The most widespread celebration of wine and wine culture in Slovenia is St. Martin's Day - on November 11. The celebration in honor of the new vintage.

Celebrate the festival of young wine in Slovenia!
It is celebrated for a whole week or even two. The feast of St. Martin is said to have originated from a Celtic holiday that paid homage to the autumnal abundance of crops in the fields and vineyards. St. Martin, a bishop from Tours in France with Hungarian roots, seemed to be the most suitable successor and patron saint of this important time. The joy when must becomes wine is incomparable to any other feast day in Slovenia. Almost one in seven Slovenians is a winegrower, so it is no coincidence that the most popular Slovenian telenovelas of all time revolve around wine dynasties.

Slovenia's wine stories
Slovenia's winemaking culture is represented by three wine-growing regions and 9 wine-growing areas. The first written evidence of winegrowing in what is now Slovenia dates back to the 3rd century BC. Since then, a lot of first-class wine has been grown here. Some Slovenian winegrowers have even won prestigious international awards and prizes. A special feature of Slovenian winegrowing culture are also some original grape and wine varieties. In addition to Teran from the Karst region and Cviček from Dolenjska, these include the Zelen, Pinela, Grganja and Klarnica grape varieties. Have you tried them yet? St. Martin's Day is the ideal opportunity to do so.
The celebration of the new vintage also includes typical dishes. Roast goose or duck with mlinci (boiled flatbread) and stewed red cabbage is a St. Martin's Day classic. St. Martin's Day menus can be found in most Slovenian restaurants. The classic dishes also include sweet treats such as various cakes and potitzen.

Where can you taste Slovenian wines?
The Dolenjska region in southern Slovenia is known for its hills and vineyards. The inhabitants of Dolenjska are winegrowers with heart and soul and this includes their own vineyard cottage, to which they have a special relationship. In the past, only the very best friends were welcomed, as the cottages were the social hub where people celebrated the highlights of the wine-growing season together. Today, the locals also share their tradition with guests in a desire to introduce them to the Dolenjska region and its special features. Vineyard cottages can also be found in other parts of Slovenia with a rich wine-growing tradition.

When visiting the Primorska (coastal) wine-growing region, you will often see tufts of ivy along the roadside. Before you even ask what these bunches mean, we would like to invite you to the Osmizen. These are a type of temporary wine tavern with a tradition dating back more than 200 years. Osmizes are mainly found in the Vipava Valley, in the Karst region and in the Slovenian part of Istria.


Experience an unforgettable St. Martin's Day! Celebrations are not forgotten in these places on November 11:

St. Martin's Dayin Šmarjeta, St. Martin' s Day in Šmartno, St. Martin's Day in Gornja Radgona, St. Martin's Day in Posavje, Wine Experience Ljubljana, St. Martin's Day in Velenje and St. Martin's Festival in the Karst (04.-12.11.)