Slovenian wine, from Brda to Prekmurje

Primorska: Brda, Vipava and the Karst

The most diverse region, with four districts. In Brda, Rebula is king among whites, alongside Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Vipava Valley, the region’s largest district, has the most native varieties, such as Pinela, Zelen and Klarnica. In the Karst, the star is Teran, deep-coloured from the red soil. And in Slovenian Istria, white Malvazija and red Refošk. According to the Tourist Board, Primorska produces the most wine and wins the most awards. Brda is covered in Brda.

Podravje: the whites of the east

The largest region, in the east, divided into Štajerska Slovenija, with more than 7,000 hectares, and Prekmurje. Whites dominate, Welschriesling, Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, Furmint and Yellow Muscat, and among reds, Blaufränkisch, Pinot Noir and Žametna Črnina. Radgona has 150 years of sparkling wine tradition, and Prekmurje is known for predicate wines and Ranina. Maribor is home to the world’s oldest vine, according to the Tourist Board, a Žametovka growing in Lent for over four centuries, and Ptuj has the country’s oldest wine cellar, with a 1917 vintage. It’s covered in Maribor.

Posavje and cviček

This is Cviček country, a light, reddish wine blending at least four varieties with 8 to 9% alcohol, carrying a geographical indication in Dolenjska. Bizeljsko-Sremič, between the Sava and Sotla rivers, is the land of repnice, cellars dug into the ground, and of Bizeljčan. Most charming are the zidanice, vineyard cottages you can sleep in; see farm stays in Slovenia.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Brda before prices climb.

When to go: St Martin’s Day

St Martin’s Day in November is when the new wine is celebrated, and the Tourist Board lists wine festivals across the country throughout the year. If you’re buying to take home, check the UK’s personal allowances and duty rules before filling the car. And if beer is more your thing, the Savinja Valley has a map of its own, covered in Slovenian beer.

Slovenian wine in numbers

What to eat with these wines is in Slovenian food. Taste Slovenia gives the figures. There are 15,500 hectares of vineyards, roughly the size of Alsace and 0.2% of world production, and the average vineyard is just 0.32 hectares. There are no wine multinationals; even the largest producer, Klet Brda, is a cooperative of 400 farmers. About 70% of the wine is white. The Tourist Board counts more than 2,500 producers, 800,000 to 900,000 hectolitres a year and 52 grape varieties, while Taste Slovenia says 53. Most vineyards are on slopes, so hand-picking is the norm, and Taste Slovenia reckons consumption at about 42 litres per person a year.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Brda and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Brda before prices climb.