Maribor, Slovenia’s second city, boasts the world’s oldest vine, reputedly over four hundred years old. It is a Zametovka varietal that still fruits.
From Maribor’s old town, Lent, the vine presides over Slovenia’s largest wine-making region, Podravje. It stretches as far as the Austrian border, including six wine areas, Maribor, Radgona-Kapela, Srednje Slovenske Gorice, Haloze, Ljutomer-Ormoz and Prekmurske Gorice.
The vine has seen many regimes come and go, notably the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Communists. Each has helped shape the wine region as it is today.
Podravje Wines and the Austro-Hungarian Empire
The Austro-Hungarians brought with them, or from Italy, a range of vine varietals to add to indigenous vines. The newcomers included chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and pinot blanc.
Around Maribor, Archduke Johann of Hapsburg was particularly active, founding a school of viticulture in 1832. Planting and training schemes were experimented with and new vines introduced.
These vines were particularly from the Rhine and Mosel Valleys, and included Traminec, Renski Rizling, Modri Burgundec and Rulandec. To this day, the Podravje region is associated with white wines, notably Rieslings and Gewurztraminers (Traminec).
Podravje Wines and the Communist Regime
During the Communist years, wine growers were limited to no more than nine hectares of land under vine. Their miniscule output was then, mostly, fed into co-operatives.
This gave us that staple of the 1970s dinner party, Ljutomer Reisling. I’ve seen this described as “plonk”. I’m less than sure about that. I think we regarded ourselves as pretty sophisticated. What is beyond doubt is that it wouldn’t pass muster now.
However, the containment of vines into such small landholdings gave perfect conditions for the rise of the small-scale artisan winemaker. Such winemakers now typify the Podravje region and Slovenia in general.
The Podravje Region and Wine Tourism
The Podravje Region is dissected by three wine tourism roads. These are the Maribor wine tourist road, the Upper Slovenska gorice wine tourist road and the Podpohorska wine tourist road.
Most tourists will use self-drive car hire to tour the region, using the wine roads, stopping off here and there. The alternative is to base yourself in Maribor, driving out for daytrips.
Whatever your choice, you will need a few days in Maribor, to visit the Old Vine and Old Vine House Museum. No doubt, you will also tour the city’s wine cellars.
Out on the open road, you might be visiting vineyards with cellars, with tastings and wine purchase available. There may also be simple, though often delicious, dining available. On some estates, there is also accommodation.
Whereas the region is typified by small producers, you will inevitably be drawn to the larger Dveri-Pax Winery, which produces across 68 hectares, focused on the Jarenina Castle estate. Characterful Jarenina Castle itself hosts wine tasting and other events, though the estate has very modern wine cellars, only opened in 2007.
On steep hill sites, Dveri-Pax grows a range of vine varietals. These include Laški Rizling (Welschriesing), Šipon (Furmint) Renski Rizling (Riesling), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sivi Pinot (Pinot Gris) Traminec (Gewürztraminer), Modri Pinot (Pinot Noir), Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkisch) Zweigelt.
Dveri-Pax produces many award-winning wines, attracting fascinating, often complex tasting notes. Specifically, Dveri-Pax has been very successful in the Decanter World Wine Awards . Particular favourites are the Šipon 2009 and Šipon Ilovci 2007, both Decanter Silver Award winners in 2010.
The Renski Rizling 2007, a Decanter Silver Award winner in 2009, is noted for its complexity, a result of closely reflecting the terroir of the growing slopes, with their marl/chalk soil. Varietal traits maintain too, so there is a deep minerality, but also aromas of fruit stone and honey.
Dveri-Pax’s Sauvignon Vajgen 2007, also a Decanter Silver Award winner in 2009, as another complex wine, borne of marl/chalk soil. Beyond its minerality, it is noted for its gooseberry and currant tones.
An example at the other end of the production scale from Dveri-Pax is Protner’s House Joannes in Malecnik, a small winery with with both dining facilities and accommodation.
The menu here is particularly interesting, being based around local dishes. Suggestions are mushroom soup with buckwheat mush, soured turnip, buckwheat groats, home made pâté, venison, salads and kvasenica (a festive bread of leavened dough, topped with cottage cheese and sour cream) fresh from the baker’s oven.
Again, Protner’s House Joannes offers complex wines. Young Chardonnays suggest apples and fresh bread crust. More mature chardonnays suggest acacia blossoms and wild wormwood. Matured Renski Rizling suggests white peach and apricot. Sauvignons have aromas of sage, hay and elder blossoms.
Mark Azavedo - I am very well travelled as a professional writer and photographer. I also undertake destination research for the travel industry. My ...
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