Bratislava, Slovakia

Naboso is the love and labour of Nadja & Andrej Miklušičák based in the quaint village of Sväty Jur. It's a short drive to Bratislava on the most western parts of Slovakia, only a stone’s throw away from the more prominent Austrian region of Burgenland. Despite its geographical proximity, the vineyards are located along the contrasting Carpathian hills, a geological formation with a solid bedrock of granite mixed with a conglomerate of rocky and sandy layers on top. As with the surrounding regions in Austria and Czechia Blaufränkisch, Grüner Veltliner and Welschriesling, alongside other Central European grapes, are the core focus for them today.

We first visited them on a hot summer day in 2022. Having met Nadja many times in the past (who has worked with friends and winemakers in Austria), we were excited to get to know Andrej and properly taste and discover their fledgling project. Perhaps their most distinct mantra is an admirable commitment to aging their wines. They both believe in taking time, allowing most of their wines to mature for at least 2 years before releasing them to the market. Despite being low intervention wines they both strive for wines with a sense of precision — reminiscent of their Carpathian origin. To us, they are an essential puzzle piece to contextualise the vibrant scene of Central Europe today — with their Carpathian terroir they add an essential dimension to the diversity of Blaufränkisch today