On the eastern slopes of Moslavina, on the border with Slavonia, above the river Ilova, there are vineyards of the Lagena winery. Here are some of the best locations for growing vines in the Moslavina region. The first vineyards in this position were planted in the middle of the 19th century. Today’s vineyards are nurtured by the fifth generation of winegrowers and winemakers from the Đozo family, who planted their first vineyards in 1992. They are located at 255 meters above sea level and are exclusively south-oriented. The total area of vineyards is 6 hectares, and the dominant indigenous variety is Moslavina – škrlet, locally known as a yellow ram. In addition to škrlet, Graševina, Pinot Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also grown.
The name of the winery comes from the Latin name for the bottle (lat. Lagena, grc. Lagynos). Lagena is a belly-shaped clay jug with a narrow and long neck and a handle on the side. It was used as a vessel for serving and transporting wine in the 4th century BC in ancient Greece, and this tradition was continued by the Romans, whose empire was also present in Moslavina.
In Ilova in the 19th century, pottery, using local clay, was practised by Ivan Bertek with highly sought-after clay jugs for wine, taking clay from our locations that are rich in various types of clay. The belly jug with a narrow neck is called lagena, so our winery took that name from combining local wine and clay.
Lagene used to be hung on a wrought iron wedge on the wall in front of the cellar and this was a recognizable sign that wine was sold there. The local lagenas had a volume of 1.4 – 1.6 litres, which corresponded to one eye, so the old people of Ilovci used to say “one eye for one guy”. The shape is reminiscent of today’s decanter, so we believe that it is a light precursor to the decanter.
