White or red, lushly aromatic, strong, full-bodied or light, dry or sweet – no matter what kind of wine you prefer, you will discover your favourite variety in the three wine-growing regions of Slovenia. The select wines from three wine-growing regions with 14 wine-growing districts are ranked among the best in the world with regard to quality. Due to the differences in soil, climate, and cellaring methods, each wine-growing region has its own selection of varieties. Slovenian vineyards are located in the very centre of the European wine-growing belt. The belt of locations ideal for vineyards is similar to those in areas such as Burgundy in France, and the interlinked influences of the climate and the soil allow Slovenia to have a greater diversity in its wine offerings. No less than 52 vine varieties grow here. 1.) The wine-growing region of Primorska The wine-growing region of Primorska is renowned for strong, dry wines. The Brda, Vipava, Karst, and Istrian wine roads run across the region. In the Brda Hills, directly on the border with Italy, renowned Slovenian wine-makers produce white wines, such as Rebula, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, and red wines, such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Karst Region is the area where special Slovenian wine is produced – Teran. This wine has a very full flavour due to the red Karst soil (terra rosa). In the Slovenian Istria Region, known for the white Malvazija wine, quite a bit of the red Refošk wine is also grown. In the Vipava Valley, in addition to the established white and red wines, you can also taste indigenous wines, such as Zelen, Pinela, and Pikolit. 2.) The Podravje wine-growing area The Podravje wine-growing area, named after the River Drava, is located in eastern Slovenia, which has wine-growing locations that are considered to be among the best 4% in the world. Vines have been growing here since Roman times. They grow in soil that is ideal for their development, under the influence of the continental climate. This area is well-known for elegant white wines of international and some indigenous varieties. The majority of grapes are used to produce Italian Riesling. A large amount of grapes are also used to produce Furmint (Šipon), Rhein Riesling and Chardonnay, followed by Sauvignon, Traminec and Yellow Muscat. Among red varieties: Blue Franconian, Pinot Noir and Žametna Črnina (Black Velvet). In the area of the Radgonsko-Kapelske Gorice Hills, sparkling wines are produced and conditioned, among other things, and in the Prekmurje Region you can also taste excellent predicate wines (top German wine classification – Prädikatswein). Their bases are indigenous varieties, such as Ranina. 3.) The Posavje wine-growing region The Posavje wine-growing region, named after the River Sava, is home to Cviček, which is a special wine in Slovenian wine-growing, as it has a very low alcohol content and a good effect on health. Wine with the recognized traditional denomination is only produced in the Dolenjska wine-growing district. Otherwise, in this and in other districts of the Posavje wine-growing region, red varieties are usually grown, e.g. Žametna Črnina (Black Velvet), Blue Franconian, Blauer Portugieser, Pinot Noir, and white wines are also grown, e.g. Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Italian Riesling, and Pinot Blanc. This region is renowned for special wine-growing features, such as small cabins in vineyards (zidanice), where you can also spend the night, or special cellars (repnice), which are dug directly into the ground. 1 MATJAŽ HOMESTEAD Welcome in “Matjaževa domačija”, 150 years old country house, which was restored and refurnished with more than 100 years old furniture, original kitchen range and baker’s oven and “upgraded” with modern sauna and ethnic cellar. Perfect place for nostalgic memories of grandparents’ way of life. Our welcome will include a whole loaf of home made bread, salami sausage and a local wine cviček together with multimedia presentation “Story of Cviček”. THE CVIČEK WINE 2 PRUS WINE CELLAR The Prus family home in Krmačina near Metlika radiates the serenity of a pleasant everyday living environment. Three generations under the same roof symbolize the family wine-making tradition. Although the vineyard of our late grandfather was not as big as it is today, he was still the member of the village vineyard cottage called “soseska zidanica Drašiči”. The Prus family from left to right: daughter Simona, son Jože, mother Anica, landlord Jožef, grandmother Rezka and son Matjaž The grapes for our wines grow on vineyard hills of Krmačina, Repica, Vidošiči, Kamenica and on other sun-filled positions in Bela krajina, where the view extends as far as the Churches of st. Anne in Vidošiči and St. Lawrence in Vivodina, which is beyond Slovenian borders. We are constantly in search of new methods and procedures for improving our achievements. We know that the process of learning never stops and we certainly apply this to winegrowing and winemaking. The Prus farm invests a great deal of attention to wine quality. We produce all sorts of wines, ranging from sparking wines to still regular harvest wines to predicate wines, such as late harvest, selection, berry selection, icewine, dry berry selection and also our speciality – straw wines (dried grape wine). The Prus Wine Cellar is particularly renowned for its predicate wines, which have won numerous golden and large golden awards and other wine recognitions in Slovenia (Vinska vigred Metlika, wine assessment in Drašiči, Vino Slovenija Gornja Radgona, Vino Ljubljana) and international wine tasting events abroad (Decanter World Wine Awards in France, Vinovita Zagreb, Prešov, Slovakia and Brussels, Belgium). Other than wines, they also produce honey and spirits. 3 KLAKOČAR WINE CELLAR The Klakočar family is known for their top-quality predicate wines and speciality wines. The wine cellar which operates in one part of Bizeljsko Castle will enchant you with superb wines and excellent food. 4 WINE CELLAR ZLATI GRIČ In the heart of the vineyards lies one of the most modern wine cellar in the region. The building is 3500 square meters big and has a capacity of 1,3 Mio. litre, it is fully under the earth and its roof is covered with grass and overgrown. You can see only a few front elements in nature, which are originally incorporated in the existing ambient of the wine growing landscape. We produce only high quality wines. Our recipe for the quality is about reducing the production per hectar, to being more sustainable and ecofriendly. 