Stanko Polanič can certainly be classified as a passionate entrepreneur with a vision. While everyone around him saw poor reality of winemaking in the village of Mačkovci, whose history of viticulture and winemaking in the village and the entire region at its peak boasted only production of grapes as raw material to be sold to cooperatives, Stanko Polanič embarked on the adventure of planting vineyards with a vision to turn this region into a well-known wine destination for tourists both local and foreign. Soon afterwards, Marof family winery was established. Confirmation that Stanko made the right step is the fact that immediately the following year Marof winery won the regional trophy for its Breg Chardonnay at the Decanter competition in London.
Uroš Walcl, oenologist at Marof winery, fondly remembers his first encounter with the vineyards around the village of Goričko and with Marof winery. He grew up with vines, and he completed at least 10 harvests with his parents in the family vineyards. Afterwards, he got the invitation and a great opportunity to start his professional career in Goričko. Of course, a 21-year-old ambitious young man could not refuse such an opportunity. At first, he didn’t even know exactly where the village was located. On his first trip there, he got lost, so he stumbled upon a local quarry quite by accident, where he first understood the local terroir when he saw layers of volcanic basalt in the soil profile. The image of old Sauvignon Blanc vines in Bodonci vineyard captivated him and brought closer to Marof winery.
He tries to make honest wines of premium quality at Marof winery. Unfortunately, we live in times when economy in all areas, even in agriculture, has been reduced to profit, and people have lost contact with nature. A vineyard is good only if it brings profit, the land should be used as much as possible in order to give the maximum yield without respecting natural balance. In Marof winery, they wholeheartedly strive to bring nature into balance, all vineyards are cultivated ecologically. In the wine cellar, traditional procedures and natural processes are applied with minimal interventions only when necessary.
Stanko Polanič, owner of Marof winery, believes that the fact that he started a winery in a region that did not have a glorious reputation in the past is not in itself a mistake. He accepted it as a challenge. His vision is that the wines from Marof winery and at the same time from the entire region will excel not only in Slovenia but also elsewhere across the globe. At the same time, Stanko attempts to showcase the best wines from Frankovka, which are traditionally grown in the area. Particularly so, because the vineyard plot Mačkovci with its plentiful sunshine and aeration provides conditions for top results.
Text Tomislav Ivanović