In the middle of Ljubljana, where there's no shortage of stories aimed at attracting the masses and promoting sales, Štorija, which actually means story in Slovene, is challenging that notion. It's a noble, authentic, unique, and good one.
David Šnigoj opened the Štorija vinotheque on Trubarjeva 17 years ago, and even he doesn't know why anymore. That's just how it happened, because he values good wine and because Ljubljana needed a space for people who share this sentiment; people who like to drink a good bottle and discover something new.
Special, high-quality, different
Behind the ajar doors of David's Štorija, you can find an exceptional selection of high-quality, exclusive wines by (mostly) boutique winemakers from all the wine-growing regions in Slovenia and just beyond its borders. On the shelves, table, and bar, in the crates and boxes, even behind a curtain, you can spot lightly dust-covered bottles of wine, including ecological production, biodynamic, orange, natural, autochthonous... Here and there, you can also find a bottle by a large, classic, maybe even foreign winemaker. That's because the complete range of wines results from connecting different winemakers who produce good and interesting wines to the people who appreciate them. They are connected by the energy and the common goal of discovering the yet unknown, with wine representing the medium and David a humble intermediary.
How many bottles does he have? Who knows. In Slovenia, there are supposed to be around 30,000 winemakers, so he couldn't possibly know them all. Which winemaker is currently his favourite? He won't tell. What about his favourite variety? He doesn't have one.
While he's shuffling around the shelves, there's an honest conversation about wines most people haven't heard of yet, about some exciting experiments being done by certain winemakers, about the friends or neighbours of some of his regulars that just made a few bottles of something interesting. When the weather is nice, the conversation often moves outside in front of the shop, where the sunlight can playfully interact with the colourful wine. In contrast, in the evenings the conversations and tastings are accompanied by the gentle sounds of a guitar.
Just right
David takes his time together with each visitor to find just the right wine. With his regulars, he likes to chat about common acquaintances or point out any new wine additions, while with new customers he likes to use three questions (Where are you from? What colour should the wine be? How much are you looking to spend?) to find just the right bottle for them. All based on his exceptional knowledge and experience, completely practical and without prejudice. If he doesn't have it, he prefers to point them someplace else, which he thinks is for the best.
He loves to provide good winemakers from all over with a showcase in the capital, and sometimes even a window to the world. Luckily, he says, there's no shortage of good winemakers, so the future of wines like these is in good hands. From ones that are maybe too trend-dependent to hipster dudes and enthusiastic descendants of winemakers with century-old traditions – there are lots of people producing interesting wines and always surprising you with their innovations. And these will almost assuredly find their place on the shelves and in the boxes at Štorija.
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MMM stories is a series of online articles introducing unique local shops, small producers, farmers, and restaurants from Ljubljana and the surroundings.
Photos: Suzan Gabrijan