5 RADGONSKE GORICE COMPANY WINE CELLAR The stock company Radgonske gorice is a renowned producer of superior wines. The wines are produced from grapes, which grow in the hilly and sun-exposed vineyards of the region of Slovenske gorice, between the rivers Ščavnica and Mura, where the alpine and Panonian climates meet, giving the wine its special quality and freshness. In our cellar we have been filling Radgona Gold made by the classical method or “méthode champenoise« since 1852, when the name “Styrian sparkling wine« was first published in the newspaper “Bleiweisove novice”. We further produce silver sparkling wine by the tank method or charmat process, Traminer wine with its famous black label, an autochthonous variety of Radgona: the Ranina wine, as well as other choice wines. At the end of the second millennium, the cave situated under the cascade falling from the castle rock, has been renovated for the storing of our bottle wines. More than 120.000 bottles of top quality wines are kept in two different cellars connected by a corridor. The cascade is a somewhat unusual attraction for a cellar, creating a very special atmosphere at wine tastings. We would like you to come and visit us and convince yourself of the quality of our wines. 6 KLET BRDA WINERY The Klet Brda winery is the leading producer and exporter of Slovenian bottled wine. Renowned for its distinctive style and appreciated by wine lovers in Slovenia and 26 countries around the world. The winery unites 400 families, who have been working together for over fifty years and have turned local wine making into a success story. Our mission is to capture in our wines the uniqueness of the Brda terroir and use effective marketing to contribute to the development of the region and the prosperity of the local population. The guiding principle in our day-to-day activities is a deep respect for nature and its cycles, as we believe that superior quality is born in the vineyard. 7 LISJAK HOMESTEAD In the heart of the Karst, in the village of Dutovlje, lie the vineyards of the Lisjak family, where four red and two white varieties of grapes are grown. Among the red ones, the predominant one is Refosco, from which the Teran PTP (Teran with Certified Geographical Origin) is produced, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, while the white varieties found are Vitovska Grganja, an indigenous Karst variety, and Chardonnay. All the wines produced at the Lisjak homestead are top quality, which is confirmed by eleven champion titles, over one hundred gold medals and an impressive number of awards and prizes bestowed by enthusiastic oenologists at national and international competitions. Awards are important to the Lisjak family, as they are a form of recognition of their excellent work in the vineyards and cellars, but what gives them the energy to keep going are rather their care for the nature, love for the Karst land, respect for the traditions of their ancestors, commitment to hard work and affection for the family. “Nature gives a lot and takes a lot, therefore we must respect it.” ” – Boris Lisjak 8 VINA KOPER COMPANY The nobility and lavishness of our wine varieties can be attributed to the heritage of a thousand-year tradition of oenology and viticulture in Slovene Istria, and is the product of exquisite natural characteristics of Istrian soil, and the undulating coastal hills. We have been producing top-quality and luxurious wines since the foundation of the company in 1947. At ten sunny wine-bearing locations, which extend over 570 hectares, we cultivate various grape varieties, which have become as characteristic as the autochthonous Refosco, the ruby-coloured jewel of a wine, and Malvasia. In the magnificent cellar, constructed from sandstone, which is typical for Istria, four million bottles of different wine sorts and varieties are produced annually. Our wines illustrate our most important values: natural production and high quality. This is why in the rich bouquet of our wines, you will taste the sea, the flysch-marl soil, and the vividness and sun of the Mediterranean Istria, and sense their luxurious structure and fruity aroma. 9 ORGANIC WINERY RODICA Family Organic wine farm is located in the heart of Slovenian Istria, in the village of Truške in Marezige, 12 km above the town of Koper. The cellar is situated on top of a hill, overlooking the Gulf Sea and the unspoiled valley of the river Dragonja. Vineyards stretch along the southern slopes of the Istrian hills at an altitude of 250 to 350m. Position and climate are ideal for the growth and development of the vine. At 15 hectares treated 60,000 vines planted mainly with native varieties, Refosco, Malvasia and Yellow Muscat and others, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Syrah and Gray. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8JkipoKeL8 Contact us for more information and we will be happy to make you an offer. COMPANY INFORMATION Potovalna agencija Zmaj (Dragon Travel Agency), Zef Berišaj s.p. Licence no. TGZ Slovenije : 1784 and 1785 Holder of ADS licence for Chinese market Address: Rakovniška 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia For futher information please contact us: tel: +86 13621902969 e-mail: joy.yang@zmajtravel.com We strive to be your companion and protector during your trip, and at the same time we are giving you a wealth of creativity, education and new experiences. Travel with Dragon and expand your horizons.
In addition to its rich archaeological heritage, the Dolenjska region is also known for Cviček – the very special wine. Cellar masters from Dolenjska have been making cviček for centuries and have coined its original character. It is characterised by low alcohol content and slightly higher acidity. Cviček is protected under PTP standards (Recognised Traditional Denomination) as a special Slovenian wine.
