The wine world knows Slovenia as a small country but with diverse wine sorts. This tour combines professional guides specialised in wine, curated wineries and visits to charming stone-built villages in the two most prominent wine districts: the Vipava Valley and the Goriska Brda. Autochtonous wines such as zelen, rebula and barbera will be tasted besides renowned global varieties.
Slovenia has long been below the radar of wine connoisseurs across the world. There are only 21.000 hectares of vineyards in the country, but the number of grape producers is 30.000 and the wine growing history dates back to before the Roman conquer. The Royal British wine authority Jancis Robinson labelled Slovenia as the country with possibly the most unusual wine culture in the world, certainly in Europe.
In this scenic day trip you will visit two different wine districts of the Primorska (Littoral) wine regions: Vipava Valley and the district of Goriska Brda, where a combination of mineral rich soils and sub-Mediterranean climate enables the production of some spectacular wines. Vipava Valley is known for its crisp and aromatic fresh white wines and for progressive and bold winemakers. The picturesque valley is dotted with stone-built villages located on hill tops, where one can count more wine cellars than family homes and where narrow streets and squares are often swept by the violent “burja” wind.
You will then stop at Vipavski Kriz, a small village with houses clustered inside a defensive wall around a castle from the late 15th century. Next you will continue to Goriska Brda, located at the footsteps of the Alps and 20 km from the Adriatic Sea. Goriska Brda is one of the world’s best wine growing terrories. Home not only to vine, the area also produces delicious cherries, persimmon, figs and probably the spiciest olive oil you have ever tasted. Goriska Brda is predominantly the region of beautiful rebula white wine (ribolla gialla), but never underestimate the rich Bordeaux-like blends.
Enjoy some free time for lunch or for independent explorations of the area. Throughout the tour, you will stop at three small family run wineries in these two wine counties, with guided tours at each winery. You will taste four wine samples at each one of them, accompanied by delicious local produce cold cuts plates.
You will return to Ljubljana in the late afternoon hours.
Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle
Guided winery tours at three locations
