History Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery was formerly known as “NBI Rahoveci”. It was established in 1953 as a social enterprise by the Yugoslavian government. It was the first modern winery in Rahovec although wine production in the vicinity dates back to the ancient Illyrian times as confirmed by numerous archaeological evidences. A successful American businessman originating from Kosovo, Rrustem Gecaj, privatized the winery in 2006. After privatization it was named Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery. The current company has demonstrated business and production successes by expanding vineyards and increasing technological production capacities. In addition, climatic conditions, soil quality, geographic location with an altitude of 350-500m, tradition and passion of the people in the region for vine cultivation have contributed to the production of high quality wines. Today A big wave of investment and subsequent innovation, valued up to 40 million dollars, has aided and advanced technological processing, professional training, revitalization of vineyards and much more. Stone Castle takes great pride in growing the highest quality grapes and producing approachable - premium wines by combining the latest technological advances with traditional winemaking methods. From handpicking grapes that meet our strict quality standards to de-stemming and fermentation, aging in oak barrels, bottling, corking and labeling, there is so much that goes in every bottle of wine. Stone Castle’s current international markets are the Balkans, Germany, Switzerland, multiple African nations and the United States. Stone Castle has a winemaking capacity of up to 13 million liters a year and the capacity to process approximately 70,000 tons of grapes annually (these capacities can be increased as the market grows). The cellar has a storage capacity of 5 million liters in wooden barrels, which makes it one of the largest privately owned wineries in all of Europe. The Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery laboratory is one of the most modern laboratories in the region. It is registered in the Kosovo Registry of Business Organizations and Trade Names (ARBK) of the Republic of Kosovo with NRB 7035422. Infrastructure and management of the laboratory is made according to the requirements of SK EN ISO / IEC 1725. Currently Stone Castle employs 249 full time staff and up to 700 seasonal staff. Land crops (property); Active and inactive vineyards 990.22.07 ha - 45.01% Grasses 486.30.05 ha - 22.10% Fields 279.61.37 ha - 12.71% Forests 353.78.72 ha - 16.08% Meadows 7.43.50 ha - 0.34% Uncategorized roads 42.90.92 ha - 1.95% Wastelands 5.62.26 ha - 0.26% Third category roads 10.98.31 ha - 0.50% Orchards 20.91.05 ha - 0.95% The buildings and grounds 2.35.45 ha - 0.11% The total 2200.13.70 ha Growth of Grapes The Stone Castle Company owns 2,200 hectares of arable land of which over 700 hectares are active vineyards. All vineyards are positioned in the soft hillsides of the Rahovec Valley at an altitude of 350 to 520 meters and are positioned for optimal sun exposure, which collectively results in the production of very high quality grapes. Further, the vineyards are cultivated under the direct supervision of experts utilizing advanced agro-technical measures and technologies. Climatic conditions The area has a Continental climate with Mediterranean influence. Annual rainfall in the territory reaches 765 mm with average air temperatures of 11.8 °C. The hottest month is July which has a maximum temperature of 38.5 °C, while in the winter, the coldest month is usually February with the lowest temperature being -14,5 °C. Most commonly the winds blow from the north. The Altitude This region lies in the central and southern part of Dukagjini Range, at an average altitude of 550 m. It is divided into three micro-regions: 80.6 km2 (or 29.17%) plains-valleys with an altitude from 310 to 350 m; 162.2 km2 (58.7%) hilly terrain with an altitude from 350 to 600 m and; 33.5 km2 or (12.13%) of mountainous terrain with an altitude of 600 m. Harvesting Grape harvesting at Stone Castle is done manually under the supervision of staff where the assessment of the technological maturity is done. Harvesting at Stone Castle begins in early September and ends in the second half of October. Storage Stone Castle’s storage is predominantly done in stainless steel tanks and in specific environments (mainly underground). The white wines are stored in stainless steel while red wines are aged in wood barrels and then finished in stainless steel. Stone Castle has one of the largest underground cellars in Europe with a capacity of 5,000,000 million liters, where temperatures are constant throughout the year, from 13 to 16 º C. Storage of packaged wines are in modern a warehouse with an isolation system and constant temperature. Recent Developments Stone Castle has started a new product line called “New Castle” which will be Cuvees of various varietal blends. We are also introducing a Kosovo sparkling wine “Koseco”. The local and international research and development team have created the new wines in order for us to stay innovative and attractive to the market. We recently opened our own Wine Shop in the city center of our country’s capital Prishtina with the intent of being closer to our customers. There have also been new investments in: • Revitalization of existing vineyards • Establishment of new premium vineyards with select grape varieties and clones • Production technology - replacing old equipment with new, from receipt of grapes to filling and packaging including a new fully automated production line with a capacity of 2,600 bottles per hour. Stone Castle Resort Finally, we are building and developing Stone Castle Resort. We are seeking to make the area one of the best agro-tourism attractions in South East Europe. The 1,900 m2 Hotel situated on 59 hectares of land is being constructed of hand cut local stone and will be outfitted with a state of the art interior. The property will also contain the first professionally designed golf course in the region, biking trails and other areas for outdoor activities.