When Tatjana Devetak's grandfather said he wanted to carve a world-class wine cellar out of the solid rock of the Karst plateau, everyone said he was crazy. "Who will come to see it?" people said, as he carved each stone by hand. Then the excavation uncovered a trench from World War I, buried below this family's extraordinary restaurant and inn, where travelers and locals alike have enjoyed the hospitality of the Devetak family since 1870. The extra space enabled the Devetak family to realize their dreams of a program where the local wines, which grow up from the same harsh rock, are showcased with the same pride as the family's Slovenian mother tongue.  

This episode was recorded onsite with sounds of kitchen, refrigerator and telephone. Tatjana translates for her father, Avguštin Devetak, and also speaks for herself. 



A visit to Lokanda Devetak in San Michele del Carso—in northeast Italy not far from the Slovenian border—is highly recommended.



A note from Rose Thomas: "As I sat down beside the lace-curtained window and got to know the Devetak family through a dinner that expressed the culture of the Karst with love and pride, I thought, 'Oh my god, this restaurant has terroir.' The Devetak family reminded me why we all do what we do in the world of restaurants, winemakers, sommeliers and writers. After six generations of hospitality, Lokanda Devetak is the height of locavore culinary tradition. The meals I enjoyed there were among the best of my life."



www.devetak.com



Follow Lokanda Devetak on Instagram: @lokandadevetak

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Music composed by Ersilia Prosperi for the band Ou: www.oumusic.bandcamp.com

Buy their latest album at https://folderol.it/ou/

This episode was produced and recorded by Rose Thomas Bannister

Video and audio edited by Giulia Àlvarez-Katz

Audio assistance by Steve Silverstein