Puklavec Wines in black

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ladimir Puklavec, the owner of one of the largest wine cellars in our country, has died

Vladimir Puklavec, the owner of one of the largest wine cellars in our country, has died

Vladimir Puklavec, the owner of the largest wine cellar in the north-eastern part of Slovenia and the owner of the Puklavec Family Wines brand, died at the age of 80, according to the media. As a businessman, he got rich abroad, and last year Manager magazine ranked him 55th on the list of the richest Slovenians.

Death information Vladimir Puklavec Rokometni klub Jeruzalem Ormož announced via the social network. “We are shocked to announce the sad news that longtime member, friend and sponsor Vlado Puklavec has left us. Without you, Vlado, it will never be the same again. Thank you for all your selfless help all these decades,” the handball club wrote.

Vladimir Puklavec, a businessman with roots in Ormo, made his fortune abroad. After completing his studies, he went to Germany, where he created a global energy empire in a few decades.

In 2009, he took over the Ormoš and Ljutomer cellars and vineyards, the owner and tenant of which today is the recognized wine company Puklavec Family Wines. This is one of the largest Slovenian wine exporters. Among other things, their wines are offered by several airlines, and in the retail sector they are established in many large retail chains around the world.

The company cultivates a total of 630 hectares of its own vineyards, making them the largest Slovenian winery in terms of area.

Owner Vladimir Puklavec has invested EUR 17 million just into production since the company was launched, which included replanting of 272 hectares of their 630 hectares of vineyard.

13 million EUR turnover, half a million profit

Earlier this month the company opened a boutique winery in Negotino, Macedonia worth EUR 1.6 million, an investment promoted by significant demand for high-quality white wines. The Puklavec estate specialises in whites – the entire east of the country is more focused on white wines – with red wines currently accounting for just ten percent of the entire output.

Herga said vintage 2018 was very good and the company was now waiting for the results of some of the biggest wine ratings, in particular from Decanter. “We expect good results and medals,” he said. The company last year made 42% of its sales in Slovenia. Croatia is their biggest foreign market, having last year overtaken the Netherlands. Poland and the UK are significant destinations for Puklavec wines as well.

Puklavec Family Wines is one of the biggest exporters of wine in Slovenia and sells to major retail chains as well as airlines including KLM, Brussels Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Puklavec Family Wines, the biggest winery in north-east Slovenia, turned the first profit last year after nearly a decade of intense investing. Director Mitja Herga calls it a breakthrough. The company has around 170 employees and runs wineries in Ormož and Ljutomer under the Puklavec Family Wines brand.