During the recent walking food tour that I took in Ljubljana, I had the opportunity to sample many different kinds of the city’s indigenous wine. My tour guide, who was aware that I was interested in tasting more, advised that I go to Vipava and continue my exploration of Slovenia’s wine region.
Although Vipava and Slovenian wines in general may not be widely recognized on a global scale, the country is certainly deserving of a trip to be made in their direction. Slovenia is home to some of the world’s finest wines, and as an added benefit, visitors have the opportunity to explore a region that is far less congested than those found in many other, more well-known wine-producing regions.
As the most knowledgeable company in the area, Winestronaut came highly recommended to me as the company that would provide the finest experience during my trip to Vipava. I eagerly made my reservation for the trip, and then I boarded a bus to go to the western region of Slovenia for the night. Vipava was not hard to get to because of its proximity to the nation’s capital, which was just approximately an hour away.
The bus let me out in the middle of town, which also happened to be the location of my accommodations, so it was a happy coincidence.
My reservation was at the Guesthouse Koren, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to others. My accommodation was spacious, spotless, and quite comfy, and the breakfast was some of the best I’ve ever had.
Additionally, one of the telltale signs that you’ve located a quality bed and breakfast is when the proprietor invites you to help yourself to a beverage from her assortment as she checks you in.
My accommodation was also situated in close proximity to the town’s tourist information center, which houses the Vinoteca Wine Museum. The museum is the result of a cooperative effort by all of the towns along the Vipava wine route, and it features samples of wines produced by 45 different wineries. Because to this fantastic initiative, you will have the opportunity to sample wines from vineyards that are not yet prepared to welcome people for tastings.
To tell you the truth, if you aren’t in Vipava for the wine tourism, there isn’t a whole lot for you to do and see here. According to what I was informed, the town sees roughly forty tourists every single day during the summer, the vast majority of them (if not all of them) come for wine tourism and many of those people arriving in groups.
The population of the town is fewer than 2,000 people, therefore it has the atmosphere of a hamlet rather than the administrative center of the municipality.
You won’t have any trouble getting about town on foot while taking in the charming sights. During the time that I spent roaming about the city of Vipava, I did not see any other tourists since the city was so little.
I had some time to kill after lunch, so I decided to meet up with some of the guys from Winestronaut and go on a tour of the wine valley.
The excitement shown by the Winestronaut crew was the first thing that struck me as remarkable about them. Their enthusiasm shone through as they enlightened us on the background of the region and the reasons why it is such a conducive environment for the cultivation of the grapes that are essential to the production of wine.
We discovered on the short trip to the first wine winery that Vipava is the oldest winemaking area in all of Slovenia and dates all the way back to Roman times. This information was quite interesting to us. It would seem that almost every single home in the area has its own own wine cellar.
We also discovered that Vipava has the same latitude as a number of the most renowned wine-producing locations in the world, such as Bourdeaux in France and Napa Valley in the United States. This characteristic, in conjunction with Slovenia’s one-of-a-kind environment, enables the country’s vineyards to produce some of the finest wines in all of Europe.
We were greeted warmly by the winery’s proprietor as soon as we entered the premises, and he immediately led us to a spacious table where he discussed the distinct characteristics of his wines with us. In addition to that, he was kind enough to provide us with a charcuterie board with our tastes.
We found out that his company has been passed down from generation to generation. In point of fact, his mother was busy in the kitchen making the snacks that we were having, and his small kid was assisting with the delivery of the meals to the table. We had the distinct impression that the business was run by a loving and caring family.
We discovered that Vipava is better suited for producing grapes for white wine, which accounts for 65% of their output, and that each grape is selected; there are no machines used in the harvesting process.
Although I loved the red wines as well, I found that the white wines were my preferred choice after trying a number of different sorts of both red and white wines throughout our tasting. Another intriguing variant that was practically orange in hue was also sampled by us.
Even while I loved it and it brought back memories of the wines I had on my tour of Budapest’s wineries, I must admit that I am more partial to the region’s famed white wines.
Before moving on to the next vineyard, several of us decided to purchase a number of bottles to take with us when we left.
During the course of the journey, we inquired of our tour guide the process by which the tour company selected the many companies with which to collaborate. He added that they only deal with vineyard owners who they know to be as enthusiastic about creating wines as Winestronaut is about sharing them with us, and that is the sole requirement for working with vineyard owners.
