SLOVENIAN WINE

The Slovenes seem to embrace their wine whole heartedly and after tasting many of them, my wife & I agree. Slovenia also has a National Treasure in wine growing, it is a 400-year-old grapevine said to be the world's oldest. Slovenian wines won't seem unfamiliar to anyone accustomed to the wines of Italy or France - whether dry or sweet, they're fruity and well balanced, with the modestly priced wines from the grower cooperatives in Dobrovo, Vipava, Koper and other quarters now produced in the straightforward international style of many other world wines.

Slovenia lies in an ideal climate zone: between 45 ° 30'N and 47 °N, with the Adriatic Sea as a part of its western border. The Alps form Slovenia's northern border shield the land from the harshest of northern weather and also moderate the intense continental summer heat. The southern slopes of the Alps and their rolling foothills offer a large number of good grapevine cultivation sites that are grouped into three regions differing in microclimate, soil composition and viticultural tradition:

Podravje, Posavje, and Primorje. With such a wide variety of conditions, Slovene viticulturists have been able apply and customize vines, winegrowing, and methods of making wine from all parts of Europe. The taste and bouquet of Slovene wines range from heavy Bordeaux-style blended red wines to the aromatic white wines of the Mosel and Rhine valleys, from the dry wines of Italy to the sweet varieties offered by Hungary.

Slovenian wine producers are little known outside its borders, yet its vineyards cover roughly the same area as the Bordeaux region in France. Slovenia has distinct wine-producing regions, each of which is subdivided into separate districts – 14 in all.

 The largest of these regions is PODRAVJE in the northeast, with six wine producing areas.  Most aromatic white wines of Podravje age well due to their rich acids. Connoisseurs regularly store good vintages of Renski Rizling, Laski Rizling, Sauvignon, Sivi Pinot & Beli Pinot. Traminec is a more delicate wine aging well only under ideal conditions.

The POSAVJE region in the south of the country is known for its reds especially the heavy Metliska from Bela Krajina. Posavje is the region where the French influence affected the local viticulture more than in any other Slovene winegrowing region; consequently, Posavje is primarily known for its blended wines. Local growers were always individualists, stubbornly growing and tending their wines in small private cellars or zidanice - the first cooperative winery of the region was established in Metlika. The climate also varies: Dolenjska is the wettest of all Slovene winegrowing regions, while Bela Krajina is quite hot with occasional droughts.   Although blended wines are the staple of this region's viticulture, climatic conditions allow the production of other excellent wines: its Ledeno vino produced from Laski Rizling and other grapes rivals that of the Podravje region.

Sparkling whites and dry whites can also be sampled in vinska klet the wine cellars dotted along the wine road starting at Stari Vas. Here you will find the unique “sand cellars” which are small caves cut out of the hills and have their walls and ceilings covered with sand. This keeps a constant temperature and humidity perfect for storing the wine.

 The coastal region – PRIMORJE – produces both red and white wines due mainly to the Mediterranean climate. The name "Primorje" is derived from the Slovene words "by the sea"; only a small part of this  regionis actually on the coast, but its northwest-southwest valleys carry the beneficial influence of the Mediterranean far inland. The region is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with an occasional biting northeast wind (the burja), warm summers, and mineral-rich soils - the mix of these characteristics being different for each particular winegrowing area. As a general rule (with exceptions, of course), the wines of Primorje tend to be dry and rich in minerals, with moderate acids and a subtler bouquet. Both red and white wines tend to contain more pigment than those of other regions. Primorje is the only Slovene winegrowing region where red wines comprise 50% of the produce; in all other regions, white wines dominate.

Of the reds, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are predominant whilst Beli Pinot and the Chardonnay are well worth sampling.

The least known outside is the Rebula, a straw coloured wine, the grapes of which are local to the country.

The KARST region produces the full-bodied, ruby-red Teran.

There are many wine roads throughout the country in the wine producing areas and along the length of them are to be found the wine cellars (vinska klet) to sample the fine wines produced in the country. Enjoy!