Great wines of Slovenia

Travel to Slovenia

Slovenia is the green country in the heart of Europe with the big heart. Slovenia has much of the appeal of its neighbours Italy, Switzerland and Austria but for a much lower price. Slovenia is one of the largest wine producers in Europe and I was recently invited to see and taste my way through this interesting, green and beautiful wine country. Slovenia boasts a rich winemaking tradition spanning over two millennia, with more than 28,000 wineries producing between 80 and 90 million liters annually from approximately 22,300 hectares of vineyards. Notably, about 75% of the country's production is white wine - read more here Wikipedia

photo by Marko Petrei

Slovenian vineyards are located in the heart of the European wine growing belt. Winemaking in Slovenia has a long history and existed long before the Romans introduced winemaking to France, Germany and Spain.

Most vineyards in Slovenia are relatively small, family-run estates, little is exported and the wine is mainly for domestic use. Slovenian winemakers claim that´s because they want to keep it all for themselves. Quality continues to replace quantity as winemakers enhance their skills and try out new methods of producing wine. There is a growing number of award winning Slovenian wines being exported to the rest of the world.

Wine-tourism is getting more and more popular in Slovenia and very often one get to meet the winemakers themselves for the tour and the tastings. Every winemaker is proud of their wine and like to share it with the visitors that stop at their cellar.

Slovenia has three main regions for wine production Podravje, Posavje and Primorska and despite of being a small country, the variation of the wine between the regions is large. Because of the differences in soil, climate, the selling methods each wine-growing region has its own flare.

Podravje

Bordering Croatia and Hungary in the east, Prodravje is Slovenia´s largest wine region and is famous for it´s white wines, it´s sparkling wines and dessert wines.

Posavje

Posavje also in the eastern border is the smallest of the wine producing regions in Slovenia and is home of the fresh and light red wine often with a low content of alcohol.

Primorska

Of the three Slovenian wine regions the Primorska wine region is the most developed. There is a very strong Italian influence in this area in the language, food, culture, architecture and the wine. Read more about this region in my post from Piran.

In wine-growing Slovenia there are plenty of opportunities to toast with and enjoy good wine. The joy and pride for Slovenian wine is reflected in a number of festivals and local events taking place in the wine regions throughout the year. The most festive season is the fall when the grapes are ripe.

One of the best ways to explore the wine regions of Slovenia is on two wheels. Many local companies arranges cycling winetours from village to village stopping off at cellars for tastings.

Red and white, full-bodied and light, dry and sweet no matter what you prefer, you will find your wine favorite in the small green country with the big heart.

Wine regions of Slovenia

The country's viticulture is divided into three principal wine regions:

Primorska (Littoral Region): Located in the west, this region is known for its Mediterranean climate and diverse grape varieties, including Rebula, Malvazija, and Refošk - read more here Slovenia

Podravje (Drava Region): Situated in the northeast, Podravje is the largest wine-growing area, producing elegant white wines from varieties like Furmint, Sauvignon, and Riesling - read more here Slovenia

Posavje (Lower Sava Region): Found in the southeast, Posavje is renowned for producing Cviček, a unique blend of red and white grapes resulting in a light, slightly sour wine with low alcohol content - Wikipedia

For a comprehensive exploration of Slovenian wines, including detailed information on wine regions, grape varieties, and the country's winemaking heritage, you can visit the official Slovenian wine portal - VinSlovenia

I was invited by the tourist office of Slovenia to visit the county - ad.