The first vines were planted in this area by the Celts some 2,400 years ago. The Romans influenced the viticulture especially in the area of Poetovium (Ptuj = Pettau). The Roman wine author Pliny the Elder (23-79) mentioned viticulture in the karst area and called these wines an elixir of life. During the migration of the peoples, viticulture came to a standstill again. But in the Middle Ages the wines were highly valued at the courts of Imperial Vienna and Archbishop Salzburg. The Austrian Archduke Johann (1782-1859) owned a model vineyard near Maribor (Marburg). Even today the influences of the historical and long affiliation to Austria-Hungary can be felt. As in most European countries, large areas of vineyards fell victim to phylloxera in the second half of the 19th century.
Wine-growing areas / climate
installation areas are located in the north on the border with Austria (southern Styria), in the east on the border with Hungary and in the west on the border with the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Around three-quarters of the production is white wines, around a quarter red wines. Slovenian viticulture has shown rapid positive development. The Movia winery is a model company and pioneer. There are many small winegrowers with tiny areas. The climatic conditions are characterized by Alpine, continental and Mediterranean climate. After short, heavy rain showers in spring, a warm summer follows and a long, mostly sunny autumn, which allows for a late harvest and thus also ripe predicate wines. Slovenia is divided into three large wine-growing regions with 14 wine-growing areas of protected origin. In 2012, the vineyards covered a total of 16,000 hectares, of which 507,000 hectolitres of wine were produced (see also under Wine production volumes):
Podravje (Drauland) divided into two areas with 9,650 ha
1. Stajerska Slovenija (Slovenian Styria) with 8,685 ha
- Haloze
- Ljutomer-Ormoz
- Maribor
- Ptuj-Srednje Slovenske Gorice
- Radgona Chapela
- Smarje-Virstanj
2. Prekmurje with 965 ha
Posavje (Save area) with 4,328 ha:
- Bela Krajina (White Carniola) with 608 ha
- Bizeljsko Sremič with 1,264 ha
- Dolenjska with 2.456 ha
Primorska (Adriatic coastal area) with 8,081 ha:
- Goriška Brda (Gorizia Hills) with 1,992 ha
- Kras (Karst) with 753 ha
- Slovenska Istra (Slovenian Istria) with 2,331 ha
- Vipavska Dolina (Wippach valley) with 3,005 ha
List of vine varieties
The grape variety level...
