Facebook
Twitter
Tripadvisor
mail_outline
Slovenia
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Life and Roots
About The Author
TripAdvisor
About the AuthorContactFacebookTwitterTripAdvisor
Pages
SloveniaAfricaAmericasAsiaEurope
Places
Life and Roots
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor

Ljubljana’s Secret Wine Cellar

August 1, 2017SloveniaTerry Anzur

Reserve an evening of your trip for the 300 year old wine cellar underneath Dvorni Bar in a square near a popular restaurant on Ljubljana’s River Walk.  This won’t be a secret for long.

Wine Tasting Ljubljana enables you to tour all of Slovenia’s wine regions in a fun evening of tasting. Reservations are recommended to join a group of about 12 people. Before it was a wine cellar, the rocks formed part of the wall around the ancient Roman city of Emona. Because it’s part of a restaurant they can also include shared plates of olives, nuts, cheese and bread. Be ready for a surprise in the blindfolded taste test!

Because it’s part of a restaurant, they can legally charge for wine tasting and serve bread, cheese, olives and nuts.

The wines are lovingly selected by English-speaking experts, who have taken the time to visit the wine producers and learn their stories. By the end of the evening, you’ll qualify as an ambassador of Slovenian wine — with a certificate to prove it. The generous pours of seven different wines make it a good value. Check on the website for current prices. Seriously deserves its top ranking on Trip Advisor.

Here’s a quick tour of the seven wines we tried:

Chateau Intanto Sparkling Teran: This refreshing, red sparkling wine from the Karst region is made using the traditional “champagne” method for white wine, fermented in the bottle.

Colja Zelen: One of the seven native white wine varieties in Slovenia, this was new to me. And I loved it. Obviously, so do wine drinkers in Slovenia who consume more than 80% of it, leaving less than 20% for export. It’s also celebrated with the crowning of a Wine Queen, who must be single, have a driver’s license and be able to intelligently talk about the wine — after a few drinks.

Mrof Chardonnay: Fresh and fruity with notes of vanilla, this one compares favorably to its chardonnay cousins from California. It’s from Prekmuria, the eastern region of Slovenia near Hungary, best known for its white wine. It was served with bread dipped in pumpkin seed oil, another delicious regional product.

Mlečnik Ana Cuvee: Blindfolds are handed out before the wine is poured. Red? White? Nope. It’s Slovenia’s famous orange wine. It’s made from white grapes that are allowed to come in contact with the skins for enough time to produce the color and complex apricot-like flavors. I enjoy orange wine more as an aperitif, because in my opinion it’s too heavy to pair with food. But it’s a must-try while in Slovenia.

Martinčič Cviček: This is a summer mix of red and white grapes with a fruity cherry-like flavor and less than 10% alcohol content (compared to the usual 13% or more). This refreshing wine doesn’t age and is meant to be enjoyed within 1 or 2 years of production.

Erzetič Amfora: One of the producers from the Goriška Brda region using ancient terra cotta amphorae (usually from Georgia) to age the wine for six months, followed by 18 months in oak barrels and another year in bottles.

Radical Rumeni Muškat: Sweet wines are not my thing, but this yellow charmer was the perfect taste to end the evening. Now, I’d like to be the wine queen.

Above ground, the Dvor restaurant has good pizza at reasonable prices for the Ljubljana river walk.

Terry’s Travel Tips: Check out my post on Ljubljana’s best wine stores and tasting rooms that you can visit on your own anytime. Also explore the massive cellars beneath Slovenia’s second largest city, Maribor. If you’re a Slovenian wine producer and you’d like to be featured on a future trip please get in touch.

Want more stories like this? Like @strangersinthelivingroom on Facebook, and sign up for the occasional email when there is a new post.

Terry Anzur
I was born to roam: Exchange student. Backpacker. Honeymooner. Business Traveler. Road Warrioress. Adventure Mom. Seeker of serenity, culture and history. International Media Trainer. Journalist. The next story I want to tell is YOURS.

Related Articles

Cook Eat Slovenia: Active Foodie Fun

May 27, 2018Terry Anzur

HGTV House Hunters International Update: The Adventure Continues in Slovenia

July 13, 2020Terry Anzur

Perfection in Piran, Slovenia

April 26, 2017Terry Anzur

GLOBAL LIVING ROOMS
LOCAL DELIVERY

Subscribe now and get all the latest posts in your inbox as they're published.

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

We'll never spam you or share your email address with anyone -- promise!

You Deserve a Vacation!
European Road Trip Planner
TripAdvisor
Facebook
Twitter
Tripadvisor

Home  |  About the Author  |  Contact
Subscribe via Email  |  Subscribe via RSS

Want to become a sponsor? Get in touch.
Want to be featured on the blog? See our Featured Strangers page for more info.
Want to learn about how we use your data? Check out our privacy policy and disclosures.

Privacy Notice

This site uses cookies. Find out more.