WineXpedition: Vipava Valley & Goriska Brda

The wine world knows Slovenia as a small but diverse wine country. WineXpedition tour combines professional guides specialised in wine, curated wineries and visits to charming stone-built villages in the 2 most prominent wine districts: the Vipava Valley and the Goriska Brda. Autochtonous wines such as zelen, rebula and barbera will be tasted besides renowned global varieties.
Slovenia has long been below the radar of wine connoisseurs across the world. Thanks to acclaimed wine writers, the wine world today knows Slovenia as one of the smallest but most diverse wine regions in the world. There’s only 21.000 hectares of vineyards but 30.000 grape producers and a wine growing history that dates back before the Romans! The Royal British wine authority Jancis Robinson labelled Slovenia as the country with possibly the most unusual wine culture in the world, certainly in Europe.
In this scenic day trip visit two different wine districts of the Primorska (Littoral) wine regions – the Vipava Valley and the Goriska Brda district, where a combination of mineral rich soils and sub-Mediterranean climate enables production of some spectacular wines.
Vipava Valley is known for its crisp and aromatic fresh white wines and for progressive and bold winemakers. The picturesque valley is dotted with stone-built villages located on hill tops, where one can count more wine cellars than family homes and where narrow streets and squares are often swept by the violent “burja” wind. Stop at Vipavski Kriz, a small village with houses, clustered inside a defence wall around a castle from the late 15th century.
Continue to Goriska Brda, located at the footsteps of the Alps and 20 km from the Adriatic Sea. Goriska Brda are one of the world’s best wine growing terroirs. Home not only to vine, the area also produces delicious cherries, persimmons, figs and probably the spiciest olive oil you have ever tasted. Goriska Brda is predominantly the region of beautiful rebula white wine (ribolla gialla), but never underestimate the rich Bordeaux-like blends. Enjoy some free time for lunch or for independent explorations of the area.
Throughout the tour, we stop at 3 small family run wineries in these 2 wine counties, with guided tours at each winery, taste 4 wine sample at each, accompanied by delicious local produce cold cuts plates. Return to Ljubljana in late afternoon hours.