Pivnica Čajkov - A Slovakian Gem

Nestled within the Nitra wine region of central Slovakia is the village of Čajkov, home to natural winemaker Marek Uhnák and his winery, Pivnica Čajkov. The vineyards span the Caldera hills, a topography formed by the ancient eruption of the Sitno stratovolcano. The top soil here is sponge-like, compact volcanic ash which helps draw in rainwater and encourages roots of the vines to extend deep into the ground. This brings an incredibly strong mineral character to the final wines. 

Armed with over two decades of winemaking experience, Marek Uhnák embarked on his vinicultural journey after pursuing oenology studies at Mendel University in Lednice, Czech Republic. Although he initially embraced traditional winemaking, Marek's perspective shifted when he recognised that the true essence of the local terroir could best be captured through minimal intervention methods. This transformation to natural winemaking techniques has yielded remarkable results, as you can appreciate when you open one of his bottles. 

Marek's portfolio predominantly showcases single-varietal wines, complemented by a selection of experimental blends that evolve with each vintage. Everything undergo spontaneous fermentation with the majority aged in old oak barrels. There is no filtration, or fining and sulphur is only ever used in tiny amounts when absolutely necessary.

When we first tasted, it was his cuvées made with the Romanian grape variety Persecká Leánkar (Feteascâ Regalâ in Romania) that really grabbed our attention. He produces three skin contact wines from this grape with a range of maceration levels and intensity. We currently have the following in stock;

Princess 2022 - Marek's lightest expression of Persecká Leánkar with 24 hours skin contact. Floral with fresh stone fruit flavours and a pastry-like finish. 

Rustical 2021 - A deeper orange wine made with 4 to 10 days of maceration of Persecká Leánkar grapes. The apricot flavours are more developed and there is a complex finish of nuts and honey. 

Queen Mom 2021 - The most intense and complex expression of Persecká Leánkar made with 3 to 4 weeks of skin contact. The dried stone fruits are complimented with earthy and spicy notes along with a strong herbal character and a mineral backbone. 

We also have a wine from Marek with with the grape Devín. This is a cross between Gwurtztraminer and Rotweisser Veltliner.

Intacto NV - An orange wine with 2 to 3 weeks of skin contact. Aromatic with some notes associated with classic Gewurtztraminer. Think dried rose, citrus peel and honey.