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In a peaceful, historic village of Šmarje, the wine and olive oil farm of Ludvik Nazarij Glavina is perched on a hillside in the heart of Slovenian Istria.
History
The story of premium wines and distinctive olive oil from Šmarje incorporated in the Santomas brand begins with 25 ha (62 acres) of vineyards and almost 7 ha (17 acres) of olive groves. Honoring the tradition and Istrian cultural heritage is at the core of the owner’s philosophy, and an honest, sustainable approach to both agriculture and environment is its integral part. In the vineyards you will find predominantly the refosco and malvasia grape varieties, while the olive oil varieties Istrian belica and leccino are grown in the neighboring olive groves.
The Glavina family have lived in Šmarje ever since the village was established. It is believed that a merchant named Glavina came to the area of today’s Šmarje, bought a large part of the land, and became the driving force behind the formation of the village and its progress.
Born in 1856, Ivan (Johannes) Glavina, also called Petrušić, was the first to start growing grapes and olives.
Precisely 90 years later, Ludvik Nazarij Glavina was born, representing the 4th generation of winemakers and olive growers. In 1997, he laid the foundation of the Santomas brand and began bottling premium wines. His wife Andreja, who is the mainstay of the family and whose support is indispensable also in the business, helped him establish the brand. The origins of the brand name can be traced back to a book “Topographie de toutes les vinobles” (1832) in which Ludvik found a special note by the French author. He wrote that among the most famous wines in the vicinity of Koper/Capodistria are wines called Santomas that are very drinkable and pleasant tasting.
Out of respect for his father, Ludvik took the name Nazarij. Coincidentally, Saint Nazarij is the patron saint of the municipality of Koper, which also includes the village Šmarje.
Ludvik dedicated a 3,000-liter barrel in memory of each of his ancestors. The barrels are inscribed with the names of the ancestors; white color for Ivan (Johannes) Glavina, red for Antonius (2nd generation winemaker, one of the best Santomas wine collections is named after him) and yellow for Nazarij (3rd generation). Together with the family coat of arms and the motto “Semper memoriam refacit tempum” (Eng. memory always renews time), the colors white, red and yellow form the Glavina family flag, which flies on the wine cellar tower.
Since the 9th century, the village known today as Šmarje has been recognized for its stone lattice window (Lat. transenna) built into the bell tower of the village church. Its design marks the beginning of Christianity in this area, while also representing wisdom and hope. Ludvik Nazarij Glavina used transenna as the hallmark of the Santomas brand. A bronze copy of the Šmarje church transenna is built into the Santomas wine cellar tower, which is symbolically also of the same height as the church bell tower.
The roles of winery manager and chief enologist up until 2016 were fulfilled by Tamara Glavina, Ludvik’s youngest daughter and the 5th generation of the Glavina family engaged in olive growing and winemaking. Tamara succeeded in putting the Santomas winery on the world wine map: in 2015, the renowned wine critic Robert Parker Jr. evaluated 7 of our wines and all the ratings exceeded 90 points on a 100-point scale.
Today the Santomas estate boasts a modern oil mill and a wine cellar, complete with a tasting room, an enological laboratory, a wine warehouse, and a wine bank. The wine cellar was built in accordance with the owner’s respect for the traditions of Istrian architecture and, based on the recommendation of the landscape architects, also in accordance with the unwritten laws on the architectural suitability of buildings in Slovenian Istria.
A look inside
Walk through the estate.
Where can you find us?
Šmarje 10, 6274 Šmarje, Slovenska Istra, Slovenija | Tel.: +386 40 457 451 | Email: info@santomas.si
