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• Best Slovenian wine regions
• Why we chose the Primorska wine region 
• Best Slovenian wineries to visit 
• Where to stay in Slovenian wine country
• Where to eat in Slovenian wine country
• What to bring
• Final thoughts

Slovenia is not new to wine. Wine production dates back to the 5th century BCE before Roman rule. Prior to gaining its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia’s wine industry was governed by large cooperatives that emphasized high quantities of low-quality wine. This situation was similar to what happened in South Africa’s wine industry during the Apartheid. Once Slovenia gained its independence, winemakers started to focus again on producing high-quality wine by using both ancient traditions and modern winemaking techniques.

Before you go to Slovenia, you have to watch the documentary Terra Magica on Amazon Prime! 

Slovenia wine country is uniquely sandwiched between Italy, Croatia, Austria, and Hungary with the Julian Alps on one side and the Adriatic coast on the other. Its geographical location allows for a lot of cultural influences on its food and wine, making this an exciting wine region!

All the wine regions with its 28,000 wineries are easily accessible within a few hours’ drive from the capital of Ljubljana. There are three main regions you can choose from as you plan out your getaway: Posavska, Primorska, and Podravska.

We love red wine, particularly Pinot Noir, so it was a no-brainer for us to focus our time on the Primorska wine region which is known for its red wine varietals. There are four subregions within the Primorska wine region to explore. Here’s a quick rundown.  

Great name, right? The winemaker decided on the name to symbolize the fight and effort put in to maintain a vineyard and sell the final product. 

We discovered this winery in Vipava Valley upon the recommendation of the 2-Michelin starred restaurant, Hisa Franko, one of the top restaurants in the world. My husband and I actually planned our vacation to Slovenia because of this incredible restaurant. 

Make sure to secure a reservation in advance. Zmagoslav Petric, the owner of Guerila Wines, was incredibly kind and showed us all around the steeply-terraced vineyard and cellar before we sat down for our wine tasting.

Guerila Wines operates under biodynamic principles. There are three lines to try from: classic, selection, and extreme. We tried some incredible varietals across the lines including the Castra Brut Rose, Pinela, Zelen, Barbera, and Rebula. Our wine tastings were accompanied by some mouthwatering prsut (prosciutto) and local cheeses. 

Burja Estate was another solid recommendation by Hisa Franko. This Vipava Valley winery ended up being our favorite!

Of note, Hisa Franko is run by the incredibly gifted Ana Ros. Her husband, Valter Kramar, is a talented sommelier, who has quite an impressive local Slovenian wine collection. I share this because you know when a restaurant of this merit gives recommendations, you know they are going to be amazing. 

We had the pleasure of being shown around by winemaker Primoz Lavrencic, who is incredibly talented. He operates under biodynamic principles and works with local varieties that originate in the Vipava Valley like Zelen, Refosco, Rebula, and Malvasia. Winemaker Lavrencic also works with vineyards of Modri Pinot, which is definitely worth trying.  

Our wine tasting was one of the best tasting experiences we have had. Very relaxed. Like sitting down with a good friend and sharing a bottle of wine. We were seated at a table next to a huge egg-shaped pizza oven as local Slovenian punk music played on the record player in the background. 

Then we were generously offered glass after glass of the delicious and elegant expressions of his wine. Highly recommend! 

Wine tasting room at Burja Estate

Wine labels had not come in yet … love the Sharpie improvise

Full disclosure: My husband and I really gravitate towards red wine, specifically pinot noir. Our winery choices show that preference.

The next Slovenian winery I recommend visiting is Tilia Estate in Vipava Valley. We had big expectations for this winery considering their slogan is “House in Pinots.” 

You will notice all of their wine labels have a linden tree. They state this is a “symbol of Slovene independence and of a period in which our vision of being an independent winegrower was born.” The talented winemaker, Matjaz Lemut, has been making wine since before he was 18. He is very involved in the wine community and even helped start the annual wine festival, Modri les Noirs, which celebrates Pinot Noir wine producers. 

We had the pleasure of being guided through three of Tilia’s pinot noir wine selections: Sunshine Tilia Estate, Tilia Estate Black, and Tilia Estate White. The wine choices were accompanied by some delicious local Slovenian cheese and bread. 

As we have traveled around the world, we have noticed winemakers are starting to experiment with local spirit production. For example, when we were in South Africa, we tried gin made from triple-distilled Chardonnay from Moreson Wine Farm. 

After our wine tasting, Tilia Estate offered a tasting of their grappa, which is made from a blend of grape seeds, stems, and stalks). Their grappa bottles have some cool-looking artistic labels.  

Hisa Franko also recommended Edi Simcic, which is located in the drop-dead gorgeous Goriska Brda region. This is the wine region that is known as the Tuscany of Slovenia, where the Mediterranean meets the Alps. Their wine tasting room is stunning and offers an incredible panoramic view of the Goriska Brda region.  

This experience was the least personal of the four wineries we visited while in Slovenia wine country. A young gentleman gave us a brief overview of the wines we tasted. I will say their wine tasting room is absolutely gorgeous, and it has a sweeping panoramic view of Goriska Brda.

If you want traditional Slovenian food, look for a gostilna. We had lunch at an incredible restaurant called Gostilna Theodosius. We were served by the incredibly kind Gregor Lisjak, who was the owner, the host, and the waiter! 

You could have ordered off the menu. Or instead, you can go off-menu and Gregor will cook up an incredible meal based on your preferences and in-season ingredients. Kinda like a food sommelier. This was hands down one of our favorite restaurant experiences in Slovenia. 

We were served a mouth-watering, juicy Florentine steak with potatoes and fresh garden peppers. 

Amazing local cuisine!

Our hotel recommended this charming local restaurant that is perched high on a hill with excellent views of the Alps. Belica function as a winery, restaurant, and a hotel. 

The menu is always changing based on what is in season. We had a lovely meal of pea soup, asparagus risotto, and apple strudelj. If you want to explore more of what delicious food Slovenia offers, do not miss my foodie article below. 

Slovenia wine is completely underrated. Now that local food and wine has become the focus of Slovenia’s tourism industry, I feel this will quickly begin to change.

Winemaking in Slovenia has been around before Roman rule. Many wineries have several different generations of winemakers in their family. Instead of mass marketing the big-name varietals, a lot of Slovenian winemakers have chosen to focus on local varietals with minimal intervention, allowing the wine to truly be a reflection of its unique terroir.

The end result?

Phenomenal, high-quality unique wine that will satisfy both the casual wine drinker and the experienced connoisseur. Pair that with delicious fresh ingredients indigenous to Slovenia, and you have the setup for a perfect wine getaway.

Questions about our stay in Slovenia wine country?

Let me know in the comments below!