Slovenia – Europe’s Most Promising Wine Destination

Have you ever taken a wine tour in Slovenia? If you have, this article might rekindle a few lovely memories. If not, you absolutely must.

What is a wine tour?

In Slovenia, a wine tour could mean several things. A common one of which is strolling from winery to winery until you can no longer stroll and end up spending the rest of the day talking, singing and drinking whine in one of them. But a more cultured version of a wine tour is one that takes you – a local or tourist – into the heart of Slovenia’s winegrowing regions to taste the best wines the country has to offer.

Wine tours usually take a day (or several) and are perfect for people who don’t have time to wander around and go winery-hopping with the locals. It’s basically an exclusive, affordable way of tasting superb wines and local dishes while discovering the Slovenian outdoors.

Why join a wine tour in Slovenia?

A wine tour gives you a first-hand experience of authentic local cuisine and the wine that goes so well with it. You join a bunch of people and travel with them to meet local winemakers, whose winemaking skills have been passed down through generations. They explain the ins and outs of their craft, while an expert sommelier (sometimes the same person) guides you through the wonderful aromas, tones, and undertones of Slovenia’s top vinos.

Today, Slovenia is home to the highest quality wines. Although small in size, it is quite impossible to travel all over the country and taste them all. Hence, a wine tour! Talking to the local boutique producers, you learn an incredible amount of interesting facts (and legends) about Slovenian wine.

Which Slovenian wines should I try?

Short answer: most of them. Longish answer: Riesling, Šipon, Chardonnay, Modra Frankinja, Refošk (refosco), Rebula (Ribolla), Teran, Merlot, Malvasia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vitovska, and Zelen.

To give you a teaser, you simply cannot enter Slovenia without trying its Sauvignons. There’s even an annual festival each May in this wine’s honour. Slovenian Sauvignons have very distinct characters, so trying just one won’t do.

Similar can be said for Chardonnay. Its taste varies depending on the region. The coastal parts of Slovenia, for instance, have their very own uniquely tasting Chardonnays with a pinch of the Mediterranean floating about in there.

Then there’s Riesling. Full of powerful Germanic influence. Known for its fruity aromas and awesome compatibility with a wide range of dishes, this local Vino should be placed right at the top of your tasting list. When aged, Rieslings are prone to develop additional smokey-sweet undertones, which you won’t get anywhere else.

And here comes Zelen. Literally translating to ‘green’ (although it’s white) this amazing variety comes form one of the most picturesque places in Slovenia, the Vipava Valley. Coincidently (not really), it’s also a prime wine tours destination. Zelen has a gentle fruity and floral aroma resembling Mediterranean herbs such as lavender and rosemary, the result of brief maceration and fermentation in wooden barrels. Edgy yet quite typical Slovenian.wine tour group

The two fantastic reds you’ll certainly end up trying are Rebula and Teran. The first has deep Italian roots, but can be recognized as Slovene by its mineral taste resembling almonds and a tad of acidity. Rebula is a native of Goriška Brda – a gorgeous area dubbed Slovenian Tuscany. The second is a celebrated Karst wine. Thanks to the red soil it grows from, this wine has a magnificent structure, corpulent body and an unmistakable fiery red colour. Apparently, it also comes with superb health benefits. Try it!

There you have it. A tiny teaser as promised. If you’d like to find out more about how deep Slovenia’s love for wine is, you’ll simply have to go there. Trust us, you won’t be the first to fall in love with the country, its people and the wine.

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Lanzarote: The Destination Of Rare Volcanic Vineyards

To find a volcanic vineyard in your luxury travels is a truly rare and fascinating experience. In summer the bright green vines emerge startlingly from the pitch black volcanic soil. It makes an arresting view and the way the vines are grown is intriguing.

Lanzarote’s geographical location is found in the Atlantic around 125km from the coast of Morocco, with its largest concentration of vineyards set in a bowl beneath the Fire Mountains. These were a group of volcanoes that erupted in the 18th century. If the back story of the local folks is to be believed, it is the farmers’ persistence to plant vines which contributes to the extraordinary landscape the place has today. Most of the vines are grown in volcanic pits as deep as three meters (nine feet). The method of digging these pits, each taking between one and three vines, was devised when residents, exiled by extreme volcanic activity for six years from 1730 to 1736, came back and worked their way up to resume farming in the place which wore a dramatically altered landscape by then. The pits guard the place against the northerly trade winds and each one is reinforced with semi-circular protective walls built from the volcanic clinker. The distinctive walls help to stop the volcanic soil sliding down and burying the vines, even so, twice a year, when pruning and after harvest, workers have to drive out extra picón, the vehement volcanic lava, so the vines stay intact and are not buried under. Working the vines was and remains extremely labor intensive – in the past camels were used on the island to transport tools and to bring in the harvest.Wine Travel Destination

La Geria wine route

Most of Lanzarote’s 2,000 hectares (3,000 acres) of vineyards and its 18 wineries are in the La Geria zone, below the Timanfaya National Park. As an island which enjoys the sub-tropical climate, the difference between day and night temperatures is miniscule. There is very low rainfall, but the picón acts as a sponge, retaining the evening humidity. Vintage volumes vary widely according to how much rainfall there is, but yields are very low indeed, averaging 1.5 tons per hectare. As a Wine Travel Destination, the island has some of the best produce of grapes. The five varieties are dominated by a form of Malvasía named Malvasía Volcánica or Malvasía de Lanzarote. Besides these varieties, there are three more chief whites namely Listán Blanco, Diego and Moscatel de Alexandria. The latter vines date back much as 200 years old as the phylloxera pest has never reached the island. The reason is that rosés and reds Listán Negro are the main grapes. The five wineries on the official wine route are easy to reach by car (rental or taxi) from either the capital Arrecife or Puerto del Carmen, the most popular beach resort of the region. We visited three of the most important bodegas, La Geria, El Grifo and Los Bermejos, and also drank very drinkable wines from two others – Rubicón (no relation to the California winery) and Vega de Yuko.

Being part of such wine travel and tour can turn out to be a enthralling as well as a journey which can have your senses unwind. To book your wine travel, contact Luxury travel operators in Gurgaon.

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