An Introductory Guide to Slovenian Wine

Just around 150 miles in width, Slovenia packs an outstanding amount of diversity into its diminutive expanse. Slovenia is surrounded by four wine power houses—from east-to-west: Croatia, Hungary, Austria, and Italy. Each of these four countries’ distinctive winegrowing traditions bleed across the Slovenian border to meld and form Slovenia’s unique wine identity.

From the caressingly textured orange wines of Brda to the pristine Rieslings of Štajerska, Slovenian wine is ripe for exploration. Discover Slovenia with this introductory guide across its three wine regions: Primosrka, Posavje, and Podravje.

The Primorska region comprises the westernmost winegrowing areas of Slovenia. While the name Primorska technically translates to “coastline,” some of the appellations are a bit more inland, though still largely climatically influenced by the Adriatic Sea and its moderating winds.

Further south, Slovenska Istra (Slovenian Istria) denotes the small sliver of the Istrian Peninsula owned by Slovenia. The wines mirror those produced in the larger Croatian Istria, including the distinctive white wines from Malvazija Istarska. Slovenian Istria, however, places greater emphasis on reds, especially Refošk, as well as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Kras appellation similarly cultivates Refošk, though with an ancient Roman pedigree. Pliny the Elder documents the excellence of the region’s wines, then known as “Carso.”

Covering Slovenia’s southeast, Posavje also brushes against the Croatian border. Posavje is Slovenia’s smallest winegrowing region, and it is most associated with red wine, especially from Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkisch)—a widely cultivated Central and Eastern European grape variety that recent genetic testing has shown to be, in fact, Slovenian in origin. Some white wine, however, is also produced, with quality examples from Riesling and Muscat.

Most distinctive is the region’s Cviček wines, a specialty of the Dolenjska region. These low-ABV wines blend red varieties (typically Modra Frankinja and the local Žametovka) with white to create a pale hued, refreshing, and highly acidic style. More recently, however, the cool Dolenjska has also proven adept at sparkling winemaking.

Just north of Posavje, Podravje continues along the Croatian border, eventually nestling itself against Hungary and Croatia. The most inland and continental of Slovenia’s wine regions, Podravja is also the largest, contributing approximately 40% of the country’s national wine production, more than 90% of which is white.

Štajerska is the larger of Podravje’s two nested appellations and shows tremendous diversity in its own right. From crystalline Riesling and fine sparkling wines to finessed expressions of Pinot Noir and Modra Frankija, many of the most exciting bottles from Štajerska hail nearest to Austria. A hilly, undulating landscape—prized by tourist hikers and wine afficionados—Štajerska is the natural extension of Austria’s Steirmark (Styria) region, and its wines demonstrate analogous character. Štajerska wines generally value precision, purity, and freshness.

The Prekmurje landscape flattens out to unfold the Great Pannonian plain, which continues on into Hungary to define much of its wine country. Despite its proximity, Prekmurje wines are notably richer, fleshier, and fuller bodied. Production in Prekmurje is small, though it is home to a handful of very high quality producers, some of which incorporate French varieties (such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon) into their blends. The appellation is also prized for its pumpkin seed oil, with patches of farmland appearing alongside the vineyards.