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Vigneronne lors des vendanges © CasarsaGuru - iStockphoto.com.jpg

A thousand-year-old presence

Wine is part of Slovenia's ancient history. The first archaeological evidence of this is the discovery of the Vaska situla (4th century B.C.), a carved bronze vase found at the archaeological site of Hallstatt in Vače. This wine tradition would continue and considerably advance during the Roman period with the development of a large-scale wine region in the east of the territory. In the 1st century AD, Tacitus will say all the good things he thinks about the wine produced in the Poetovio (present-day Ptuj) region. The Slavic and Magyar invasions will mark the inexorable decline of this economic activity between the 6th and 12th centuries. The completion of the Christianization project of the region will mark the revival of the wine activity, very deeply linked to the good functioning of religious offices. From then on, the Slovenian territory will be exploited in its entirety for the climatic diversity that it represents and which allows the promotion of a significant number of grape varieties. Slovenian viticulture will play a minor, but not insignificant role in the promotion of a national identity, as a symbol of local pride. The oldest vineyard in the world, located in Maribor and dating back to the 16th century, is certainly still the best-known entry point for discovering the Slovenian vineyard. It is divided into three main regions and produces some 52 varieties.

The Primorska Valley: between Istrian softness and Mediterranean character

This wine region is surprisingly small. Oscillating between coastal areas and vast hills, the region has about 8,000 hectares of vineyards. The majority of the wines are red and powerful in the mouth. In fact, this territory can be considered as the extension of the Friulian wine from neighboring Italy. The most emblematic of these is undoubtedly the refosk, a tannic wine with the scent of wild berries and brown and slightly acidic tones. Its price is accessible and good bottles can be found for less than 10 €.

The terroir of Vipava - one third of the regional production - is located in a geographical area that is both forested and rocky. Its light soul and fruity inspiration can be found almost instantly in the mouth. You must taste the pinela, a white wine with a straw-yellow color, fruity and floral notes, but relatively mineral - or the zelen, a thousand-year-old appellation, which is drunk young and is made from barely ripe grapes as its name indicates in Slovenian, with herbaceous notes. Here, too, the bottles are affordable: it costs about ten euros on average to buy one. The towns of Vipava orAjdovščina offer many wine shops, wine bars and wineries

Apart from refosk, the vineyards of Istra are full of excellent white wines, preferably to be drunk relatively young, such as malvajiza with its pronounced fruit notes or the drier, but still well-balanced chardonnay. The prices are also quite reasonable.

The vineyard of Goriska Brda is certainly the most complete in terms of the varieties of grape varieties that are honored: pinot gris, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, etc. Its Mediterranean climate, its hilly structure and the large amount of fruit production are not foreign to this impression of abundance with a false Tuscan air. This is one of our favorites, one of those places where the harmony of nature is in symbiosis with the local identity. Trust us, you can visit the producers we have selected between Dobrovo and Nova Gorica with your eyes closed!

Let's notforget to mention the wine of the karst region, particularly rich in iron, which gives this deeply tannic taste to the famous teran, whose appellation is still disputed today with Croatia.

The valley of the Drava (Podravje): an ancient and renowned know-how

Situated in the east of the country, the Drava Valley has always known an important viticultural activity, whose ancient episodes have been reported on several occasions. With a production of about 13,000 ha of vineyards, it is specialized in the production of white wines with a strong character. The particularity of its Pannonian climate, marked by hot and dry summers and cold winters, gives it a rare elegance. Sparkling wine also has a prominent place.

The Stajerska region - 95% of the regional total - offers a German-inspired production in the sense that Riesling and its different variants are clearly in the majority. However, the vineyards that make up the valley provide nuances that give this valley a complexity and a certain rarity. The vineyard of Maribor is based on the production of a rather aromatic white wine. The one in Haloze specializes in more floral compositions, which age quite well. But the place you should not overlook is in the easternmost part of the country. The Ljutomer-Ormoz vineyard - just 2,000 hectares - is a small paradise on earth for lovers of high-quality sweet wine. Ljutomer is the gateway to it. The environment is very peaceful and the know-how is still there after generations. The same inspiration can be found in Srednje Slovenske Gorice, although the wines there are more confidential. Finally, the semi-mountainous climate of Radgonsko-kapelske delivers a powerful aroma to the famous Muscat. As far as prices are concerned, the bottles are a little more expensive, without being overpriced. Count on about fifteen euros for a good wine to keep.

