Slovenia

Question 1

What are the following grapes called in Slovenia?

Blaufränkisch:
Pinot Blanc:
Pinot Gris:
Pinot Noir:
Refosco:
Ribolla Gialla:
St. Laurent:
Welschriesling:
Gewürztraminer:
Riesling:
Furmint:

Answer 1

Blaufränkisch: Modra Frankinja
Pinot Blanc: Beli Pinot
Pinot Gris: Sivi Pinot
Pinot Noir: Modri Pinot
Refosco: Refošk
Ribolla Gialla: Rebula
St. Laurent: Šentlovrenka
Laski "LASH-key" Rizling (Welschriesling)
Diseci Traminer (Gewürztraminer)
Renski Rizling (Riesling)
Furmint: Sipon

Question 2

What are the three regions of Slovenia?

Answer 2

Primorska (Primorje)-In the west bordering Friuli and close to the Adriatic; best region for both red and white wine.

Podravje- “Pa-DRA-vee-YA” the extreme northeast-primarily produces white wine.

Posavje- “Pa-SA-vee-YA”lines Slovenia’s easter border with Croatia.- Overwhelmingly white based on Grasevina (Laski Rizling/Welschriesling)

Question 3

What is the climate of Slovenia?

Answer 3

Generally continental, with hot summers, and cold and wet winters. Closer to the Adriatic, in Primorska, becomes Mediterranean influenced.

Spring frost, summer hail, and drought may be experienced in most wine districts.

Question 4

When did Slovenia become independent?

When did they join the EU?

Answer 4

1991

Joined the EU in 2004

Question 5

What countries were formed after the split of Yugoslavia?

Answer 5

Serbia
Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro
Slovenia
Macedonia
Kosovo

Question 6

What is Vinska družba?

Answer 6

Originally named the PSVVS (Business Association for Viticulture and Wine Production) and recently renamed Vinska družba (“wine company”), it was founded in 1967 to establish the promotion of Slovenian wines, establish testing practices for quality assurance and issue seals of approval that met the organization’s standards.

Question 7

What is the PDO equivalent for Slovenia wines?

Answer 7

Zaščitena Označba Porekla (ZOP) (protected marking origin) is the PDO equivalent, while Zaščitena Geografska Označba (ZGO) corresponds to PGI but is hardly used.

Question 8

What are the following traditional designation for Slovenian wines?

Table wine:
Vin de Pays from a single region:
Quality wine from a single district:
Premium quality wine from a single district:

Answer 8

Namizno Vino (table wine)
Deželno Vino PGO (‘Vins de Pays’ coming from a single region)
Kakovostno vino ZGP (quality wine) and Vrhunsko Vino ZGP (premium quality wine), both of which come from single district.

Question 9

What are the Slovenian terms for the following:

Dry:
Medium-dry:
Medium-sweet:
Sweet:

Answer 9

suho (dry)
polsuho (medium-dry)
polsladko (medium-sweet)
sladko (sweet)

Question 10

What are the 4 subdivisions of Primorska?

Answer 10

Goriska Brda “Gore-REESH-ka BIR-da
Vipava Valley
Kras
Koper

Question 11

What is Goriska Brda (hills) in Friuli?

Answer 11

Collioure Goriziano “GORE-ritz-ZANO”

Question 12

What percentage of Slovenia’s wine is white?

Answer 12

70%

Question 13

What are the most common training systems used in Slovenia?

How is harvest done?

Answer 13

Double or single guyot.

• pergola and casarsa (similar to GDC-geneva double curtain), once common in Primorska, are being replaced Guyot.
• As terrain is often steep, manual harvesting is the norm.

Question 14

Two star producers in Slovenia?

Answer 14

Ales Kirstancic of Movia

Josko Gravner

Question 15

What does Kras become in Friuli?
What is Kras’ soil?
What grape is Kras famous for?
Where else is that grape grown?
Food pairing?

Answer 15

• It is the eastern extension of Italy’s Carso.
• Harsh karst limestone plateau above Trieste, with its red, iron-rich soils (terra rosa).
• Refosco Terrano (often confused with Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso)
• also grown around Koper on the Istrian coast.
• Matches a rustic kebab to perfection.

Question 17

How does Vipava Valley District differ from Brda? Name two indigenous grapes found in Vipava Valley.

Answer 17

Vipava Valley is noticeablly cooler (especially its upper reaches) resulting in wines with more lift, elegance, and less alcohol than in Brda.

Indigenous grapes Zelen (a relative of Verduzzo Gialla) and Pinela (known as Pinella in northeast Italy) have been in the spotlight recently.

Question 18

How does Pinot Grigio differ in Primorska from its Veneto counterpart?

Answer 18

Primorska Pinot Grigio is typically has more structure and character.

Question 19

What is the dominant white grape of Primorska?

Answer 19

Rebula (Ribolla Gialla)

Question 20

What is the largest region in Slovenia?

Answer 20

Podravje, has seven subzones and primarily produces white wines.

Question 20

What two rivers is Podravje and Posavje on?

Answer 20

Posavje is along the Sava River
Podravje is along the Drava River

“po”= “by” in slovenian

Question 21

What are the two subzones (districts) of Podravje PGI?

Answer 21

Štajerska Slovenija “STY-yer-ska”(Styrian Slovenia) district with its beautiful rolling hills is slowly regaining its former status.

-the rather warmer Prekmurje “PREK-more-ya” district, a continuation of the Pannonian Plain in the far north east of the country, is of minor significance

Question 22

What style is produced in Podravje? What is the dominant variety?

Answer 22

Podravje wines today are almost exclusively white and made reductively with cold fermentation, and stainless-steel maturation, bottled early, sealed with screwcaps, and sold in the first year. Laski “LASH-key” Rizling is the dominant variety

Question 22

According to the Guinness World Records, where is the oldest vine plant on earth and what is it planted to?

Answer 22

Maribor in the Podravje district of Slovenia at more than 400 years old, and it still yields 77-12lb (35-55kg) of Zametovka grapes every year.

-Growing in front of what is now a museum on the banks of the River Drava, is said to be the oldest living vine in the world, notwithstanding claims from contenders in Italy and Georgia. The building that houses the museum, appears with the vine in visual records dating back to 1657 and 1681.

Question 23

What is Slovenia’s sparkling wine capital?

Answer 23

Radgona has been Slovenia’s sparkling wine capital since 1852.

Question 24

What style is produced in Posavje? What is the dominant variety? How do the wines differ from Podravje?

Answer 24

• Overwhelmingly white.
• Grasevina (Laski Rizling/Welschriesling) in over half of the region’s vineyard
• Growing much of the same grapes as Podravje, but often blending them to make such locally (rather than varietally) named specialities Civcek, Metliska crnina, and Bizeljcan.
• Posavje wines tend to be even lighter, tarter, and less polished than in Podravje.

Question 25

What are the districts (subzones) of Posavje PGI? (3)

Answer 25

Bizeljsko Sremič
Dolenjska
Bela Krajina

Question 26

What is Cviček?

Answer 26

A traditional, low-alcohol, pale-red, high-acid wine made from Zametovka, Kraljevina (and/or Blaufrankisch). It is locally very popular in Dolenjska PDO (located within Posavje PGI) and also has its own appellation, Cviček PDO.