The first vines were planted in this area by the Celts some 2,400 years ago. The Romans influenced viticulture especially in the area of Poetovium (Ptuj = Pettau). The Roman wine author Pliny the Elder (23-79) mentioned viticulture in the Karst region and described these wines as an elixir of life. During the migration of peoples, viticulture came to a standstill again. But in the Middle Ages, the wines were highly valued at the courts of the imperial Wien and archbishopric of Salzburg. The Austrian Archduke Johann (1782-1859) owned a model vineyard near Maribor (Marburg). Even today, the influences of the historical and long affiliation with Austria-Hungary can be felt. As in most European countries, large vineyard areas fell victim to phylloxera in the second half of the 19th century.
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