The prekmurje, ultraminority, is nevertheless one of the must-haves of Slovenian viticulture. The terroir of Goričko puts forward white wines with an assumed personality that now enjoy international fame. Beyond this aspect, the promotion of agritourism in the region is a real popular success

Finally, the Lendava region is oriented towards a more classic production - around Riesling - whose particularity lies in the strong exposure of the vines to the sun due to the steepness of the vineyard slopes. In general, we choose to taste the furmint - a white wine, very fragrant, with intense notes of summer fruits. One can also be tempted by blaufrankisch - a red wine, with a taste of wild red fruits, known for its qualities as a wine to keep. It is difficult to give a satisfactory price indication because of the great differences between the different years and types of production. If you are in a festive mood, you will opt for a Radgona crémant - which you can find in all good wine shops for about 12 euros - a sparkling ice wine very much appreciated by the locals with an amazing taste due to the maturity of the product and its specific culture.

The valley of the Save (Posavje): a family and more ordinary production

The Sava Valley is located in the south of the country, near the Croatian border. The production painfully exceeds 7 500 ha. It is oriented around the marketing of table wines without much oenological interest. Beyond this problematic lack of recognition, it is important to highlight the family character of local production. Thus, it is not uncommon for the inhabitants to produce their own wines. More concisely, the wine of Sava is mainly marked by a relative sweetness and a high content of residual sugars

The main peculiarity of the Posavje vineyard lies in an elixir that causes much debate among connoisseurs. This is cviček, a mixture of white and red grapes that gives it a pinkish color. It is characterized by its low alcohol content - 8-10%. Long considered the wine of the indigent, it has regained a strong popularity in the south of the country. In terms of taste, it can be described as acidic and fresh. But you have to make your own opinion, especially since the price of the bottle never exceeds 5 €.

The territory of Dolenjska, which has the largest number of hectares, offers red and white wines from micro vineyards

The Bizeljsko-Sremič area is not really known for the quality of its wines, but rather for its sparkling wine called istenič, which can be enjoyed as an aperitif. The cup never exceeds 3 €!

Finally, Bela Krajina is a region of rather dry red wine of the blaufrankisch or Franconian blue type

Surprise to be noticed? Zoom on a fourth wine colour: orange wine

This is a new trend in the world of wine lovers. Produced in the border region of Friuli, Italy, and Istria, Slovenia, this orange-colored wine is made by fermenting whole white grapes in amphorae - including the skins and seeds - and then macerating the liquid for six to eight months. It is the polyphenols from the grape skins that give this particular color to the initially white wine. This technique is not revolutionary, but rather ancestral. It originated in Georgia and has survived several millennia of wine production. The method of production has recently obtained its classification as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Little considered in the twentieth century, the orange wine has reappeared on the good tables of Central Europe in the early 2000s. This dry, aromatic and intense wine is mainly found in the Slovenian region of Goriška Brda. It is celebrated during an eponymous festival, which takes place every year in April in the charming town of Izola. Its new popularity has considerably inflated its price in recent years, reaching the symbolic €20 mark for a bottle.

Gain popularity to get more recognition?

Slovenian viticulture is faced with a major problem: should it considerably increase its production and its export share to gain popularity and recognition, or should it continue to privilege the family adventure, even if it means risking remaining in a precarious anonymity? With a little less than 30,000 ha of vineyards last year, the country knows that it will not be able to enter the big league with such a small quantity, corresponding to about 3.5% of the French wine growing area for a production representing 1.8% of French production. Moreover, to make matters worse, Slovenian wine is exported very poorly - about 70,000 bottles per year. This is certainly due to the fierce competition within the Old Continent, but also by sectors that have not been able to professionalize in time or who do not perceive the potential wealth of the Slovenian wine market abroad. There is still hope because of the still impressive quality of Slovenian wines, the recent mobilization of the economic actors of the wine industry as well as the progression of tourism in the country.