Zahar Farm
Rooted in tradition, guided by nature.
About the producer and family:
Azienda Agricola Zahar is a small, family-run winery and olive oil farm rooted in the rugged landscape of the Carso, where viticulture and olive growing have been part of daily life for five generations. Over decades, the Zahar family has cultivated a deep, intuitive understanding of this demanding terrain, learning to work with the wind, the stone, and the slow rhythm of the seasons rather than against them. Farming here has always been guided by patience, manual care, and respect for tradition.
In 2013, Tania Stefani took over the estate and led its full transition to organic farming, eliminating synthetic treatments and focusing on healthy soils, biodiversity, and low-intervention methods in both the vineyard and the olive groves. From pruning and harvesting by hand to gentle pressing and natural fermentations, every step is carried out on a small scale with close attention. The cellar itself, set inside a natural karst cavity and cooled by spring water, reflects their intimate connection to the earth — wines and oils are quite literally shaped within the land that nourishes them. The result is production that feels honest and expressive, carrying the character of the Carso and the quiet dedication of the family behind it.
Azienda Agricola Zahar is a small, family-run winery and olive oil farm rooted in the rugged landscape of the Carso, where viticulture and olive growing have been part of daily life for five generations. Over decades, the Zahar family has cultivated a deep, intuitive understanding of this demanding terrain, learning to work with the wind, the stone, and the slow rhythm of the seasons rather than against them. Farming here has always been guided by patience, manual care, and respect for tradition.
In 2013, Tania Stefani took over the estate and led its full transition to organic farming, eliminating synthetic treatments and focusing on healthy soils, biodiversity, and low-intervention methods in both the vineyard and the olive groves. From pruning and harvesting by hand to gentle pressing and natural fermentations, every step is carried out on a small scale with close attention. The cellar itself, set inside a natural karst cavity and cooled by spring water, reflects their intimate connection to the earth — wines and oils are quite literally shaped within the land that nourishes them. The result is production that feels honest and expressive, carrying the character of the Carso and the quiet dedication of the family behind it.
About the land around Zahar:
Zahar’s vineyards and olive groves lie in Carso, near San Dorligo della Valle on the border between Italy and Slovenia, where rugged limestone hills meet the Adriatic Sea. The climate is bright and breezy, shaped by sea air and strong seasonal winds, with warm days and cool nights that allow grapes and olives to ripen slowly while preserving freshness and aromatic clarity.
Iron-rich terra rossa soils layered over karst rock provide excellent drainage and natural minerality, giving structure and tension to both the wines and the olive oil. This stark, stony landscape — marked by caves, dry stone walls, and wild Mediterranean vegetation — creates a distinctive borderland terroir where every harvest reflects both the strength of the land and the influence of the sea.
“Here the wind, the stone, and the salt air shape everything we grow.”
Zahar’s vineyards and olive groves lie in Carso, near San Dorligo della Valle on the border between Italy and Slovenia, where rugged limestone hills meet the Adriatic Sea. The climate is bright and breezy, shaped by sea air and strong seasonal winds, with warm days and cool nights that allow grapes and olives to ripen slowly while preserving freshness and aromatic clarity.
Iron-rich terra rossa soils layered over karst rock provide excellent drainage and natural minerality, giving structure and tension to both the wines and the olive oil. This stark, stony landscape — marked by caves, dry stone walls, and wild Mediterranean vegetation — creates a distinctive borderland terroir where every harvest reflects both the strength of the land and the influence of the sea.
“Here the wind, the stone, and the salt air shape everything we grow.”