At the second location, we met another owner who was very excited about his business and he gave us a brief tour of his property before bringing us down into the cellars so that we could sample wines straight from the barrels in which they had been matured. In addition to that, he had given us some regional meats and cheeses to go along with the sampling.
Once again, as he was describing the steps of the manufacturing process, he generously poured out samples. Even though they come from the same geographical area, the wines from the second vineyard had a very distinctive flavor profile, which was a fascinating discovery.
Not only did we appreciate the wine, but we also loved the presentation quite a bit; as a result, many of us bought bottles to take with us when we left.
After all of the wine and refreshments that we tried, the guides from Winestronaut brought me back to the town square for a much-needed snooze after the short trip back into town.
Contents
Where to eat in Vipava
In addition to the wine tour, the other highlight of my time in Vipava was the fantastic meal that I had at the Gostilna Podfarovz.
Not only was this the best meal I had in Vipava (you may have noticed that I didn’t mention the name of the restaurant where I ate lunch), but it was also one of the best meals I had during my entire stay in Slovenia. You may have noticed that I didn’t mention the name of the restaurant where I ate lunch.
The restaurant does not provide a fixed menu; rather, they will inform you of the options that are available on any given evening. On the menu for this particular evening were items such as handmade soups, spaghetti, salmon, and steaks.
When I say that I would go back to Vipava only to dine at this restaurant again, I’m not fooling about. The dinner was amazing, and the wines that the welcoming wait staff selected to pair with each course were excellent choices. In the end, I ended up sharing a bottle with the welcoming owner, whose enthusiasm for both the cuisine and the service was infectious.
Due to the restaurant’s limited capacity, customers are strongly encouraged to make reservations in advance, particularly during peak dining times. In point of fact, I was unable to enter the building earlier for lunch despite my best efforts.
I was informed by the proprietor that he has a second restaurant in town, and the next time I am in town, I would want to visit it and give it a try.
In general, despite Vipava being such a little town, I had a great experience when I was there. I would happily go back to spend more time touring vineyards and, with any luck, have a few more bottles of wine and a few laughs with the proprietors of the eateries.
What part of Vipava looked best to you? Would you like to visit for yourself? Let me know in the comments section below!
Practical Information:
There are many buses that leave Ljubljana each day to go to Vipava, but I was unable to locate a website that was written in English. You may either ask the front desk staff at your hotel or guesthouse to check the timings for you, or you can go to the central bus station to get the most up-to-date schedule.
Visit Winestronaut’s website by clicking here in order to reserve your spot on one of their tours.
I would first want to express my gratitude to Winestronaut for the opportunity to participate in this trip as one of their guests. As usual, each and every viewpoint is all mine.
FAQs
Is vipava worth visiting?
Although Vipava and Slovenian wines in general may not be widely recognized on a global scale, the country is certainly deserving of a trip to be made in their direction. Slovenia is home to some of the world’s finest wines, and as an added benefit, visitors have the opportunity to explore a region that is far less congested than those found in many other, more well-known wine-producing regions.
Is Slovenia wine good?
Wines from Slovenia are among the best in the world.
Once again, Slovenian winemakers were able to obtain top results at the Decanter World Wine Awards competition in 2022. This competition is widely regarded as the world’s biggest and most prominent wine rating competition.
What is the wine region of Slovenia?
Podravje, located in the east, Primorska, located in the west, and Posavje, located just south of the center, are Slovenia’s three most important wine areas. Podravje is the heart of Slovenia’s wine industry, responsible for the production of almost half of the country’s total wine supply.
How many wineries are there in Slovenia?
28,000 wineries
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Slovenia has such a long and illustrious history of winemaking, as well as more than 28,000 wineries, and that the country’s 22,300 hectares of vines produce more than 80 million liters of wine yearly.
Is Slovenia safe to visit?
It is quite safe to go to Slovenia, and some people even consider it to be the safest nation in all of Eastern Europe. What is this, exactly? The overall crime rate is rather low, and the only real cause for worry is the possibility of minor theft or having your luggage stolen while you are out and about. In most areas, the rate of violent crime is quite low and continues to fall.