Zidarich: the Winery Carved into the Karst Rock and Wines That Taste of Stone
22 meters beneath the Trieste Karst, Benjamin Zidarich macerates Vitovska in limestone vessels carved directly into the rock.
Prepotto, Trieste
Since 1988, Benjamin Zidarich has been at the helm of the estate with a clear mission: to enhance the potential of his land through wine. That land is the Trieste Karst—rock, bora wind, red soil, and grape varieties that grow nowhere else.
In July 2009, he inaugurated the new winery designed by architect Paolo Meng—a remarkable architectural work built over eight years using local materials and carved more than twenty meters into the rock, with walls made from stone recovered during excavation. Three underground levels, a constant temperature, and a silence made of stone.
Here Benjamin does something rare: the Vitovska “Kamen” undergoes a month-long maceration in an open stone vessel, followed by one year of aging in a stone wine vat and another year in wood. The stone does not release minerals; it stabilizes the temperature and leaves the wine alone with itself. The result is a white wine unlike any other—saline, vertical, with a finish that tastes of the Karst.
Three times a year, Zidarich opens his Osmiza above the winery: wines, local produce, and a terrace overlooking the sea. It’s worth planning ahead to be there.
This is an independent editorial feature.
Photo ©zidarich.it
Practical Information
Location: Prepotto, Trieste
Duration: 1–2 hours (winery visit + tasting)
Estimated price: By reservation only
