Slovenian wines

Viticulture and winemaking have existed in Slovenia since the time of the Celts and Illyrians, long before the Romans introduced winemaking to the lands of France, Spain and Germany. Today, Slovenia has more than 28,000 wineries, which produce between 80 and 90 million liters of wine annually from 22,300 ha of vineyards. About 75% of the country's production is white wine. Almost all of the wine is consumed domestically, but only 6.1 million liters are exported per year – mostly to the USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and, more recently, the Czech Republic. Most of the domestic wine production belongs to the category of premium (superior) wines, while less than 30% is classified as basic table wine (table wine). Slovenia has three main wine-growing regions: the Drava wine-growing region, the Lower Sava wine-growing region and the Primorska wine-growing region. Wine production in Slovenia is becoming a kind of art. More and more boutique winemakers are putting all their energy into their wines, and some of them are also recognized with accolades awarded both in Slovenia and around the world. At the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 competition, which is considered the largest and most influential wine evaluation in the world, Slovenian winemakers once again achieved top results. Seven winemakers received a gold medal for their wines, and one of them received a platinum medal. Selected wines from three Slovenian wine-growing regions with 9 wine-growing districts are among the world's best in terms of quality. Due to differences in growth, climate and cellaring methods, each wine-growing region has its own selection of varieties. Slovenian vineyards lie in the very center of the European wine-growing belt. The vine belt of ideal locations is shared by Slovenian wine-growing regions with areas such as Burgundy in France, and the interplay of climate and soil influences allows Slovenia to offer a greater variety of wines. White or red, richly aromatic, strong, full-bodied or light, dry or sweet - whatever wine suits you, you will discover your favorites in the three wine-growing regions of Slovenia!