Slovenian wines and wine tours

Although the Ljubljana region is not a wine-growing region, Ljubljana holds the title of International City of Vine and Wine, thanks to its traditional role as a commercial centre for the country’s wine districts.

As well as wine fairs and events such as the Wine Festival and the Ljubljana Wine Route, Ljubljana boasts a number of good wine bars/wine shops. A wide range of premium Slovenian wines is available in all good restaurants.

Discover Slovenian wines

Slovenia is a small country of boutique wines characterised by remarkable diversity. Slovenian wines are distinguished above all by their natural flavours. Unfortunately, they are not produced in sufficient quantities to be widely accessible around the world and are therefore not known everywhere. Be that as it may, they frequently surprise by winning important awards and accolades.

All this makes Slovenia the ideal country for wine exploring. Even if you are a demanding wine connoisseur, you will not leave here disappointed. Wines are available for all tastes: fresh, sweet or dry. Some of the finest examples, often made by small winemakers and available in limited quantities, are also distinguished by their method of production, which in most cases is still very traditional.

Slovenia’s winemaking tradition is a long and rich one, as demonstrated by, among other things, the fact that Maribor is home to the world’s oldest grapevine. This 400-year-old Žametovka vine, which grows on the front of the Old Vine House in Maribor, is famous all over the world.

Find out what Slovenia’s wine regions have to offer

Set off on a wine tour from Ljubljana. On our website, you can book tours to all three of Slovenia’s wine regions. Read on, to see what they offer.

Primorska wine region

The Primorska wine region is characterised by a Mediterranean climate and a wide variety of wines. The Vipava Valley offers both reds and robust whites such as Pinela and Zelen, two traditional Slovenian varieties. The most characteristic wine of the Karst region – a unique landscape famous the world over – is Teran (Terrano), red wine with a distinctive strong flavour. Refošk (Refosco) from Slovenian Istria is somewhat similar to Teran but with a significantly different flavour. Istria also offers white Malvazija (Malvasia), Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best-known wine district in the Primorska wine region is Goriška Brda, which produces a range of high-quality Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet wines.

Podravje wine region

The Podravje wine region, centred on the valley of the Drava, has an entirely different character from the Primorska wine region. Pannonian climatic influences prevail in the region, which is home to the oldest vine in the world and produces mainly white wines. The hill vineyards of the Gornja Radgona, Jeruzalem, Haloze, Lendava and Goričko areas produce Laški Rizling (Welschriesling), Šipon (Furmint), Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc. Sparkling wines from the Radgona area are very popular in Slovenia.

Posavje wine region

This wine region centred on the valley of the Sava in south-east Slovenia is characterised by rolling hills and vineyard cottages. Red varieties predominate. The Dolenjska wine district is the home of Cviček, a unique blend of red and white grape varieties. Chardonnay and Riesling are also grown here. The Bizeljsko-Sremič wine district is known for its high-quality late-harvest wines of the Welschriesling, Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkisch) and Sauvignon varieties and for its excellent sparkling wines. Bela Krajina is a somewhat smaller but remarkably interesting wine district, known for its new Portugalka (Portugieser) wine, Rumeni Muškat (Yellow Muscat) and Traminec (Traminer).