Wine in the Small Carpathians Region Near Bratislava

Little Carpathian specialities

The winemakers of the Small Carpathian region offer a diversity of varieties and styles. 

Suchá nad Parnou, a small village near the city of Trnava, has a long vine-growing tradition going back to 14th century. Terra Parna, the local family producer, combines the locality’s heritage with a newly built winery employing the latest techniques and principles. Its core vineyards, depicted on the distinctive label and covering less than 4 hectares, hint at the small scale of production that is typical for Slovak craft winemakers. 

Just ten minutes’ drive away, on the outskirts of Trnava, is the cellar door of Mrva & Stanko, one of the few Slovak producers to enjoy a strong international reputation – especially after its 2011 Hron/Váh/Rimava/Rudava cuvee won the Grand Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2014. It too has embraced modern technologies, such as controlled fermentation.

Jozef Stanko, head of tasting at Mrva & Stanko, explains that this lowers the temperature and slows the process of fermentation to produce a “fresher, more aromatic wine – highlighting the character of the grape variety – compared to production by traditional methods.” Mrva & Stanko also employs wooden barrels for maturing, as well as cement containers, which impart no extra taste.

Among the numerous small, interesting labels in this region are Karpatská Perla, Pavelka & Son, Pereg, and Elesko, which boasts a starkly modern facility just north of Modra.