Slovenia

Slovenia’s location, on the border between Eastern and Western Europe, has had an enormous effect on its wine culture. Wine production here predates the Romans, so there is no lack of heritage, but following the raising of the iron curtain and Slovenia’s membership of the EU, their wines have benefitted from access to new markets, as well as the ingress of modern techniques and equipment.

There are three Slovenian wine-growing regions, with nine wine-growing districts ranking among the world’s very best. Due to the distinctive soils, climate, and cellaring methods, each wine-growing region has a unique selection of varieties.

The Primorska wine-growing region is the most diverse wine-growing region with its four wine-growing districts. Each wine-growing district has its own character and distinctive wines. Owing to the warm Mediterranean climate, the most famous Slovenian red wines originate from this region, as well as the renowned white and increasingly appreciated orange wines. Although not the largest in terms of surface area, the Primorska region leads in wine production in Slovenia and has the most award-winning wines and winemakers.

Podravje is Slovenia's largest wine-growing region, divided into two wine-growing districts, vines have been thriving since ancient Roman times. The favourable soil composition and continental climate have produced elegant white wines of international quality and some indigenous varieties. The most widely used white varieties are Italian Riesling, Sauvignon, Rhein Riesling, Chardonnay, and the regional speciality Furmint, and Yellow Muscat. Among the red varieties, mainly Blue Franconian, Pinot Noir, and Žametna Črnina (Red Velvet) are consumed. The area of Radgonsko-Kapelske Gorice is a world of sparkling wines, and Prekmurje is home to excellent predicate wines. They are also based on indigenous varieties, such as Ranina.

For many years, the Posavje wine region has had a reputation as a producer of lighter white and red wines, although the region is home to international varieties as well as local specialities.It is home to the largest number of wines with a recognised traditional denomination label. The special features of the region are not only the wines, but also the vineyard cottages (zidanice), which are small brick houses in the vineyards, where you can spend the night, and the turnip caves (repnice), i.e. special cellars dug directly into the ground.