Hiša Joannes Protner
About
House Joannes Protner is located five kilometers from the centre of Maribor, in the direction of Malečnik. Run by Boštjan Protner and his wife, Mojca, they are now heavily assisted by their children Martin, Katarina and Ana. Ana was recently awarded the title of Slovenian Wine Queen in 2021. The family has been devoted to viticulture for over three decades and now have a total of 18 hectares of vineyards.
The vineyards are up to 45 years old and located on steep 30-45˚ slopes. Nights are refreshingly chilly and receive tons of winds through the sharp Štajerska hills and valleys. The family is well known by their three beautiful vineyard sites of Vodole, Šempetrska Gorca and Celestrina.
All viticulture on their small family farm is practicing organic and all fermentations are done with native yeasts, with only small amounts of sulfur additions done at bottling.
The family focuses almost entirely on various expressions of Riesling, predominantly Renski (aka Rhein Riesling/Rizling - from German origin) Riesling - as opposed to the commonly found Welschriesling (aka Laški Riesling). Rieslings excel in this terroir and microclimate and deliver an unrivaled Slovenian complex expression. They also produce small amounts of sparkling wines, other aromatic whites (Welschriesling, Muscat, etc.), and small amounts of a fantastic Pinot Noir.
"Our family believes there's truth in the wine. In our veils, stories about our land and our family are intertwined, stories of effort, suffering, the struggle to live, and the stories of love that bind us so passionately. We believe this story flows in every glass of our wine."
Wines
