blend. During the fermentation process, both parts are already mixed together. Sauvignon, which usually ferments a week earlier, is combined with freshly pressed juice of Malvasia Istriana, allowing their characters to blend from the very beginning.

Orange wines, also known as skin-contact wines and amber wines, have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their deep yellow color, complex flavor, and slightly tannic mouthfeel. This wine style is produced by a maceration process that involves prolonged contact between grape skins and juice during fermentation.

At Lepa Vida, we honor our winemaking traditions by producing oOo (out of office), our interpretation of an orange wine. oOo is primarily made from Malvasia Istriana grapes and a small amount of Rebula grapes, both of which are picked and fermented together.

During the 10-12 day fermentation process, the skins remain in contact with the fermenting juice, creating a wine with a rich, golden hue and full-bodied taste. The extended skin contact extracts flavors and tannins that give oOo its unique characteristics. For us, oOo represents not just an orange wine, but our heritage and the knowledge passed down from our ancestors.

RV embodies the passion and experimental spirit of Lepa Vida winery. Its name is a nod to Irena's parents, Roman and Vilma, who started the winery over three decades ago. Matija, always up for a challenge, experimented with red wines and filled three barrels with a new blend. He simply wrote "RV" on them, which stands for "Rdeče Vino" (red wine in Slovenian). The name stuck and has now become an integral part of Lepa Vida's wine family, alongside MI and VI.

Making red wine in the Vipava valley presents a unique set of challenges. Weather conditions can vary greatly from year to year. Some seasons provide the perfect conditions for the ripening of late varieties like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, while others bring wet and rainy weather in September and October that slow down ripening and cause concern for winemakers. However, with good and precise work in the vineyards, satisfying results can be achieved every year.

RV is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that showcases the character of the Vipava valley. Medium-bodied and fresh, the wine bursts with fruity notes in the mouth, complemented by oaky nuances from two years in used French oak barrels. The result is an elegant and complex wine that showcases the best of what the Vipava valley has to offer.