Wines from small family wineries are unique and different every time. We will advise you how to get to these gems
Small wineries honour tradition and handicraft
Small family wineries differ from large companies not only in the volume of production. The difference is mainly in the approach. Craft and respect for nature is usually passed down from generation to generation in the family. Small winemakers do not own the latest technology and process wine by hand according to tradition. This gives them the advantage of having more space to really 'play' with the wine and polish it to the smallest detail. That's why they often keep winemaking as a hobby, even if they have more demand - they don't want to increase the amount of wine they produce because that would be work and not fun.
The range of wines from small wineries is therefore more varied and interesting, even if you have to choose a lot more. But if you find the right pieces, it's definitely worth it.
Don't expect a standardised taste, but a surprise
With the big wineries, on the other hand, you can count on always getting the same taste and quality you're used to. They usually follow a "recipe" so that the customer always gets what they know from previous years. Moreover, with high production, there would be no time for experimentation.
With smaller winemakers, on the other hand, you have to be prepared for the fact that they do not have the 'same' wines every year. However, there are always new surprises waiting for you. For small productions, the local growing conditions, the so-called terroir, the vintage and the winemaker's approach are much more noticeable. Simply put, wine from a family winemaker has a philosophy and a soul.
Small winemakers cultivate a relationship with the customer
Small wineries have always relied on direct sales. Building a personal relationship with the customer is almost as important to these winemakers as the quality of the wine itself. That's why, before the pandemic, you could meet them at markets, wine festivals, or buy from them when visiting a winery. Walking through a wine-growing community and soaking up its atmosphere was an important part of buying wine. These opportunities ended with the advent of coronavirus measures.
Small winemakers are therefore trying to find other ways to reach their customers, usually through online sales. However, large wine companies have also jumped in, losing supplies to restaurants and hotels. So the wine lover today sees lots of advertisements on the internet for sets of wines at a discounted price. It is difficult to find one's way around the wide range, let alone make the right choice. Moreover, these are usually sets in which all the wines come from one winemaker.
Sommelier boxes will introduce you to the whole of Moravia
Our Degu can help you choose the best wines from small family wineries. Every month, it compiles a Sommelier Box, which contains four carefully selected wines from small winemakers from four different wine sub-regions - Znojmo, Slovácko, Mikulov and Velkopavlovice. The bottles in the crate deliberately come from vineyards far from each other, because the geographical origin is reflected in the taste. You are therefore assured that each crate will present you with very diverse flavours.
The purpose of the Sommelier Crates is to help wine lovers taste the whole of South Moravia and to clarify their favourites. The wine always comes with a story - in addition to a basic description, each bottle is accompanied by a video in which the winemaker himself describes the grape variety, the location where the grapes were grown and his way of working. Through 'remote tasting', small winemakers establish a relationship with their customers, whom they will hopefully soon be happy to welcome in person to their cellars.
