Radovan Šuman took over his family's vineyards in his teenage years when his father fell ill. The estate, rooted in the hills of Slovenian Styria, had been farmed for generations, but it was Radovan who would transform it. Drawn to the teachings of Rudolf Steiner through his interest in quantum physics, he converted the farm to biodynamics over two decades ago and has not deviated since. Today he and his wife Simona farm 7 hectares in the Štajerska wine-growing region of northeastern Slovenia.
Backstory
The Šuman winery carries more than 300 years of family history in the Zavrh area near Lenart in the Slovenske Gorice hills. Radovan's decision to pursue biodynamics was not simply about certification. He eliminated synthetic inputs, copper sprays, and even conventional plowing, replacing them with homemade herbal infusions, beeswax, essential oils, and clay preparations. He integrated livestock into the vineyard system, adding sheep, chickens, and 25 beehives. Over more than two decades this approach produced a dense, biodiverse farm ecosystem that Radovan considers inseparable from the wine.
The Region
The Štajerska region, also known as Slovenian Styria, occupies the northeastern part of the country, bordering Austria to the north. The landscape rolls through forested hills and river valleys, with vineyards planted on south-facing slopes at elevations that give significant diurnal temperature variation. The area is one of Slovenia's most important wine regions, with centuries of continuous viticulture dating to before Austro-Hungarian administration.
Vineyards and Farming
The estate encompasses 7 hectares near Zavrh with over 60 different grape varieties in the ground, the majority Pinot Noir, Yellow Muscat, Traminer, and Sauvignon Blanc. Fifty sheep graze between the rows; their wool goes into the compost. All field work is done by hand with no tractors. Radovan follows the Demeter biodynamic calendar strictly, aligning vineyard work with cosmic cycles. He was instrumental in raising Slovenia's Demeter requirements to a minimum of 0.1 cattle per hectare. No synthetic inputs of any kind have been used for more than 20 years.
Winemaking
All wines are produced without added sulfur. Maceration times are extended and aging in oak, chestnut, and cherry vessels runs a minimum of two years before bottling. Radovan bottles exclusively on solstices, a practice tied to his belief in the energetic quality of the wine. Bottles are sealed with beeswax from his own hives, and some wines are released in distinctive handmade clay bottles that have become a signature of the estate.
The Wines
The best-known wines are Moondrops and Sundrops. Moondrops is a blend of all seven white varieties from lower, moister parcels where botrytis develops on some grapes; around half the blend typically includes botrytized fruit. Sundrops comes from the top of the hillside, a blend of Traminer and Sauvignon Blanc from the sunniest, driest exposures. Both are deeply amber, long-aged, and complex. The Sun Drops wine is available at Primal Wine.
