The best country for wine tourism? Travel writer and winemaker Chris Boiling argues it’s Slovenia in Central Europe.
In the space of a few days and a few hundred miles, I have seen – and tasted – the world of wine, yet I’ve only been to one small, little-known country that is often overshadowed by those that surround it – Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. It’s divided into three incredible wine regions:
PODRAVJE
In the northeast, Podravje is best known for its aromatic dry white wines, from international grape varieties such as sauvignon blanc, riesling and traminer, and its regional flagship, furmint (Šipon locally).
In Podravje you will also find the country’s oldest sparkling wine producer, Radgonske Gorice, which has been making classic-method fizz since 1852. Its beautiful cellars include a waterfall and a Roman wheel.
POSAVJE
Posavje in the southeast is a hotspot for Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkish) and a strange light red, low-alcohol, high-acid blend called Cviček. This is a blend of 70% reds and 30% whites, and is basically a mixture of the old varieties that survived phylloxera!
The repnice wine cellar is a must-see. The locals dug caves to store produce such as turnips – now they’re used to house wine and provide a great atmosphere for trying the local fare.
PRIMORJE
Primorje, to the west of Ljubljana, is Slovenia’s most productive wine region, producing about 25 million litres of wine a year.
The best-known wines are whites made from the regional flagship variety rebula (ribolla gialla), but there are also many well-made merlot-cabernet blends.
